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Or, similarly but equally shitty, that it's okay to like monsters if you like their work. Like that if you like the work, then you should inherently push past what they've done. It's just a fucked up point of view

I hope so much that this era of cancellation shows the next generation of potential abusers that there will be consequences. Of course having a rapist and serial abuser of women in our highest office doesn't help.

I’d say it downplays the immense amount of power and cruelty he wielded too. There’s a difference in scale between a crappy writer who abused you versus a world renowned writer that everyone loves and praises for his talent who abused you.

It's another version of the medieval "prettiness denotes inherent goodness, ugliness denotes inherent evil" If someone believes only untalented people can be monsters, then that person will disbelieve any evidence against their heroes

There are artists whose work I adored that turned out to be bad people, and of them I am vocal about not supporting them DESPITE their talent; and if there are artists who I've never liked I don't see the need to tell people that per se, because the people that DO like them need their minds changed

he IS a great writer and for years was one of my favourites. this shit broke my heart. finding out someone so important in my reading life was entirely the opposite of what he portrayed sucked! ... but that's not gonna make me give him a pass. fuck that

On occasion I see someone trying to make the stance of.... "So and so isn't human, they're just a monster! People don't do horrible things!" Their argument gets squashed pretty quickly though, and they're usually the kind of person who is also surprised the leopard eating faces party ate their face.

Which is why I consider "this bad person was never a good creative anyway" to be a fundamentally self-deceiving perspective. It appeals to one's innate desire of always being unmistakably morally right by dismissing the capacity of both good and evil, and a possibility of not recognizing the evil.

people don't like reflecting on the everyday nature of evil. it's not something anyone needs to brood about, plan, scheme, make the focus of their life

When he was on here, his posts were easily recognisable as narcissistic and for me the issue is sucking up to fame for fame’s sake in the first place as I saw many women doing

It's the same ol "we don't claim them" shit people pull when there's bad actors. Like yeah and that's exactly how they thrive in your spaces

I entirely agree with this, but he's also a bad writer and I don't know what the rest of you have been on for the last 30 years. His best book by some way is the one Pratchett wrote with him. I guess the movie adaptation of Coraline was decent too.

Wanna point out additionally that when there are whispers in the industry someone is a piece of shit, can we not wait until it gets to this point before saying something.

It's a consumerist reaction. "He made good products for my use". It doesn't matter. They're bringing up something that is honestly irrelevant

Yeah, Paul Gauguin for example. Garbage human, good painter.

It's separating art from the artist, but throwing away the art instead. It's still intellectually lazy and a cheap way to feel morally superior to his fans who are hurting; key few of whom were the victims who bravely came forward so that we'd know about this happening in the first place.

Check that their estates aren’t benefitting, or if you feel that is ok depending on the nature of the descendant. Copyright lasts 70 years past an author’s death.

Just steal it! It's better pirated than the remaster anyway they fucked that up!

You can be a great artist but a shitty person. You can be an absolute genius but a shitty person. You can be a goddamn hero and pillar of your community to every stranger, while being the most reprehensible villain to family… This is not a new song, people. It plays every year.

It is also making a claim that someone who is extremely talented cannot be a monster. In fact, the worst predators are extremely charming and talented. They groom not just the victim but everyone around them.

Precisely so. Many extremely talented people are also monsters of one sort or another. It’s so disappointing.

“I have to add — I have to add — that he is a VERY good director” — Welles, immediately after ripping Elia Kazan a new one

Had a conversation yesterday after church about why we didn't the obviously best hymn for the service. I acknowledged it is the best hymn for the moment, it's really great, and I've chosen not to use hymns by this person.

A wolf in haute couture sheep’s clothing.

Full agree! Which is so fucked, cause he abused fans of his work. To claim moral superiority for not liking his work is in many ways suggesting some of his victims had bad taste/should've known better

one of my favorite guitarists got exposed years ago as an esoteric nazi (even playing gigs with bands that openly only exist for recruitment)--and if anything, using musical ideas from people like him for good is a nice way of spiting them

I used to have a teacher who turned out to be a serial abuser. He taught me certain things really well. Neither of these facts detracts from the other. When I learned the truth, I supported his victims, denounced him and joined a different association

I think that Gaiman's writing is enjoyable albeit overhyped. That said I would not excuse his serial abuse if he were to improve all perceived flaws in his writing.

I'm in the same boat - I bounced off Sandman, really didn't like American Gods, and I've bounced off all Gaiman-related material my husband's tried to introduce me to, but because it didn't click with me, not because I have some special sixth sense for detecting sex criminals.

It also backhandedly insults the victims. It's as if you're saying that the victims have poor taste in mentors/partners/etc if they chose to associate with someone so clearly talentless

Problem isn't the talent, it's putting the person on a pedestal.

But tbh I've never found Harry Potter to be good writing lmao