Would you separate the music from the artist?

Submitted by AskElegant6598 t3_z8m3tq in Music

Recently, an artist who’s songs I really enjoy got arrested for violent behaviour.

I’ve heard people in the past talk about how they completely cut out a certain artist from their playlists because they don’t support their words or choices.

There is a part of me that wants to remove the said artist’s songs from my playlists as an act to show that I don’t support them and their behaviour, but I think my love for their work will keep some of their songs permanently in my playlists. However still a little part of me that feels guilty that I choose to listen to their music (and thus, in a sense, Im supporting them).

What are your thoughts on this? Would you stop listening to an artist’s song based on your negative opinion of their character or would you separate the music from the artist?

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RevealStandard3502 t1_iyc7jyw wrote

Once the artist dies. Then there is no need to separate, they are separate at that point.

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novff t1_iyc7qbe wrote

I love Kanye's music, don't agree with his recent behaviour

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Cyanopicacooki t1_iyc7wa9 wrote

I don't think anyone listens to the Lost Prophets these days.

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crazyGauss42 t1_iyc95r2 wrote

Depends on the transgression and my love for their music.

I loved Eric Clapton for years before I found out he's a xenophobic ass, so now, I've decided I'll never give him money anymore, so no concerts, new albums, anything. I also won't stop listening to the stuff I already have from him, nor will I switch radio stations if he comes up.

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Thonis_ t1_iycawqg wrote

Absolutely. I listen to the music they create, not their personality.

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minehost t1_iycb3ko wrote

Wish I could. But if I did then my brain would question me about it.

Plus, a lot of people make excuses for celebrities. I'm finding out so many rockstars are in fact nonce's & that's something I just can't get past.

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espirulo t1_iycb4tm wrote

For me it is often difficult, because they are the ones who write and try to convey their messages, so you end up empathizing with them.

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MW126 t1_iycbbrp wrote

A true artist creates art ... if I enjoy and appreciate their craft, I do. I can like their work without necessarily like the person. It's not my place to judge their personal beliefs, behaviors, or values.

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RichardGHP t1_iyccqvl wrote

That's entirely between you and your conscience. You don't have to conform to anyone else's view and your view doesn't even have to be consistent between different artists. If you won't miss the music, cut it loose. If you will, don't feel bad about listening to it.

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moodRubicund t1_iycdkjz wrote

No, I never rever a piece of music so much that I'd feel the need to separate it from its artist just to justify listening to it. There's always going to be more amazing music by less terrible people.

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KACArawr t1_iycdwf5 wrote

I still listen to their music. Not because they did something bad means they're bad artists.

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Fluffy_Little_Fox t1_iycdwyw wrote

Replying to Cyanopicacooki (#798,632)

They were decent when they were making stuff like The Fake Sound of Progress, but then they switched to being an Emo band. Lol. Even without the allegations against Ian -- they were very mediocre and boring.

There's better bands out there.

Dredg, Minus the Bear, Fair To Midland.

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DJMoneybeats t1_iycg6bn wrote

There's a line. It's different for everyone but if you stopped listening to every artist that did something bad, it wouldn't leave much

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Connor_billo98 t1_iycgusv wrote

I still listen to Michael Jackson even after the allegations that were made. It’s quite easy to separate for me

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NootNootington t1_iyck2k6 wrote

Everyone's got a line. For me, I probably wouldn't stop listening to an artist over an isolated incident like a pub brawl, but sex offenders are a bit different. Then there are artists who did bad things a long time ago but have made a clear effort since to improve.

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terryjuicelawson t1_iycmiqy wrote

Depends on how it makes you feel. If someone was a sex pest then it can just make me feel gross if I hear the music. Sometimes you can separate it a bit if things are less clear cut, it was a violent episode or a long time ago. If don't feel like I would do it purely on principle, but I wouldn't support them financially I guess.

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baseg0d t1_iycpbyq wrote

I have a hard time doing that. I have always kind of disliked GnR because of Axl

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ToxicAdamm t1_iycpjxt wrote

I don't spend a moment thinking about the artist when I'm consuming art.

