# Ever boycott an artist because of thier behavior? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 1, 2009, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-boycott-an-artist-because-of-thier-behavior/512203 "2009-10-01T03:28:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MPB_in_Salt_Lake)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2009, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-boycott-an-artist-because-of-thier-behavior/512203/1 "2009-10-01T03:28:50Z")
Because no one seems to be talking about Roman Polanski šŸ˜‰ I was curious if you have ever avoided the creative work of someone that you may have enjoyed or supported otherwise, solely because you did not like the creators personal life? I have never watched any of Polanskiā€™s movies (I am 39) but it had nothing to do with his behavior; I just was never exposed to his work and didnt know much about him or his films. After finding out that he gave a 13 year old girl a few drinks and a couple of ā€˜ludes, slipped her the olā€™ Liberace, then hightailed it to France to thumb his nose at the law, I am not too anxious to go check out his movies. How about you? Anyone who you wont support only because you dont like thier behavior, even though you may otherwise like thier art? ---
**Author:** ![PlainJain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5daacb/32.png) [@PlainJain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlainJain)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2009, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-boycott-an-artist-because-of-thier-behavior/512203/2 "2009-10-01T03:39:57Z")
_ā€œEver boycott an artist because of thier behavior?ā€_ No. Let me tell you whyā€¦ Tom Cruise is a nut-job. Off the charts crazy. If my plumbing is leaking and ruining my house I call a plumber. I call someone who is recommended. Someone who is good at his job. Now, if while grinding my leaks to a halt he casually mentions heā€™s a Scientologist, am I going to kick him out? No. I didnā€™t hire him to be my spiritual mentor - I just need him to do the job I hired him for. Same goes for presidents (Clinton) and so on. There is a break over point (I donā€™t have any early Hitler stuff on my walls) but there are TONS of artists that I donā€™t approve of their behavior but enjoy their work because they are good at it. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2009, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-boycott-an-artist-because-of-thier-behavior/512203/3 "2009-10-01T03:51:17Z")
As my username indicates, Iā€™m a big skier. Thereā€™s an amazing (or so Iā€™ve been told) ski film called ā€œThe White Ecstasyā€ that stared Leni Riefenstahl which Iā€™ve never been able to watch because of her other work. I just canā€™t bring myself to watch anything sheā€™s been involved in. ---
**Author:** ![DianaG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7ab992/32.png) [@DianaG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DianaG)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2009, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-boycott-an-artist-because-of-thier-behavior/512203/4 "2009-10-01T04:07:33Z")
Roman Polanski is a skeevy motherfucker, but Rosemaryā€™s Baby and Chinatown are still great movies. Michael Jackson was probably a child molester, but Off the Wall and Thriller are still great albums. Hemingway was, by all accounts, a miserable bastard, but For Whom the Bell Tolls and The Sun Also Rises are still great books. Art exists for its purposes, enjoy it on its own merits. Also, itā€™s ā€œtheirā€. Sorry, but it was bugging me. ---
**Author:** ![DianaG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7ab992/32.png) [@DianaG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DianaG)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2009, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-boycott-an-artist-because-of-thier-behavior/512203/5 "2009-10-01T04:16:52Z")
> [@DianaG](#): > > Art exists for its purposes, enjoy it on its own merits. Art exists for its \*own \*purposes. _Own_, dammit. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2009, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-boycott-an-artist-because-of-thier-behavior/512203/6 "2009-10-01T04:18:24Z")
Yeah, I havenā€™t watched a Woody Allen movie in years. His humor is, or was, based largely on his relationships with women, and his all the RW info about his relationships has come out, I am no longer amused. ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Skeezix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/aca169/32.png) [@Red\_Skeezix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Skeezix)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2009, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-boycott-an-artist-because-of-thier-behavior/512203/7 "2009-10-01T04:42:53Z")
(Not sure if this counts) Iā€™ve pretty much stopped reading Orson Scott Card due to his views on homosexuality and same-sex marriage. ---
**Author:** ![Sebastienne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a698b9/32.png) [@Sebastienne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sebastienne)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2009, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-boycott-an-artist-because-of-thier-behavior/512203/8 "2009-10-01T05:05:53Z")
> [@Red\_Skeezix](#): > > (Not sure if this counts) > Iā€™ve pretty much stopped reading Orson Scott Card due to his views on homosexuality and same-sex marriage. Same here, but for me itā€™s because his beliefs bleed over into his writing quite a bit, to the point of being outright distracting. There are quite a few other writers whose politics I find disgusting but whose books I enjoy quite a bit without guilt and without being so constantly reminded of my disgust, so I donā€™t think Iā€™m simply turned off by him being a ranting homophobe with flaaaaaaaming tendencies so much as he makes sure Iā€™m aware of it in every book he writes. I think I might find this equally damning of his writing even if his views were ones I agreed with, though then I might find it easier to ignore and enjoy whatever good elements of the story there were. That and I think the quality of his output rapidly declined by the third Ender book. I think I mostly avoid works involving people I find annoying, and often obnoxious politics or fanaticism goes along with that. If an artist or actor has somehow tripped my ā€œdouchebagā€ meter, well, part of me is still going to be thinking ā€œdouchebagā€ even if heā€™s pretending to be a guy who wants to kill Hitler. This can carry over into narrative voice for directors or authors, though better ones manage to make themselves ā€œinvisibleā€ enough that it doesnā€™t come into play. However, being ā€œevilā€ is separate from being irritating, so I can enjoy Wagnerian opera or Richard Avery movies without any trouble at all. ---
