The Art of Separating the Art From the Artist — Transcript

Explores the complexities of separating art from the artist, using examples from music, literature, and pop culture controversies.

Key Takeaways

Separating art from the artist is a complex and subjective issue influenced by personal morals and societal norms.
Boycotting art due to the artist's actions often affects collaborators more than the artist themselves.
Fans' decisions to support or reject art can be based on moral grounds or personal preference, and these motivations can overlap.
Controversies surrounding artists exist across all genres and have long been part of cultural discourse.
Understanding the distinction between art and artist requires nuanced thinking rather than simplistic judgments.

Summary

The video discusses the concept of separating art from the artist in light of recent controversies involving public figures like J.K. Rowling.
It examines the historical context of this idea, noting that people have always had to decide whether to support artists despite their personal beliefs or actions.
The speaker highlights the prevalence of 'skeletons in the closet' among celebrities and artists, especially in the age of social media.
The video explores moral boundaries and how individuals decide what actions or beliefs are unacceptable when supporting art.
Examples from various genres, including metal, hip hop, and pop, are used to illustrate the complexity of separating art from the artist.
The impact of boycotting works like Hogwarts Legacy is discussed, emphasizing that such actions often hurt the creators rather than the controversial figure.
The video questions whether refusing to separate art from the artist is a form of personal preference or a moral stance.
It also touches on how this debate intersects with issues of race, religion, and cultural values within fan communities.
The speaker philosophizes on the subjective nature of art and the difficulty in drawing clear lines between art and the artist.
The video encourages viewers to reflect on their own boundaries and the reasons behind their choices to support or reject certain art.

Chapters

Full Transcript — Download SRT & Markdown

Speaker A

You know, in lieu of the recent things that have been going down with J.K. Rowling on the internet and just allegations left and right about everyone, it really made me want to make a video about separating the art from the artist, or rather the art of separating art from the artist. That's a lot of [ __ ] arts.

Speaker A

art of separating art from the artist that's a lot of [ __ ] arts and more so I want to come at this in an angle that I was thinking about that I haven't heard talked much about and it's a

Speaker A

And more so, I want to come at this in an angle that I was thinking about that I haven't heard talked much about, and it's a little thought experiment that I want to do with you guys. You guys can be my guinea pigs, and I'll just apply some food for thought.

Speaker A

the artist because that term even though it is a very widely used term that has occurred in the recent time we live in it has pretty much existed for the longest time because since the dawn of time people had to sort of agree or

Speaker A

And that is, where exactly is the line drawn or the philosophy of separating the art from the artist? Because that term, even though it is a very widely used term that has occurred in the recent time we live in, it has pretty much existed for the longest time.

Speaker A

front of you at such an alarming rate that if you are into a celebrity and with everyone having these warped interpersonal relationships with said celebrities every human is going to have skeletons in the closet the only difference is these celebrities that are

Speaker A

Because since the dawn of time, people had to sort of agree or disagree with a certain artist or singer or musician or composer or writer or philosopher or teacher's opinions and come to the conclusion if they want to support that or not.

Speaker A

skeletons in the closet or things you don't agree with but I wanted to talk about where the line is drawn and this is sort of where I'm going to you know impromptu philosophize every human is supposed to have this well ingrained

Speaker A

The only difference is in the modern age, people are put in front of you at such an alarming rate that if you are into a celebrity, and with everyone having these warped interpersonal relationships with said celebrities, every human is going to have skeletons in the closet.

Speaker A

either by being taught that or learning it naturally it is just part of the human condition to generally speaking condemn certain things condemn certain actions and I would like to think that most humans condemn things like you know

Speaker A

The only difference is these celebrities that are put in front of you are just social media personalities. When you start digging into their social media and you start listening to their opinions, just like any other human with a platform, they're probably, chances are, gonna have some skeletons in the closet or things you don't agree with.

Speaker A

something that is Meaningful to thousands if not millions or tens of millions of people and I know for a [ __ ] fact that metal gets a horrible rap of having horrible people and people that are controversial and have murdered

Speaker A

But I wanted to talk about where the line is drawn, and this is sort of where I'm going to, you know, impromptu philosophize. Every human is supposed to have this well-ingrained truth of right from wrong, and generally speaking, everyone has a limit.

Speaker A

Chris Brown Look At R Kelly look at any of the gangster rappers from the 2000s and 2010s especially in the cloud rap sphere that did horrible things look at people like xxxtentacion look at people like ynw Melly and don't even get me

Speaker A

Everyone has some morals that they live by. They have a certain definition of the things that they conclude in their own mind and their own heart is right versus wrong, either by being taught that or learning it naturally.

Speaker A

see Michael Jackson selling tens of millions of copies a year of his albums JK Rowling someone that is literally the creator of the highest selling book series of all time you see all the people boycotting Hogwarts Legacy but

Speaker A

It is just part of the human condition to, generally speaking, condemn certain things, condemn certain actions. And I would like to think that most humans condemn things like, you know, murder or rape.

Speaker A

are the writers and the animators and the story writers JK Rowling I genuinely promise despite having an iron fist over the Hogwarts franchise does not care whether or not you buy or play Hogwarts Legacy I hate to break it to you I hate

Speaker A

You know, we're really lowering the bar to the lowest standards, the bare [ __ ] minimum here. But is that really lowering the bar when you take into account art, something that is subjective, something that is personal, something that is meaningful to thousands, if not millions or tens of millions of people?

