As the presence of social media increases, we find things out much faster than we have in the past. In this past month alone, we have found out about the many infidelities and sexual assault allegations. Due to this, people dropped these artists immediately and stopped supporting their art. Though a common idea, this creates a stir between people. Some believe that art and the artist are very much connected, while others believe that art and the artist are separate.
Some relevant examples include Ned Fulmer from the Try Guys, Rex Orange County, Chris Brown, Kanye West, Nicki Minaj, Morgan Wallen, John Mulaney, and Lana Del Rey. Their controversies are to the extent that their diehard fans have dropped them in order to stop showing their support. They believe that by stopping listening to their music or other creative outlets, they can stop making money. On the other hand, people believe that art is separate from them and you can still watch or listen to them.
Recently, sexual assault allegations have come out against the singer, Rex Orange County. He has built up a big fan base in the past couple of years. Though he has denied the allegations, people have stopped listening to his music. For some people, it is hard to listen to him because they physically cannot enjoy his music anymore. These allegations can trigger people and, when this is linked to the singer, they may not feel as comfortable listening to them anymore.
Some people drop artists because the art is connected to them. In other words, songs and singers are connected to each other very deeply, and the songs that resonate with us the most are based on real situations or emotions that the singers have felt. The songs are linked to the artist at the root. On the other hand, some people believe that as long as the situation is not fundamentally wrong, it is ok to still listen to the artists. Many rumors are created and spread about artists, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that they are true.
But what happens when a singular member of a group does something problematic? For instance, Ned Fulmer admitted to cheating on his wife and committing adultery. Many people do not agree with Ned, but he was a part of a popular group. One of the first things the group did was launch an internal review and place on him leave. Many people stopped watching their videos in order to stop showing him support, but it affected the other three members of the group as well. Though he was a part of the art, he wasn’t the only person who created it.
There is a fine line between whether to stop consuming art or not. Many believe as long as the problem is not fundamentally wrong but others believe it is the right thing to do no matter if it is true or not. At the end of the day, what is considered great art might come from problematic people, and there is no clear answer to whether dropping the artist is essential.