For this discussion post, we picked this topic: What do you do if you find out something negative about an author?
Julie:
This is really hard. I guess I’m not a fan of cancel culture in general. I think there are certain things that an author can do/say/believe that will turn me away from them, but I feel that has to be a personal case-by-case situation.
There have been a lot of famous authors and beloved stories of our youth where we find out later the authors have viewpoints I don’t agree with, but were not uncommon for those times. My husband likes to say “this was before morality was invented”. Humans suck. In general, we are not good creatures. Over time we evolve and get more “woke” and by today standards, almost everyone was a rotten piece of trash in our history. And honestly, our future generations will likely feel the same about us today.
So I tend to separate the work from the artist. I might not agree with the artist (author, actor, celeb, whatever) but still can enjoy their work (story, characters, movie, whatever). And that makes my life more enjoyable because I can still enjoy what I do, and compartmentalize the enjoyable story from the characteristics and beliefs of their artist.
Lynn:
I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about this topic. Not just in relation to authors, but actors, directors, and other artists in general. Is it possible to still enjoy an artist’s work once you know they are jerks in real life? I don’t know. I do like Julie’s case by case approach, though.
I also agree on separating the work from the artist. I try to not know much about the personal lives or views of celebrities in general. (Their lives should be just as private as everyone else’s.) This makes it easier to distinguish the work from the artist. I try to stick with the library in these cases of these authors. I don’t want to give money to someone I don’t agree with.
What about you?
We are also linking up our discussion posts with the 2023 Book Blog Discussion Challenge hosted by Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction and Shannon @ It Starts at Midnight!
With so many so publicly sharing their thoughts on social media, and so many not having the good sense to keep their thoughts to themselves, it’s hard for me to separate the art from the artist. And like it or not, it does change how I feel about the end product a bit, whether it’s an actor’s film, an author’s book, or a favorite shopping venue when the CEO has opened his mouth a bit too widely. I’m with Lynn that I’m certainly not going to financially support anyone or any company who’s made it clear, via their own words and public actions, that they are jerks.
valid points, Kristine.