Does someone's actions make you less appreciate their talent?

Will you stop following a performer's work because of their controversial actions?

  • Yes, I don't want to give endorsement for their behaviour.

    Votes: 5 33.3%
  • No, I can appreciate the performance and talent, but not their character

    Votes: 7 46.7%
  • I doesn't bother me either way

    Votes: 1 6.7%
  • Other (yes or no for some other reason)

    Votes: 2 13.3%

  • Total voters
    15

Catters 070911

Club Legend
Oct 13, 2017
2,270
2,101
AFL Club
Geelong
With R Kelly facing trial for sexual assault, and the doco on Michael Jackson allegedly molesting children, it has prompted me to ask if a celebrities' private life makes you no longer follow them as a performer. I relate this to music, movies and TV, sport or anything else.

For example, would the current controversy with R. Kelly make you no longer listen to his CDs if you were a fan, or has the recent doco on MJ make you want to less listen to his music anymore.

Are you now less likely to watch Kevin Spacey movies, or "The Cosby Show", because of what these stars are alleged to have done?

Or doesn't it bother you? Are you able to seperate the performer from their performance, and still admire their talent, even if you abhor their actions as a person.

Personally, I think I fall into the latter category, and can appreciate their talent, while not having respect for them as a person. But where do you sit with this, as a general rule in your life?
 
Aug 1, 2006
26,536
26,929
Melbourne
AFL Club
Richmond
With R Kelly facing trial for sexual assault, and the doco on Michael Jackson allegedly molesting children, it has prompted me to ask if a celebrities' private life makes you no longer follow them as a performer. I relate this to music, movies and TV, sport or anything else.

For example, would the current controversy with R. Kelly make you no longer listen to his CDs if you were a fan, or has the recent doco on MJ make you want to less listen to his music anymore.

Are you now less likely to watch Kevin Spacey movies, or "The Cosby Show", because of what these stars are alleged to have done?

Or doesn't it bother you? Are you able to seperate the performer from their performance, and still admire their talent, even if you abhor their actions as a person.

Personally, I think I fall into the latter category, and can appreciate their talent, while not having respect for them as a person. But where do you sit with this, as a general rule in your life?

I hope your boss doesn't read this, he'll think you're lazy and have no ambition!
 
Case in point for me is Welsh rock band Lostprophets. As I'm sure many of you know, their lead singer (and lyricist) Ian Watkins was convicted of paedophilia and attempted sexual assault of a child in 2013(?). The group subsequently disbanded. Many fans say they can't listen to their music anymore... For a while, I actually felt guilty listening to them! How ridiculous. I even looked up articles - "is it morally wrong to listen to Lostprophets" lol... All the articles said - of course not. They made the music as a collective and supporting their music doesn't mean you're condoning his abhorrent actions. I still really like their music, especially their album Start Something, and The Departed. I can disassociate what he did from the music. There are a few lyrics though that make me wonder :/ (not earlier stuff, but later stuff).
 

ioppolo

This only ends one way.
Oct 3, 2010
27,266
25,722
Perth
AFL Club
West Coast
Other Teams
Chelsea, OKC Thunder, Scorchers
I'll still listen to their music but as people, * them. This sort of topic has been mentioned about the 2006 Eagles team before. Cousins, Kerr, Chick, Fletcher and co. were all drug fuelled, mentally unstable dickheads however that does not matter out on the footy field. 90% of Eagles fans are fond of Kerr and Cousins as players for obvious reasons.
 

Catters 070911

Club Legend
Oct 13, 2017
2,270
2,101
AFL Club
Geelong
Category A. Talent, they are born with. Their behaviours, they choose. I'm not going to respect someone just because the DNA mix they have makes them able to sing well, run fast or kick a footy. Well, not since I was about 12 or 13 anyway.


So you don't listen to music, watch TV or movies, or watch sport, since you aren't impressed by their talent?
 

Catters 070911

Club Legend
Oct 13, 2017
2,270
2,101
AFL Club
Geelong
In my case, I am a wrestling fan, and I have no problems watching matches with Chris Benoit in them.

