Should Entertainers Trash Their Own Work?

[Anonymous]

As an artist do you have the right to trash your own work even when it’s commercially successfully? Is it not considered insulting to fans?

[Anonymous]

I was going to say they do but actually it is kind of tacky.

[Anonymous]

Whatever are you prattling on about

[Anonymous]

Yes, an artist can destroy their own work. I do not support this idea that fans somehow have rights on the artist, their behavior, or their output.

Artists too often suffer enormously under pressure from their fans. Look at South Korea and the recent suicide of a 24 year old actress (only the latest in a long line of suicides). Here too, actresses, singers and various celebrities bear the incredible burden of living in the public eye and being trashed on social media, often for nothing but rumors and gossip. Posters do it on DCUM as well, criticizing various (non-elected) public figures with a vitriolic intensity that, to me, is utterly disproportional to the subject matter. It's not like most fans actually KNOW any artists. Most never meet any of them in real life, and if they do, only for a few seconds.

[Anonymous]

I mostly referring to stars like Katherine Heigl when she trashed her work on GA or Marlon Brando discussing the GodFather. There are a few musicians who also trash some of their biggest hits.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I mostly referring to stars like Katherine Heigl when she trashed her work on GA or Marlon Brando discussing the GodFather. There are a few musicians who also trash some of their biggest hits.

She made some specific comments about Knocked Up being sexist. Even if you like the movie, it's pretty impossible to argue with because she was right! I love KH and she was ahead of her times.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I mostly referring to stars like Katherine Heigl when she trashed her work on GA or Marlon Brando discussing the GodFather. There are a few musicians who also trash some of their biggest hits.

She made some specific comments about Knocked Up being sexist. Even if you like the movie, it's pretty impossible to argue with because she was right! I love KH and she was ahead of her times.

Totally agree with this

[Anonymous]

I think calling actors "artists" when they have contracts they must honor... is a bit of a stretch to give them a hard time for criticizing their "product" when so much of it is out of their control.

It's different if you have created and released something completely on your own, and then you criticize it, but I don't think that's what we're talking about here.

But, when JT said he doesn't like the song from Trolls and he had to do it for the movie, yes that was annoying. Okay you hate the song that many kids love, but you cashed the checks right?

I guess if the work was meaningful to and enjoyed by people, it's messed up

[Anonymous]

They are as entitled to their opinions and experiences as anyone. I don't begrudge someone expressing regrets or frustrations with past experiences or how the reception of those things have shaped their experience of them.

That said, it's possible to do that without insulting people who enjoy those things.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think calling actors "artists" when they have contracts they must honor... is a bit of a stretch to give them a hard time for criticizing their "product" when so much of it is out of their control.

It's different if you have created and released something completely on your own, and then you criticize it, but I don't think that's what we're talking about here.

But, when JT said he doesn't like the song from Trolls and he had to do it for the movie, yes that was annoying. Okayy you hate the song that many kids love, but you cashed the checks right?

I guess if the work was meaningful to and enjoyed by people, it's messed up

This is a perfect example . I don’t think you should be forced to love everything attached to your name but when you have a smash that your fans love I think you should maybe keep quiet and not ruin it for them. I also don’t think actors are immune. You get paid to act and maybe you’re not proud of everything but at the very least be appreciative when your fans support your work regardless of what you thought of the final product.

[Anonymous]

Are you referring to the Taylor drama?

[Anonymous]

I'm a published author. I will say that it's VERY difficult to celebrate your work when you have haters. Yes, people like to say that means you've arrived, but artists of all kinds are very accessible now, and it means we hear everything that's wrong with our art. It's hard not to 1) internalize that and 2) market ourselves as the opposite.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are you referring to the Taylor drama?

What drama?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think calling actors "artists" when they have contracts they must honor... is a bit of a stretch to give them a hard time for criticizing their "product" when so much of it is out of their control.

It's different if you have created and released something completely on your own, and then you criticize it, but I don't think that's what we're talking about here.

But, when JT said he doesn't like the song from Trolls and he had to do it for the movie, yes that was annoying. Okayy you hate the song that many kids love, but you cashed the checks right?

I guess if the work was meaningful to and enjoyed by people, it's messed up

This is a perfect example . I don’t think you should be forced to love everything attached to your name but when you have a smash that your fans love I think you should maybe keep quiet and not ruin it for them. I also don’t think actors are immune. You get paid to act and maybe you’re not proud of everything but at the very least be appreciative when your fans support your work regardless of what you thought of the final product.

PP you quoted... Agree with you!

[Anonymous]

Michael Caine has that great quote about not having bothered to see one of his films, but he does look at the house it bought him. He’s made some other remarks about sometimes just doing projects for money.

I don’t think there’s anything wrong with artists being honest about their work. It’s only disrespectful if they’re insulting to their fans about it.