If you know an artist is not a good person, can you still enjoy their work?

[Anonymous]

I find that I just seem to gravitate away more than actively avoid, if that makes any sense. Maybe it has to do with that unconscious feeling of distaste in the back of my head.

Woody Allen has always creeped me out, so I avoid his movies anyway. I feel queasy (well, maybe not that dramatically) when everyone is getting all misty eyed on John Lennon's birthday. Terry Richardson... Actually that does make me queasy.

I agree with a lot of the other PPs in that with a lot of artistic "genius", seems to come a lot of darkness. I can say this is actually true of many of the artists I know personally. I'm no artist, but I do find that my greatest creativity that I feel compelled to act on, does come from a place of pain.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Rapist "photographer" Terry Richardson. Makes my stomach turn. All those young children.

I thought this was who the OP was going to refer to. I have read various accounts of models who have posed for him and the things that went on were so predatory and vile. Seems like finally some magazines/editors are starting to refuse to work with him.

Why isn't he in jail yet for raping all these girls? He's threatened them?

Terry Richardson should be in lock-up next to Harvey.
Bastards sexuality attacking countless young women.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Someone who seems to get a pass is John Lennon. The guy who wrote "Give Peace a Chance" and "All You Need is Love" had a huge ego and a violent temper. According to his son Sean, John yelled in his ear so loudly, he caused hearing damage. This was when John got frustrated while teachimg 4 y.o. Sean how to cut steak with a knife.

Learning this and other things really has put a damper on The Beatles for me.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/09/21/sean-lennon-opens-up-abou_n_128028.html

That's horrific.

[Anonymous]

No I can't. Also i really want to know who the author is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Someone who seems to get a pass is John Lennon. The guy who wrote "Give Peace a Chance" and "All You Need is Love" had a huge ego and a violent temper. According to his son Sean, John yelled in his ear so loudly, he caused hearing damage. This was when John got frustrated while teachimg 4 y.o. Sean how to cut steak with a knife.

Learning this and other things really has put a damper on The Beatles for me.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/09/21/sean-lennon-opens-up-abou_n_128028.html

That's horrific.

Yep, me too. I read his this book about his son and him when I was like 19 and going thru my hippie, Beatles stage and man- it completely ruined it. You can never get it back after hearing how abominably this joke of a man treated his first wife and son. He was horrific.

[Anonymous]

Not as much, obviously. Or not at all, depending on what he or she did!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are predatory movie directors, politicians (both stripes), musicians, jerk movie stars..... do you dis everything that involves a person you don't like?

Funny how things have changed in 2.5 years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are predatory movie directors, politicians (both stripes), musicians, jerk movie stars..... do you dis everything that involves a person you don't like?

Funny how things have changed in 2.5 years.

Pretty great, isn't it?

We're winning.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Rapist "photographer" Terry Richardson. Makes my stomach turn. All those young children.

I thought this was who the OP was going to refer to. I have read various accounts of models who have posed for him and the things that went on were so predatory and vile. Seems like finally some magazines/editors are starting to refuse to work with him.

I wonder who still hires him.

Apparently President Obama. Google it.

[Anonymous]

I do it all the time when I listen to hip hop music.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Rapist "photographer" Terry Richardson. Makes my stomach turn. All those young children.

I thought this was who the OP was going to refer to. I have read various accounts of models who have posed for him and the things that went on were so predatory and vile. Seems like finally some magazines/editors are starting to refuse to work with him.

I wonder who still hires him.

Apparently President Obama. Google it.

Really? You just can’t let Obama retire. Oy

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Artists are often troubled in some way, and their therapy is producing art.
Do you think a perfectly sane, responsible and logistical pragmatist can create thought provoking art or writings? From where I stand, it's the more wacky ones that create something from the mess inside them. Some of the most talented fine artists and actors are/were seriously crazy.
Examples: Einstein, Martha Graham, Van Gogh, Emily Dickinson, Sophocles, Lord Byron. Two more: Dante and Nabokov - seriously, where did these guys come up with that stuff? Their writings are crazy! Because they were, too!

And I apologize if I offend anyone's sensibilities. I agree with 23:57 to a degree. You can be very involved as a parent, or take care of your art, but probably not both in one lifetime.

So my advice to the OP is try to separate your personal bias of the author from your relationship with your friend, but see the art for the art. Rather, see the author as a mutli-dimensional person who is working something out through his writing.

As weird as it is, Nabokov was known as a very happy, well adjusted person with a happy family life. He also studied butterflies. I don’t think he was normal either as no one normal could write Lolita.

[Anonymous]

Um, yes. I can appreciate the amazing ability of creators of classics like Truimph of the Will which was incredible for its time. I can admire the beauty of Nietzsche’s work without liking him as a person. I can admire Theodore Gericault’s horse paintings while knowing he had a child with his aunt. I can enjoy Hemingway despite the fact I think he was awful to be married to.

Newsflash, people are flawed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I went to school with the child of an author, and I know for a fact that the author was a terrible parent. Really terrible. Author's book is one of our book club choices, and I am, for some reason, hesitant to read it. I think I'll feel guilty if I enjoy it perhaps? I think it's different that just hearing that Oprah is really mean to waiters for example in that I have personal, real-life knowledge of this particular author. Thoughts?

Depends on why they aren't a "good" person. In your situation terrible parents unfortunately are a dime a dozen. Were they terrible because they were abusive, or was it more like they worked a lot, weren't around much, weren't attentive, not very affectionate, were overly critical? For me it depends on what the person has done. There are tv shows and movies that I don't watch because I cannot get beyond an actor or director's issues or creepiness like Woody Allen. On the other hand celebrities do terrible things out and they either get a pass or get forgiven like Alec Baldwin. I remember that terrible voicemail he sent to his daughter when she was barely a teenager and I thought what must he be like to do something like that? He is unwatchable to me, but people like him.

[Anonymous]

I like some of Tupac's songs, but DO believe he raped. So I never bought any of his music, but for example, have played it on Youtube to enjoy it. Or, in the olden days of tapes when a friend had it, copied it off their tape.