If you follow wrestling, or even heard on the mainstream news, Benoit was a wrestler in WWE, who is accused of murdering his wife and his child, before hanging himself.

WWE have removed many references to him, but his matches remain on WWE Network and he is still on DVDs (they tried to remove him, but removing every match, reference to him, etc would have been difficult, as he wrestled hundreds of matches).

However, he was an extraordinary wrestler in the ring, and his matches were always good to watch. Furthermore, I reason that when he wrestled his matches, he wasn't a "murderer" yet, and hadn't committed those crimes, so, for all intents and purposes, I am not watching a murderer wrestle, since he didn't wrestle any matches AFTER his crimes, since he took his own life soon after.
 

Dav

Hotel? Trivago.
10k Posts Koala SFA State of Origin Coney Island Warriors - Sweet F.A. Pantskyle SFA Fight For MND SFA Daffodil Day Fund Raiser Brisbane Dolphins Player - BFFCL BFFCL Club Captain Blue Mountain Bounders Player - BFFCL
Jul 23, 2015
19,042
37,273
Adelaide
AFL Club
Port Adelaide
Other Teams
Brighton, McLaren F1
I think in terms of music, it's not as easy as separating the art from the artist. If you listen to their music legally then you are contributing financially to them or their band.

I would probably rather boycott a truly criminal or morally reprehensible person if I could, but they just say and do stupid things then I don't think I would. For example, I think Morrissey is a Grade A pompous w***er but The Smiths are still my favourite band.
 

Perth gal

Premiership Player
Oct 19, 2015
4,903
4,725
AFL Club
West Coast
I don’t respect anyone who does the wrong thing irrespective of who they are?
 
In my case, I am a wrestling fan, and I have no problems watching matches with Chris Benoit in them.

If you follow wrestling, or even heard on the mainstream news, Benoit was a wrestler in WWE, who is accused of murdering his wife and his child, before hanging himself.

WWE have removed many references to him, but his matches remain on WWE Network and he is still on DVDs (they tried to remove him, but removing every match, reference to him, etc would have been difficult, as he wrestled hundreds of matches).

However, he was an extraordinary wrestler in the ring, and his matches were always good to watch. Furthermore, I reason that when he wrestled his matches, he wasn't a "murderer" yet, and hadn't committed those crimes, so, for all intents and purposes, I am not watching a murderer wrestle, since he didn't wrestle any matches AFTER his crimes, since he took his own life soon after.

Same thing happened with Hulk Hogan too. The face of wrestling and WWE and got himself banished to the curb because of some stupid words
 
Jun 11, 2007
21,095
20,214
Melbourne
AFL Club
Geelong
Film director Victor Salva is a paedo but I'll still watch Jeepers Creepers.

Film director Roman Polanski is a paedo but I'll still watch Rosmary's Baby and The Ninth Gate among others.

Actor Kevin Spacey is a paedo but I'll still watch Seven, The Usual Suspects and American Beauty

I believe you can still enjoy movies despite one of the actors or the director being a creep. After all, it's the tale that matters, not the one who tells it.
 
In my case, I am a wrestling fan, and I have no problems watching matches with Chris Benoit in them.

If you follow wrestling, or even heard on the mainstream news, Benoit was a wrestler in WWE, who is accused of murdering his wife and his child, before hanging himself.

WWE have removed many references to him, but his matches remain on WWE Network and he is still on DVDs (they tried to remove him, but removing every match, reference to him, etc would have been difficult, as he wrestled hundreds of matches).

However, he was an extraordinary wrestler in the ring, and his matches were always good to watch. Furthermore, I reason that when he wrestled his matches, he wasn't a "murderer" yet, and hadn't committed those crimes, so, for all intents and purposes, I am not watching a murderer wrestle, since he didn't wrestle any matches AFTER his crimes, since he took his own life soon after.
Similar to me with Ian Watkins... whilst I don't exactly know when his abusive behaviours started, I like to imagine that in 2003 when Start Something was recorded and released, he hadn't yet done anything :/ IDK. I try and reconcile that in my mind.
Also Cadaver I'm not sure what royalties Lostprophets receive whilst I listen to them on Spotify.... Watkins is in prison, so I dunno what benefit he is getting.

