My view on separating the art from the artist is that you cannot. Sure, you can watch a Woody Allen movie without thinking “the director has a history of sexually abusing his daughter,” but buying a ticket for a movie he’s involved in gives him more money, power, and opportunities to assault more women. Every novel read and every movie watched puts another dollar into the pocket of the artist. It gives that person more opportunity to abuse their power and exploit the people around them. I don’t want to do what’s easy—I don’t want to teach something written by someone who abuses their power just because it’s canon—I would much rather read 50 novels written by other people in order to find something that portrays the same themes/messages.
Additionally, I wanted to offer this perspective of a writer, Monique Laban, who is a woman of colour. In the (short) essay, she talks about how much she loved, identified, and found value in Diary before the statements of sexual assault came out. I highly recommend reading the article, but here are some highlights:
- The pain of these allegations, while repugnant and unforgivable no matter how powerful and talented Alexie is, wouldn’t have been so acute had we given more room to other Native writers.
- Instead of viewing this as a loss to myself, I see this as an opportunity to look down the path that Alexie should have provided to other Native writers who create outside the comfort zone of the white establishment — writers whose stories are far riskier, far bolder, far more reflective of that community’s myriad narratives.
I want to introduce these perspectives because I feel that it is important to reflect and have honest conversations with ourselves. As I mentioned in my previous post about passive allyship, I think it’s important that we continually reflect. If we call ourselves feminists and say that we support the #MeToo movement, what are we telling these victims of sexual assault and other forms of power domination when we support these artists just because their art is canon?
This is a great article. However, I disagree with the conclusion of it, intellectually (not emotionally though) because basically I believe that good should ultimately triumph over evil. Most humans are complex, “even” accused or convicted sex offenders or racists. I believe that within a conflicted person, one who didn’t deal with their inner demons appropriately, the importance and amazing contribution of their art is stronger than their personal demons.
Imagine a world without the music of Pete Townsend or Michael Jackson. Both accused and (maybe) acquitted. Imagine film without a writer like Woody Allen or an actor doing risky films such as Kevin Spacey. Imagine 90s television without the biting suburban satire of a Roseanne Barr. Imagine jazz/lounge music without a Frank Sinatra (now being realized as probably having ties to the mafia). Imagine a world without some of the obviously anti-semitic writing of a William Shakespeare or the films of a sexist womanizer such as Alfred Hitchcock.
[potential triggering descriptions in these next two paragraphs]
Nonetheless, I don’t like to trigger students, folk venue/pub audiences; nor do I want to dishonour the victims’ realities. As an Assistant Director (that position is responsible for all set safety) in Vancouver’s indie film scene, I am personally devastated by some of the absolutely abhorrent behaviour has been allowed to go on in Hollywood sets this far into the 21st. I am as equally appalled by stories emerging from the McGill CanLit scene (and UBC English department allegations). As a gay man, I had a sinking feeling when I learned that semi-closeted Kevin Space apparently felt free to grope any young gay man in a London pub or from his theatre company for years. [Nonetheless Spacey’s accusation did spur a number of brutally honest queer media introspection about where gay male club spaces are really all that safe – allowing groping in the name of sexual space “freedom”. https://www.them.us/story/how-gay-men-normalize-sexual-assault%5D
As a freelance journalist, it was creepy to find out one of the most congenial and talented radio interviewers in Canada, whose talent, I admired morning after morning, was accused of beating women during sex without their informed consent.
And so I agree that as excellent as Gian Gomeshi’s new podcast about racial identity seems: it is too soon. It took me two to four years before I could play Who song covers in bars/clubs (as an intro act), after Pete Townsend’s child porn possession/access allegation, despite that fact that Pete Townsend’s music literally saved my teenage angst ridden life time after time. The audience needed a break. Further, I emotionally felt if I sang Pete’s words and played his chords, I was either ignoring or endorsing his personal actions. [Townsend did access pornography and offers a detailed explanation of his “white knight vigilante arrogance” in his autobiography; nonetheless, the only reason T wasn’t convicted was because accessing child porn was not illegal in the UK; only possession]
There is another article in our presentation that states both “sides” fairly well with nuances this “let-art-be-free side” of the argument very well. Better than I can:
‘We all have an instinct to instantly try to figure out how to redeem all these people and still be able to enjoy all this work, and it’s a very selfish instinct,” the producer and director Judd Apatow said. In his view, what happens to their work is “the least important question” on the table.’
‘“All our energy should be with the victims,” he said. “What happened to them? How did people handle this? What could we do going forward to support them in a productive way?”’
‘….Some people, like the feminist scholar Camille Paglia, argue that art — no matter who created it — should be beyond the scope of punishment.’
‘“The artist as a person should certainly be subject to rebuke, censure, or penalty for unacceptable actions in the social realm,” Ms. Paglia said via email. “But art, even when it addresses political issues, occupies an abstract realm beyond society.”’
[not that I agree with everything that Camille Paglia advocates – I don’t but in this case I agree with this statement].
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/24/arts/charlie-rose-kevin-spacey-louis-ck-art.html
Finally, there is a difference between my own personal choices about the consumption of art and my determination to present canon as an educator. I’m not going to go into this too much as I am sure everyone knows what I am talking about. Let’s just say there is a lot of controversial art that I would hold off on teaching students that I would be fine with consuming and analyzing myself. I would think deeply and consult with students and parents before I presented some of this work. I would certainly include links/references to the controversies so that students are aware of the controversies around a particular work or artist.
Charles
Thanks for a really thought provoking written piece, Sam. What especially stood out to me was the point from the article you mentioned yourself, if we had given more space to Native writers, would this be as devastating? I think that’s a very important observation. I’m really enjoying your contributions to the blog!
Saaaaam!
Responding to the first part of your post … I think conveying the concept of NOT separating the art from the artist is really important because it teaches our students an awareness of real-life implications. Specifically, reading your post reminded me of all the YouTube videos about current events that students may chance upon. As social media becomes further and further monetized, I think it’s really important that students understand that the message they receive is often coming from a problematic source.
In fact Mr. Yu, there are a series of YouTube videos that explain how many famous YouTubers lost their credibility and their profitability. Most note-ably Logan Paul’s horrendous portrayal of the “Suicide” Aokigahara Forest in Japan.
Logan Paul
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjNFGZLJLss
10 YouTubers Who Killed Their Career In Seconds
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEBGETEMfqM