this post was submitted on 12 Apr 2024
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For example, I personally can't listen to Guns and Roses without immediately thinking "that Axl sure is an asshole", and that sours the entire experience.

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[–] [email protected] 1 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago)

I think it depends on the person, what they've done, if they've been convicted and individual tolerance.

Many people shrug when they learn that John Lennon was an abusive asshole who used to beat his wife. Many more wilfully let Chris Brown back into the industry after how badly he beat the shit out of Rihanna. Even artists like Michael Jackson and R Kelly managed to avoid child molestation accusations for years, and likewise more people rushed to cancel 6ix9ine for snitching on the Nine Trey Gangsters than they did when he was convicted of doing inappropriate sexual things to a 13 year old girl and somehow only landing probation.

Then you have truly bad cases like Ian Watkins, former leader singer of LostProphets. The band had effectively been disavowed from the moment of his arrest.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago)

No. I also learned to not be a fan of anyone. I dislike people in general.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 6 months ago

Billy Corgan is that guy for me. He comes off as a total asshole in every interview I’ve listened to him give.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 6 months ago

I'd imagine so but I don't currently listen to any artists that have done anything bad as far as I'm aware.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago)

Yes, always.

So many musicians and other artists are not only complete assholes, but also complete morons. But, I don’t listen to their music for their antics or their intelligence, I listen for the music.

I still listen to Johnny Craig and the Lost Prophets even though I know how horrible they are in real life. Because to me, the music is about the feeling that it elicits in me, not about the creator. I don’t care who made a thing, I care about the thing.

Edit: that said, I’ve not purchased music by those two, and instead pirated it.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 6 months ago

My moral almost don't align with every single one of singers that I have heard, so I'm kinda forced to do it

[–] [email protected] 11 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Generally I don't have a hard time separating the art from the artist. And it's probably bad and selfish, but if I had to stop listening to David Bowie, Eric Clapton, and John Lennon, I'd be so depressed. The world is deeply shitty, so I'm hanging on to whatever happiness I can find. Β―\_(ツ)_/Β―

[–] [email protected] 2 points 6 months ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 8 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Eric Clapton is super racist, John Lennon abandoned his kid.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 6 months ago (2 children)

But what about Bowie? Why his name being dragged through the mud

[–] [email protected] 2 points 6 months ago

I had to look this up, didn't know about Bowie. He had underage groupies, at least as young as 15 (Lori Mattix). Apparently she remembers that time fondly, but today we would rightly call it coercion and pedophilia. She was treated kindly, probably given all the drugs she "wanted", but that's still a child.

There's a counter argument about how later in life, he refused a kissing scene between him and Jennifer Connelly during Labyrinthe, and that shows he understands the age gap is wrong.

I don't regularly listen to David Bowie. I can sometimes separate the art from artist, but I'm now gonna have trouble knowing he was having sex with (raping) a 15 year old girl.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 6 months ago

For real I feel like Bowie is a poster star of trying to do his best to do good in the world with his wealth and fame

[–] [email protected] 7 points 6 months ago (1 children)

If it makes sense to consider the artist's actions and morality, it makes just as much sense to consider that of the producers et. al.

That leaves us with virtually no content tho.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Just today I wanted to show a friend UnDeadwood, a western horror one shot by the critical role crew, and learned they've removed ALL content with Brian W. Foster because he turned out to be an abusive piece of shit. I understand it on a certain level, but at the same time that's an INSANE amount of actually amazing content just gone because one dude turned out to be a piece of shit.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 6 months ago

Fucking Pepe Le Pew is totally a creep! Absolutely does not get consent!

[–] [email protected] 4 points 6 months ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 3 points 6 months ago

Unless you're around your more sanctimonious friends, then you can but you'll never hear the end of it, and they won't apologize when, after deriding you for hours, it turns out Bob Dylan wasn't even in the same country at the time he was accused of committing those improprieties.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 6 months ago (2 children)

Alright which one of you is still listening to Lostprophets?

