#36 – Can You Separate Art from the Artist?

In this episode, Virgil and his friends, Awkward Hermit, Matt, and Auguste discuss the concept of separating art from the artist. Is it ever possible for us to be able to separate a talented individual and their pieces of art from their harmful, immoral, and at times, criminal behavior? Should we banish all artwork created by individuals that may be talented but are evil people? Should we try to find nuance and look at the concept and issues case by case following the facts and victim testimony before canceling the artist's work entirely? This discussion will cover everything from musicians, actors, directors, athletes, etc. We attempt to take a rational approach to the separation of art and the artists that create the artwork. We discuss the deification of artists and other public figures and how that might skew our perception of how good or bad these people might be. Just because these individuals may be talented, impactful, or famous, that doesn't mean they are good people and treat others with respect. The Me Too movement has been a catalyst for people that consume art to reevaluate the artists that they admire. The Me Too movement has driven people to investigate whether or not these public figures might be immoral and criminal people. We hope we can bring clarity to such a problematic, nuanced, and emotional topic.