Do a performer's scandals, political opinions, or other, possibly shocking, aspects of their lives, affect your appreciation of their work? For example, Woody Allen, Mel Gibson, Roman Polanski, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jane Fonda, etc.
shareAnother good discussion topic by Marlon :)
Yes, it does, because I'm human, and I tend to take a holistic approach to everything anyway. I know this isn't a popular opinion, BTW.
This isn't to say people are painted in either black or white. Most if not all of us are various shades of gray. It's also not to say that people with serious character flaws can't produce something great.
That last part of your post is particularly great and I agree. You do a wrong thing doesn't mean the world should cast you out and be inhumane about it...I tried to say something similar with saying I believe in second chances and all, but you stated it much better!
So, just in case my post came off really curt, I wanted to put that out there ;)
Thank you. I enjoyed your post too, and agree with you. I'm surprised at the responses so far, expecting mine to be the only one of its kind, but we said basically the same thing just using different words :)
Nope, your post didn't come off at curt at all :)
Cool, good to know!
shareI'd actually have been surprised if most folks said the behavior of the performers DIDN'T affect how they viewed their work. I suspect that most people cut more slack toward artists whose views they agree with, or whose work they liked anyway. Maybe I'm wrong about that.
Personally, I think I'm more inclined than most to compartmentalize performers' work from the person who did it. I think it's often the case that people who get into entertainment tend to have transgressive personalities, which help them to take risks that more conventional people would avoid, but also lead them into crossing lines of propriety.
Good point,i agree with You.
The extraordinary is in what we do,not who we are.
I have thought about this a lot. It's such a difficult choice, to boycott a movie, because many times these scandals are only rumors and I'm not sure if they're true. Woody Allen and Roman Polanski have made some of my favorite movies but I do think their behavior in the past was appalling. I do go to their movies. I don't agree with Clint Eastwood's politics but I still see his movies. He's a good actor and director. Love the art, hate the artist? I'm not sure. It's a very complicated issue.
shareFor me, yes, it certainly does. I know some people bemoan the thought, but it's very hard for me to separate it. In my eyes, most art is personal so there's really no divide between the person and the art...even if what is represented is vastly different from how they are in their own lives, it's still something that came from within them and so there is no line, it's all intermingled.
It also depends on the scandal or opinion. If it's one that I happen to agree with or it's something I don't think is so bad I can wave it off. It really is all relative or how much you absorb these things. Since I'm super into films and shows and the like these matters maybe mean more to me than someone who couldn't care less, ya know what I'm saying? If what they did was something just really horrible and dark and awful than I probably would never be able to see them in the same way and it would taint their work from then on....
It's not that I don't believe in second chances and all that either, but I think artists who go through things like this try to exploit their art and work as a cushion and as a way to almost distract people from whatever they did. They pervert their own stuff by doing that so why wouldn't it pervert it for me? Hypothetically it's like, "sure, I molested those kids, but look at this amazing film I made!" Yeah, no, that doesn't jive with me and it only sours it for me more in how easily Hollywood and society falls for that and does let up and give it all a pass. So, all those factors mix together to really make me quite adverse to it.
My opinion may be one of the more harsh or extreme ones, but it's a conversation I've had a couple times now, and the argument against it has never held enough water for me to switch over to that or really grasp.
It was hilarious when Bradley Cooper had taken the role in American Sniper and then people thought he was actually for gun control. LOL!!
It's all relative perspective. I agree that there are shades of gray to aspects in life. I am also betting that we are fans/consumers of a lot of things that came from shady roots and don't even know it.
shareIt depends on what the scandal is, really. Political opinions, affairs, etc. are all things I can usually overlook. Those are things from their personal lives that I shouldn't concern myself with.
If it's something serious, or criminal even, then it definitely affects how I view them. And that in turn affects how I view their work. Because you can't really separate an artist from their art, in my view. It's one of those fields where you put a bit of yourself in what you create. It might be some great art, but it'll always be tainted.
It's all relative of course. There are different levels of wrong, and for some you can make amends.
Moreso with actors than directors. I'm so annoyed by the outspoken rants of grumpy old DeNiro that I find it ruins my enjoyment of his early great performances. Same with Streep. But when it comes to directors, the more creepy and outlandish the scandal, the more I like them. The notion of directors being genuinely scary people murdering and raping and being part of secret cults controlling the world and making films which convey hidden messages, that's just awesome. But Casey Afleck? Screw that guy. He's some kind of woman abuser. Has Johnny Depp murdered some hobos to help get into character? Maybe. That kind of thing doesn't bother me.
shareFor me, it doesn't. I can appreciate any actors or directors works, regardless of scandals, political views, or personal life.
shareI lean toward this view, too. So much art would disappear if we were to ban it because one of the people involved in it was repellent to us. From Chaplin, to Errol Flynn, to most of the studio heads during the Studio System era, on and on. It can be throwing out the baby with the bathwater. Should we disregard the fine work of Mia Farrow and John Cassavetes in "Rosemary's Baby" because we're repulsed by Roman Polanski?
shareIt depends on what they did that was scandalous, how egregious their "sins" were. I still love Mel Gibson to this day. I really don't give a squat about any of his scandals.
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