[–] [email protected] 3 points 6 months ago

This is the first band that came to mind when I saw this thread. Even though I liked their music when it came out, I would feel gross listening to it now.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Yeah there's definitely a line there for me.

I don't care if they are an asshole. They're just people at the end of the day.

But I can't listen to lost prophets or Gary glitter.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 6 months ago

Same. I listen to a few bands that have had a member accused of sexual assault and of emotional abuse.

But Lostprophets are beyond tainted because Watkins is one of the most deranged convicted paedos in British legal history. It's impossible for me to separate his music from his utterly sick crimes. Gary Glitter is up there too.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 6 months ago

Yes I do this very easily. I listen to music and don’t spend any time at all learning about the artists.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 6 months ago

If I like the song then I don't care who the artist is but if I really don't like the artist and feel so strongly about it that I want to make a statement then I simply don't listen to them.

[–] [email protected] 47 points 6 months ago (1 children)

I mean, theres 3 categories for giving them a pass on their transgressions (as a fan, not legally or morally speaking) IMO.

  1. The art/performance was just so far beyond good that you cant deny the cultural significance. E.g Michael Jackson, Elvis, Tupac.

  2. You had a personal connection to the art before they did the shitty thing or before it came to light. (In my case: early Chris Brown, Kid Rock) They were big in my late teens and early 20s and I have positive memories associated with their songs. Not the percieved quality of the art.

  3. They had their day in court, did their time and time has passed. E.g Mark Wahlberg, I dont know the guy, I dont know if he is a good person or not these days. But the last documented occasion of him being a huge violent racist asshole is 1992... 32 years ago.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 6 months ago

This is great. It's not perfect, but it's great. It feels like an impossible task but it feels more possible with a structure like this.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 6 months ago

I just try to avoid giving money to the living bad ones

[–] [email protected] 3 points 6 months ago

I have to, otherwise I wouldnt listen to music at all...

[–] [email protected] 1 points 6 months ago

I was pretty ok until MJ.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 6 months ago

If I liked them before I knew, yes. But if I knew going in, it’s hard not to think about.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 6 months ago

Originally I thought I could, but no. Because when I listen to the music, I'm giving that artist money, attention, and power.

That results in giving them a bigger platform to spew their bigoted opinions/actions is counterintuitive to my goals. I would rather not.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 6 months ago

I think it’s crucial…

[–] [email protected] 10 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago)

I can live with artists having different views/believes/opinions, but when it comes to actions they did, then it's a different story for me.

E.g. I don't enjoy Rammstein anymore

[–] [email protected] 9 points 6 months ago

Yeah, just do a little piracy

[–] [email protected] 2 points 6 months ago (1 children)

To an extent I can, like Axl is a complicated one given his mental health issues. Nothing excuses his behaviour but he seems to have grown as a person and managed to somewhat control his shittier side.

But there's definitely a line. I can't really enjoy rammstein or die antwoord anymore

[–] [email protected] 2 points 6 months ago (1 children)

What happened with Rammstein and Die Antwoord?

[–] [email protected] 5 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Turns out Lindemann is quite rapey, and Die Antwoord had this whole (alleged) sex slavery thing with an Australian rapper.

Seems often they're not just making up their lyrics after all but singing from experience

[–] [email protected] 7 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) (1 children)

Die antwoord also adopted, abused and abandoned an ~~albino~~ (Edit: my mistake, he has hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasia) child, Tokkie, who spoke out a few years ago. They're truly awful and Tokkie's documentary is worth watching.

Also Marilyn Manson has been evicted from my music library for sexual abuse. I have no interest in supporting known exploiters, and I can't listen to their music without thinking about how awful they are as people. No regrets, there's plenty more musicians out there worth my time.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 6 months ago

I have been meaning to remove Marilyn Manson from my playlists and just now did. Thanks for the reminder

[–] [email protected] 3 points 6 months ago

Yes. It's fine.

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