Elsey Rafail
Photography Editor
In the peak of cancel culture, where someone is bullied out of their social media presence due to problematic actions, the idea of separating the art from the artist was born in hopes that fans would still be able to engage in what they love without guilt for supporting someone affected by cancel culture. However, the question stands; is it even possible to separate the art from the artist?
With artists such as Chris Brown, where they hold an extremely problematic past filled with abuse, misogyny, and racism, but have such a huge following with fans and causal listeners argue against his past with the fact that Chris Brown is a talented individual who can make hit after hit. It becomes hard for the whole cancel culture to take place.
An article was released by Ella Adams on The Appalachian on the topic and gives reasons as to why it is simply not possible to because “art is a personal expression of one’s perspective of the world… Because art is so personal, musicians, visual artists, filmmakers, and other artists cannot be separated from their creations.” So, even if the art is not meant for the artist, it is the fact that the artist released this piece of art into the world in hopes of something.
So, even as the art we engage in is something that we cherish deeply, knowing that it is made by someone with a past that’s questionable, that art is the artist’s own.
Examples of such artists can range from Michael Jackson to even actors such as Johnny Depp, household names with discographies that many people listen to and watch even now. However, an argument written by Swift and Hayes-Brady in a Vox article, says “that engaging critically with a work of art is completely different from endorsing the morality of the artist.”
So, Swift uses an example of Ezra Pound writing that, “…we have to acknowledge that Pound was anti-Semitic and a fascist and acknowledge the seriousness of those things. But that doesn’t mean we should forget Pound, because that would be a forgetting of the seriousness of what he did.” Meaning that despite Pound being extremely problematic, we should not ignore his historical difference.
A modern example could be Kanye West, someone with a serious history of being a controversial person, but an artist who has advocated and inspired many black artists today, so we can acknowledge the artists and their past, but we should be able to also recognize their impact.
To further understand the importance of artists and their work, Crowder students comment on the issue as well with such comments from Mermeleen Suldan, general studies major, “I personally believe that anyone should listen to what they love, even if it’s a bit controversial.”
In all seriousness, cancel culture has helped many fans understand their artist more as people and no one can truly separate the art from the artist, but ignoring the problem can cause ignorant mindsets. So, a solution is simply understanding and spreading awareness, but be sure to acknowledge that even if they are a “monster,” the impact of some cannot be ignored.
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