Crazy and terrible story though, I hadn't heard of Chris Benoit before (don't follow the wrestling). :(
 

Dav

Hotel? Trivago.
10k Posts Koala SFA State of Origin Coney Island Warriors - Sweet F.A. Pantskyle SFA Fight For MND SFA Daffodil Day Fund Raiser Brisbane Dolphins Player - BFFCL BFFCL Club Captain Blue Mountain Bounders Player - BFFCL
Jul 23, 2015
19,042
37,273
Adelaide
AFL Club
Port Adelaide
Other Teams
Brighton, McLaren F1
Also @Cadaver I'm not sure what royalties Lostprophets receive whilst I listen to them on Spotify.... Watkins is in prison, so I dunno what benefit he is getting.

They'd receive some sort of money for it, of course.
 
They'd receive some sort of money for it, of course.
It would be pretty watered down though. He was only 1/5 of the band so I like to think I'm supporting the others more than him anyway :)
 
I can't help but look at rapists with contempt

So yes it does affect how I appreciate their achievements. It doesn't mean I dislike it, or hate it but it is tarnished.
 

burge13

Brownlow Medallist
Jan 25, 2019
11,529
21,902
AFL Club
Adelaide
I voted No before reading the OP. For whatever reason I was thinking footy players doing coke (i couldn't care less if they do or not) but yeah, reading OP, I'll have nothing to do with R Kelly or the like. Doubt I would have anyway but I'll consciously avoid anything of there's now

The MJ thing is weird. Everyone assumed he was dodgy then this cleaner comes forward 20 years on with details that keep changing? I think he was suss but if he was, it would be well and truly public by now, not waiting on cleaners 20 years later to verify IMO
 
Depends if he wrote the songs though.

If he was the songwriter as well, he would get a bigger cut, and get paid every time it is performed.
Ugh. Yeah, he was the main lyricist :(
Maybe I need to go back to listening on iTunes. Most of what I have of theirs was ripped, not bought lol
 
Case in point for me is Welsh rock band Lostprophets. As I'm sure many of you know, their lead singer (and lyricist) Ian Watkins was convicted of paedophilia and attempted sexual assault of a child in 2013(?). The group subsequently disbanded. Many fans say they can't listen to their music anymore... For a while, I actually felt guilty listening to them! How ridiculous. I even looked up articles - "is it morally wrong to listen to Lostprophets" lol... All the articles said - of course not. They made the music as a collective and supporting their music doesn't mean you're condoning his abhorrent actions. I still really like their music, especially their album Start Something, and The Departed. I can disassociate what he did from the music. There are a few lyrics though that make me wonder :/ (not earlier stuff, but later stuff).
Lostprophets are right up there for this exercise imo. Personally I still listen to their tunes and enjoy them. It’s hard to just stop loving a song, and if I stop listening to them, it doesn’t actually change anything.

MJ I don’t believe he did anything wrong other than being a weirdo who never had a real childhood and was somewhat emotionally stunted, so loving his stuff is irrelevant.

Benoit is tricky, I hate the bloke for what he did. I can watch his stuff on the Network but it does feel weird.

On the real shallow end, by all accounts Chevy Chase is an absolute campaigner, but I love everything he does. If I don’t have to work with him I don’t care how much of a dick he is if he makes me laugh.
 
Feb 24, 2013
45,365
37,740
The GoldenBrown Heart of Victoria
AFL Club
Hawthorn
Other Teams
Man Utd Green Bay Melb Storm
Charles Manson was a bad muso and Hitler was a bad artist it makes it a lot easier to boycott their work

1551085660833.png
Vienna State Opera House: 1912.

I wouldn't say he was bad, but certainly no master.
 
Back