Is it wrong to listen to the music of problematic artists?
Is it wrong to listen to the music of problematic artists?
"Is it bad, bad, really really bad?"
Episode 13 is out now! Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Anchor, Google Podcasts and more.
Is it wrong to listen to the music of problematic artists?
Before you listen to this episode, we’d encourage you to reflect on how you feel. Are there artists you would never support as a matter of principle? Or do you think that having to filter who you listen to would be such an inconvenience that you try not to worry about it…
To help structure your thoughts, here’s how we broke it down over at the Morality of Everyday Things:
1) The key to answering this question is determining whether you can separate art from its artist. This question could very well apply to all forms of art and we do look at more examples than just the case of musicians. We ask “What is art?” and “How much does context matter?”
2) Is paying problematic artists the main issue here? This may lead you to conclude that passively listening to them is OK, but actively supporting them (e.g. going to concerts, paying for merchandise) would be wrong. If, however, you are uncomfortable separating art from artist, you may feel that even to listen to their music is to condone or at least not condemn something you find immoral.
3) How much does punishment matter? Is part of the problem that artists we deem “problematic” are generally people who have gone unpunished, often because of their celebrity status? How does this apply to artists that have died and can never “atone” for their crimes.
4) What about the case of problematic art, rather than artists? A famous case in the last decade was Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines” which was banned across student campuses in the UK. Was that the right move?
5) Lastly, if you do decide to lay down this moral marker, how practical is it to live this way and do so consistently? Will you get your friends to change the song next time “Blurred Lines” comes on? What if it’s Michael Jackson, or R Kelly?
Send us your comments. Where do you stand on this question?
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Until next time!
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