By Aayush Dayal
Growing up in the tight clutches and firm grip of millennial romanticism in western pop culture, admiring our childhood and teenage sensations. It can be quite easy to forget that the characters we have so fallen in love with, aren’t the same persons as the professionals who enact them and that the creators we adore have a life beyond the art they create. Evergreen works of art whether they are a well-received movie franchise like the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), break-out music album such as Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller’ or gobsmacking dance or theatre productions such as Shakespeare’s Macbeth are always bound to be welcomed with acclaim and appreciation. However, in some cases delving deeper into the actors, singers, dancers and performers we grow to idolise and yearn brings us closer to the darker truths that don’t show up under the spotlight, but rather lurk in the darkness around it. For many, art is a realm free of jurisdiction from punishment and penance while some believe that supporting artists who are associated with criminal offences by appreciating their pieces of art only encourage similar conduct in the future.
In a diverse world, where everyone, no matter how popular and loved, is bound to divide opinion and judgement, proponents of this debate stress on the drain of talent caused by criticising the art of the artist based on something entirely extrinsic. Many have fallen victim to just that, to name a few: Kevin Spacey has been fired from a lead role in famed show ‘House of Cards’ and entirely recast from ‘All the Money in the World’ after accusations of making sexual advances on numerous men, prominent film producer Harvey Weinstein also had to leave his production company as a result of rape allegations while R. Kelly, a hip hop artist has suffered 10 cancelled concerts brought about by the #MuteRKelly movement after two women accused him of sexual abuse.
On the other hand, one might argue that the financial and social leverage gained by controversial artists due to support and affection from fans are primary catalysts in helping them getting away with their crimes. In total, 263 celebrities, politicians, CEO’s and other famed persons have been accused of sexual misconduct since April of 2017! Some of which still remain blockbuster stars, with their reputations intact and little publicity about the charges against them, for example: Morgan Freeman – accused of inappropriate behaviour by eight women, Stan Lee – alleged to sexually harass multiple nurses who were in charge of him, Sylvester Stallone – reported to have sexually assaulted a 16-year old girl alongside another man, among many others.
By and large, whichever position you hold regarding art being independent of the artist or not, the question both coteries should be asking is - is it more unfair to let people abuse talent or to let that talent abuse people?
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