Speaker A

something that can even be contextualized or put into a box or even defined properly because yes it's easy to say certain things like okay you don't support someone who kills someone there are plenty of people who still listen to rappers who have killed people

Speaker A

And I know for a [ __ ] fact that metal gets a horrible rap of having horrible people and people that are controversial and have murdered people or sing about satanic rituals or whatever it is.

Speaker A

look at Tim from As I Lay Dying but I think that in general when you think of separating the art from the artist it comes up mostly in the extreme forms it comes up in the form of you know like

Speaker A

There is not a genre that doesn't have people in it that have been condemned, that are horrible, and people have to separate the art from the artist. Whether you look at hip hop, look at Chris Brown, look at R. Kelly, look at any of the gangster rappers from the 2000s and 2010s, especially in the cloud rap sphere that did horrible things.

Speaker A

and choose not to listen to or support in the most purest of definitions music solely because of what they believe in and that's the thing is separating the art from the artist for a hateful reason or a reason that is genuinely

Speaker A

Look at people like XXXTentacion, look at people like YNW Melly, and don't even get me started on pop artists that have had allegations. Michael Jackson had some of the highest forms of allegations that anyone could ever have against him on media publications and talk shows and an entire [ __ ] documentary.

Speaker A

a black frontman it is that not inherently a racist thing if they are separating the art from the artist but just choose not to separate the art from the artist because they just don't want to listen to something fronted by a

Speaker A

But you still see Michael Jackson selling tens of millions of copies a year of his albums. J.K. Rowling, someone that is literally the creator of the highest selling book series of all time, you see all the people boycotting Hogwarts Legacy.

Speaker A

Rob Halford is gay if you swear off listening to Demi Borgir or behemoth because they have very hateful anti-christian messaging Anna you guys see what I mean here by the rabbit hole just goes deeper and deeper into the

Speaker A

But what exactly does that really do? You're not hurting J.K. Rowling and her [ __ ] tens of billions of dollars. The only people that you are hurting by boycotting the production of that game are the producers that worked on it, are the writers and the animators and the story writers.

Speaker A

stand to listen to something with the Christian messaging my big question here in this video is where's the line drawn between separating the art from the artist and preference because I think in modern terminology and modern language those two have just overlapped so much

Speaker A

J.K. Rowling, I genuinely promise, despite having an iron fist over the Hogwarts franchise, does not care whether or not you buy or play Hogwarts Legacy. I hate to break it to you. I hate to burst your bubble, but consider it burst.

Speaker A

credibility to said artist or band and then people who just have a preference with lyrics or some the way someone looks or the way someone sounds or what their core beliefs are you can agree with something and agree with their

Speaker A

And here's where I diverge. Here's where we go into the philosophizing even further. Where is the line drawn, and are those morals of right and wrong truly something that can be believed, really something that can even be contextualized or put into a box or even defined properly?

Speaker A

imperfections and if you line up 10 people they're all going to have very different outlooks on things but it comes down to the person listening or reading or watching if they choose to support said thing and sort of like that

Speaker A

Because yes, it's easy to say certain things like, okay, you don't support someone who kills someone. There are plenty of people who still listen to rappers who have killed people.

Speaker A

that term should be exclusively used for things that are genuinely just condemnable but that's the thing it's gray area because there are always going to be people that just agree to disagree and listen to it or support it

Speaker A

There are still millions of metalheads who die by the name Varg Vikernes. The entire Norwegian black metal scene is full of murderers and church burners, but you still see massive support for them.

Speaker A

[ __ ] former Neo-Nazi that started a Neo-Nazi Coalition in prison for murdering someone and burning down churches and he is still [ __ ] praised on the mountain of people and they don't consider it separating the art from the

Speaker A

If you want to go into the metalcore niche, look at Tim from As I Lay Dying. But I think that in general, when you think of separating the art from the artist, it comes up mostly in the extreme forms.

Speaker A

because some of you have it in terms of just how you're meshing these terms up because honestly you know what the funny part about that is I'm engaging in the same thing that I'm saying this all is a

Speaker A

It comes up in the form of, you know, like people who kill people, people who rape people, people that are just the worst of the worst, pedophiles, people who just commit the most heinous of actions.

Speaker A

other but I guarantee you're going to have a lot of why different diverging opinions that are going to come from a lot of different directions and have personal opinions interlaced within them but regardless I want to hear what you

Speaker A

But I guarantee that there are people that don't separate the art from the artist and choose not to listen to or support, in the most purest of definitions, music solely because of what they believe in.

Speaker A

ranting be sure to like this video If you enjoyed it subscribe to join the review family today and smash that notification Bell to be notified of my future uploads you know who it is my name is Jay Morris and I'm signing off

Speaker A

And that's the thing: is separating the art from the artist for a hateful reason or a reason that is genuinely detrimental or just marginalizing someone or a group of people any more valid or invalid than doing that because someone murdered someone?

Topics:separating art from artistJ.K. Rowling controversycelebrity scandalsart and moralitymusic controversiesboycott impactmetal musichip hop controversiespop culture ethicsphilosophy of art

Frequently Asked Questions

What does it mean to separate the art from the artist?

Separating the art from the artist means appreciating or consuming creative work independently of the creator's personal actions or beliefs, often to avoid endorsing problematic behavior.

How does boycotting art affect those involved in its production?

Boycotting art often harms the many collaborators like writers, animators, and producers who contribute to the work, rather than the controversial artist themselves.

Why is it difficult to draw a clear line between art and the artist?

Because art is subjective and personal, and people's moral boundaries vary, deciding when to separate or reject art based on the artist's behavior involves complex, nuanced judgments.

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