I don't get into hero worship or creating my identity around what I consume. That would be the only reason I would think you would even care about the personal lives of the painter, the director or the composer of a piece. Maybe you would get interested in the history of it and then you would go down that path, but it shouldn't change how you feel about the work itself.

Artists are almost always unbalanced individuals. It's usually what drives them to that path in the first place. Joe the Accountant, living in the suburbs, isn't writing brilliant comedy or revolutionizing sound. You dig into any of them and you're probably going to find something untoward.

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Lonely-Criticism1419 t1_iycpr21 wrote

When Afroman punched a woman at his show, I took his songs off my playlist! Plenty of other stoner music out there.

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blackfeltfedora t1_iycq4fo wrote

For me it depends on the behavior. Examples: Billy Corgan is an ass. I won’t directly buy Smashing Pumpkins stuff but if it pops up on my playlist i I don’t object. Gary Glitter managed to get kicked out of Cambodia with whatever weird shit he was getting up to and has multiple child pornography convictions. I will not listen to anything he has recorded or may receive royalties from.

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EveSixxx t1_iycqkob wrote

Replying to Cyanopicacooki (#798,632)

So, first , I still listen to a couple of lostprophets songs. The memories I have associated with them have no connection to, don’t support or endorse and aren’t dictated by the evil that is their former singer. I don’t stream lostprophets or buy their music or anything that would generate revenue, so there isn’t that element either.

Second, if we start eliminating artists for crimes, you’ll have to stop listening to a lot of music . Aerosmith, Led Zeppelin, Bowie, R Kelly, Jerry Lee Lewis, Sex Pistols, chuck berry, Vince Neil, the list goes on and on. Yes, the singer from LP is likely worse than all these people but it creates a slippery slope when we can’t disconnect an artist from the music.

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IGotSinging t1_iyctmwa wrote

In almost all cases I can separate the artist from the art, so long as the art doesn’t reflect whatever is wrong with the artist. Was MJ a pedo? Probably. Is Don’t Stop Til You Get Enough a banger? Yep. Does it have anything to do with being a pedo? Nope. Conversely, I couldn’t say the same about, say, an artist commissioned by the Nazis to produce art tied to their propaganda and worldview.

And then there’s what we don’t know about a lot of artists. We have 0 evidence Shakespeare wasn’t a serial killer. Hamlet is still brilliant. If absolute proof that Shakespeare was a serial killer came out tomorrow, Hamlet would still be brilliant, and it’s not pro-serial killer.

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Definitely-Normal t1_iyd758q wrote

Qn: If a doctor was experimenting with live innocent people for studies, would you praise him or denounce him? What if his studies saved many people?

The answer is that you wouldn't praise him. Probably wouldn't denounce him either. Depends on your thought process/morals/values. To answer your question, think of the doctor as the artist. The doctor's studies as music. The doctor's studies helped many people just like the artist's songs. People would use the studies for further knowledge and songs for themselves.

You don't need to delete the artist's songs. The songs may be good or bad but you just need to accept the better part of both the song and the artist. The artist is not the song. The song is not the artist either. Just keep your conscience clean and that's it.

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Beautiful-Papaya9923 t1_iyddpjy wrote

I think this is one of those moments where if you like them, you buy their music, if not, you find ways to get it for free

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chillchio t1_iydluh8 wrote

depends how bad I think what they did is but for the most I still listen to the music. Just don't support them anymore in ways that comes out of my pocket like merch, shows, etc...

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prodcapri_ t1_iyex2a6 wrote

I listen to drill music, so it’s not really a decision I have to make consciously.

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bigELOfan t1_iyeymqo wrote

Can’t separate the music and the politics of Roger Waters. Won’t listen to his music, or anything he has to say. Despicable little 💩.

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magicalpigthrowaway t1_iyf4uur wrote

I kinda feel bad listening to the Rolling Stones but there's a couple songs I still listen to once in awhile. Plus I was never that big on them to begin with so it doesn't bother me to not listen to it as much. On the other hand, I listen to Zappa all the time and I barely think about the fact that Roy Estrada is a convicted pedo. I feel better about it because he actually went to prison and I don't think of it as his music.

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