Pro: We need to separate artists from their art

Photo Courtesy of David Shankbone via Creative Commons

With the ever-present discussion of “cancel culture” taking over social media, there has been an increase in artists being called out for things that they say and do.

Critics scour the internet for evidence of artists partaking in questionable activities, saying controversial things and making poor decisions in an attempt to “cancel” them. While those in the public eye must be cautious of their actions, their decisions should not result in the eradication of their art.

Kanye West is one artist that immediately comes to mind when the topic of separating the artist from their art arises. His 2004 debut album was an immediate success and made him a household name.

Unfortunately, in recent years, he has turned himself into a highly political and seemingly prejudiced person. His most recent scandal was making antisemitic remarks; he has been quoted by the Anti-Defamation League as saying “the Jewish community, especially in the music industry ... they’ll take us and milk us till we die.”

He later apologized when interviewed by Jewish podcast host Lex Fridman and said that he loves the Jewish community and views them as his “brothers.”

It cannot be denied that he has made extremely discriminatory remarks publicly that have influenced many to boycott him. However, it’s vital to remember that West is not just a musician; he is also a human being with thoughts and opinions who makes mistakes. 

Other than the fact that they are public figures, celebrities are not any different from us. While he isn’t careful with his words and likely doesn’t think before he speaks, this does not mean that one shouldn’t listen to his music. If you like West’s music, it is your personal choice whether to listen to it based on the comments he’s made. Unless the artist’s work rallies violence against certain individuals or groups, their comments should be separate from the art itself. 

Following West’s remarks, many of his brand collaborations, such as Adidas and Balenciaga, dropped him due to public pressure. 

Reuters interviewed Spotify CEO Daniel Ek on whether the platform would follow suit or not. He claimed that the rapper’s comments “would have warranted removal from Spotify for violating its policies, which prohibit hate speech, if they had been on a podcast or recording.” 

Since the brand collaborations that dropped him were associated with him as a person, they had every right to drop him. They shouldn’t be aligning themselves with his comments, whether their decision is based on ethics or profits. Spotify, however, would not be right in not removing his music. His art isn’t the issue; he is. 

The same can be said for actors. As much of a bad person as Amber Heard appears to be, you don’t have to stop watching the movies she’s in. Watching “Aquaman” doesn’t mean you’re supporting what she’s said and done in the past. However, wearing a “Justice for Amber Heard” shirt or having a poster of her on your wall is showing that you support her as a person rather than the characters that she plays. Her acting career is not directly aligned with her personal life and choices. 

What one does during their time outside of work doesn’t have anything to do with their job, unless it is intrinsically illegal, violent or hateful. West and Heard’s jobs are creating art; what they do and say outside of that should not be important to consumers.

Removing art from the public eye which is associated with artists who make poor and unsavory comments will not benefit us as a society. This only teaches censorship. You have the right to reprimand artists for the actions they take in their personal lives, but that isn’t to say you should completely eliminate their art. If you find what they’ve said to be highly offensive, you don’t have to consume it. 

You can love an artist’s art and hate their character because that’s a personal choice. It seems to be typically forgotten that we don’t all have to feel the same way about everything, and having different thoughts and opinions is not just okay but should be encouraged in our society.