I believe that the audience should NOT separate the art from the artist, even if you believe that the artist's work is just too good, there are many other artists who are smaller and haven't done those problematic things who deserve to have the same recognition.
A good example of why we shouldn't separate art from the artist is Kanye West. Kanye has a history of making harmful, discriminatory comments and posts online. He also made a post supporting high-profile individuals who committed severe offenses against women. Many fans still actively support him and stream his music because they think that Kanye is a "lyrical genius". Continuing to appreciate his art supports the huge cultural influence he has on today's society.
Furthermore, let's look at Chris Brown. People may believe his songs are good; however, we can't ignore how he is known for his severe personal misconduct and physical abuse, as well as the numerous civil lawsuits and legal cases against him. Yet a lot of people will ignore his actions and continue listening to his music because they cling on to the nostalgia behind his music or simply because he is talented.
Art is personal and has a connection to the artist. With art, it takes a lot of thinking and self-expression of oneself. Art comes from the artist's perspective and worldview; the art they make has a story and context with it. If we separate the art from the artist, it takes away the story and context behind it.
It's hard to look past the artist's actions and appreciate the art once you learn about the artist's actions or when the artist has past infamy for their actions OR when the artist creates art about their problematic actions with ZERO shame at all. R. Kelly clearly demonstrates that; he wrote sexually explicit music involving minors and behaved inappropriately with underage fans.
Saying that you can ethically appreciate the artist's art without financially supporting them is an invalid point. The art gets recommended on online algorithms when you talk about it, stream it through an external source, and share the art which not only keeps them relevant, but also brings in people who WILL financially support them.
The other argument that art belongs to the world once it's published is also a weak rebuttal. The artist behind it put context and a lot of work and soul into the piece. That art is tied with the artist so NO, it cannot be separated because you are basically choosing your own enjoyment and entertainment over holding that artist accountable and considering their problematic actions.
id love to hear your guys' thoughts and stances on this topic, i thought why not post it here after writing it for my debate class