**Author:** ![kathmandu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kathmandu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kathmandu)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2009, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-boycott-an-artist-because-of-thier-behavior/512203/9 "2009-10-01T05:12:12Z")
I havenā€™t watched a Roman Polanski or Woody Allen film since their misdeeds came to light (or to my attention, at least). I refuse to support, directly or indirectly, artists whose behaviour I find morally repugnant. Quirkiness is fine. I draw the line at sexual misconduct with children. ---
**Author:** ![Postariti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Postariti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Postariti)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2009, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-boycott-an-artist-because-of-thier-behavior/512203/10 "2009-10-01T06:34:45Z")
Itā€™s not that I formally ā€œboycottā€ anyone. Itā€™s not a matter of saying ā€œI wonā€™t supportā€ them. I just lose interest in their work. Itā€™s like having a great friend you always enjoy spending time with. Then you find out that friend did something stupid or horrible. Suddenly youā€™d rather hang out with someone else. ---
**Author:** ![Gleena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b3f665/32.png) [@Gleena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gleena)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2009, 9:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-boycott-an-artist-because-of-thier-behavior/512203/11 "2009-10-01T09:38:08Z")
Because I have a child with a mental illness, I actively boycott Scientologists whenever I can. Not even the Simpsons. I stopped when they picketed the clinic to which I took my son. If I am at all able to stop it, they do not get my money. ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2009, 10:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-boycott-an-artist-because-of-thier-behavior/512203/12 "2009-10-01T10:43:47Z")
Ever since Jim Carrey joined the traveling carnival that is Jenny McCarthy and her anti-vaccination crusade, I canā€™t watch anything heā€™s in. I canā€™t take him seriously anymore and it ruins the experience for me. I go to the movies to be entertained, and Carrey doesnā€™t do it for me anymore. ---
**Author:** ![Maastricht](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@Maastricht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maastricht)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2009, 11:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-boycott-an-artist-because-of-thier-behavior/512203/13 "2009-10-01T11:18:06Z")
This [cracked.com](http://cracked.com) article is relevant: [7 Beloved Celebrities And The Awful Shit You Forgot They Did](http://www.cracked.com/article/96_7-beloved-celebrities-awful-shit-you-forgot-they-did/). ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2009, 11:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-boycott-an-artist-because-of-thier-behavior/512203/14 "2009-10-01T11:23:32Z")
Not quite the same thing but I didnā€™t go to the [Bodies Exhibition](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BODIES..._The_Exhibition) when it ran in Dublin because of some or all of the cadavers they used nor did some other people I know. ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2009, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-boycott-an-artist-because-of-thier-behavior/512203/15 "2009-10-01T12:27:55Z")
> [@MsRobyn](#): > > Ever since Jim Carrey joined the traveling carnival that is Jenny McCarthy and her anti-vaccination crusade, I canā€™t watch anything heā€™s in. I canā€™t take him seriously anymore and it ruins the experience for me. I go to the movies to be entertained, and Carrey doesnā€™t do it for me anymore. More directly, thereā€™s McCarthy and her books. My wife read them and enjoyed them, and suggested I read them as well. No can do ā€“ no matter how entertaining they mightā€™ve been had someone else written them, Iā€™d be spending the whole time furious over her flaming ignorance. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2009, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-boycott-an-artist-because-of-thier-behavior/512203/16 "2009-10-01T12:39:07Z")
Yes. I donā€™t care if they donā€™t suffer monetarily from my boycott. The person represents behavior I abhor, so why watch something Iā€™d hate because they are in it. I may think the movie is cool, but itā€™s going to be ruined by that person being in it. ---
**Author:** ![LouisB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@LouisB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LouisB)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2009, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-boycott-an-artist-because-of-thier-behavior/512203/17 "2009-10-01T13:41:37Z")
I might watch Tom Cruise being burned at the stake but only if admission was free. I wouldnā€™t contribute in any way to his financial support. Not that he needs my money. ---
**Author:** ![dangermom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@dangermom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangermom)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2009, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-boycott-an-artist-because-of-thier-behavior/512203/18 "2009-10-01T14:00:18Z")
What do the Simpsons have to do with Scientology? ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2009, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-boycott-an-artist-because-of-thier-behavior/512203/19 "2009-10-01T14:07:35Z")
Nancy Cartwright is a Scientologist. ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2009, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-boycott-an-artist-because-of-thier-behavior/512203/20 "2009-10-01T14:12:18Z")
I wouldnā€™t call it a boycott but Michael Jacksonā€™s music is soured for me. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-boycott-an-artist-because-of-thier-behavior/512203.md?page=2)