# Should people avoid consuming art they enjoy from an artist who they dislike or disagree with on a personal level? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [February 13, 2023, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-people-avoid-consuming-art-they-enjoy-from-an-artist-who-they-dislike-or-disagree-with-on-a-personal-level/979721 "2023-02-13T17:17:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 11
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2023, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-people-avoid-consuming-art-they-enjoy-from-an-artist-who-they-dislike-or-disagree-with-on-a-personal-level/979721/201 "2023-02-17T16:22:45Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > So, your claim was just empty rhetoric, then. Perhaps. But it does open a discussion that might be worthwhile and on topic. Suppose I did find something reprehensible in Pratchett’s personal life. Would that ruin his books for you? And if it did, wouldn’t that be a tremendous loss for you? ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2023, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-people-avoid-consuming-art-they-enjoy-from-an-artist-who-they-dislike-or-disagree-with-on-a-personal-level/979721/202 "2023-02-17T16:23:50Z")
> [@k9bfriender](#): > > I think he was a terrible person for having his unfinished works destroyed after his death\*. > > Not that that will keep me from enjoying his finished works, but I certainly will not be buying anything new. Burning unfinished work has been a fairly common thing for authors to do over the years. Many of Adam Smith’s unfinished work was destroyed shortly after his death at his request. I can see why Prachett might have wanted to destroy his unfinished work. To begin with, his last book wasn’t very good. Don’t get me wrong, it was a great farewell to fans, but it was unpolished and obviously in need of some work. I don’t imagine he wanted a bunch of his work to be released unfinished, or worse yet, for someone to try to finish it on his behalf. As far as buying new books, you’re in luck. The dude is dead and likely won’t be releasing anything else. ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2023, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-people-avoid-consuming-art-they-enjoy-from-an-artist-who-they-dislike-or-disagree-with-on-a-personal-level/979721/203 "2023-02-17T16:25:56Z")
It’s a bit of an exaggeration, but there are people who will hold the most trivial things against someone. A friend of mine _hated_ Bill Maher, and this is back in the early days of Real Time before Maher turned into the cranky centrist that he currently is. The reason that my friend had such an animosity towards him is because he used to live in California and went to a taping of Politically Incorrect. It was a double taping, as they did Thursday and Friday shows back to back. During the intermission, they handed out fun sized Snickers bars, and my friend was offended by this. He was like, “We were there for three hours, and that’s all they gave us!” Hated Maher with a passion after that. So, I don’t see it as an exaggeration, there really _are_ people who will condemn an artist for the most trivial of things. ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2023, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-people-avoid-consuming-art-they-enjoy-from-an-artist-who-they-dislike-or-disagree-with-on-a-personal-level/979721/204 "2023-02-17T16:30:02Z")
> [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > Perhaps. But it does open a discussion that might be worthwhile and on topic. Suppose I did find something reprehensible in Pratchett’s personal life. Would that ruin his books for you? And if it did, wouldn’t that be a tremendous loss for you? Terry was a great proponent of euthansia, that could certainly be seen as a moral stand that would impact how some people see his work. Not me, I hold him in hugely high regard both as a writer and as someone who shares my own humanist leanings. ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2023, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-people-avoid-consuming-art-they-enjoy-from-an-artist-who-they-dislike-or-disagree-with-on-a-personal-level/979721/205 "2023-02-17T16:37:55Z")
> [@Odesio](#): > > Burning unfinished work has been a fairly common thing for authors to do over the years. I meant it quite tongue in cheek. Also, he didn’t just have his unfinished work burned. He had it run over by a steamroller. A _real_ steamroller, actually powered by a steam engine. Not many authors have done that. > [@Odesio](#): > > I can see why Prachett might have wanted to destroy his unfinished work. To begin with, his last book wasn’t very good. Don’t get me wrong, it was a great farewell to fans, but it was unpolished and obviously in need of some work. I’m sure he saw the “legacy” that was left by Douglas Adams and “The Salmon of Doubt.” I’m glad I got to read it, but it certainly was not the thing I wanted to remember him by. > [@Odesio](#): > > As far as buying new books, you’re in luck. The dude is dead and likely won’t be releasing anything else. That was actually the point that I was making. The worst thing that Pratchett did was deny me the opportunity to read new books by him, and because of that, I won’t. But, it _does_ make me sad, maybe even angry if I dwell on it, that those words will never be seen by anyone ever again. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2023, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-people-avoid-consuming-art-they-enjoy-from-an-artist-who-they-dislike-or-disagree-with-on-a-personal-level/979721/206 "2023-02-17T16:44:42Z")
> [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > Would that ruin his books for you? The phrasing isn’t right - the books are what they are, their artistic merits wouldn’t change. It would ruin my relationship with the books, though, because that involves my relationship with the author just as much as the words on the page… > [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > And if it did, wouldn’t that be a tremendous loss for you? It’d be _a_ loss. I’d get over it fairly easily, though, as I have with plenty of other artists. I mean, how many midnight Potter book launches did I go to… but I don’t mourn dropping Rowling like the TERFy shit she is. Of course, your whole premise also presupposes that _I_ haven’t researched Pratchett, or most of the other artists I enjoy. That would be a mistake. I’m not saying it isn’t possible there’s some dark secret you could find that I didn’t, but it’s highly unlikely. With Rowling, the TERFiness is relatively new. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2023, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-people-avoid-consuming-art-they-enjoy-from-an-artist-who-they-dislike-or-disagree-with-on-a-personal-level/979721/207 "2023-02-17T16:46:00Z")
> [@Novelty\_Bobble](#): > > Terry was a great proponent of euthansia, that could certainly be seen as a moral stand that would impact how some people see his work. Again, only made me love him more. ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2023, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-people-avoid-consuming-art-they-enjoy-from-an-artist-who-they-dislike-or-disagree-with-on-a-personal-level/979721/208 "2023-02-17T16:50:28Z")
> [@k9bfriender](#): > > It’s a bit of an exaggeration, but there are people who will hold the most trivial things against someone. A friend of mine in the late 1990s refused to eat at Chick-Fil-A. Was it because they gave money to organizations that supported an anti-gay agenda? No. It was because they were closed on Sundays and he believed it was wrong of them to inflict their religious values on the rest of us. It’s weird what sets some people off. I know throughout this thread it’s been mentioned many times that one cannot buy Harry Potter stuff and still be considered an ally. Okay. What exactly is an ally? And if you’re not an ally, does that make you an enemy? ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2023, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-people-avoid-consuming-art-they-enjoy-from-an-artist-who-they-dislike-or-disagree-with-on-a-personal-level/979721/209 "2023-02-17T16:52:41Z")
> [@Odesio](#): > > What exactly is an ally? And if you’re not an ally, does that make you an enemy? No, an enemy is someone you fight against. You have conflicting goals, and one of you will win and one of you will lose. Someone who is not an ally is just that. They are not someone you can trust or depend upon. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2023, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-people-avoid-consuming-art-they-enjoy-from-an-artist-who-they-dislike-or-disagree-with-on-a-personal-level/979721/210 "2023-02-17T16:59:12Z")
> [@k9bfriender](#): > > Someone who is not an ally is just that. They are not someone you can trust or depend upon. There is a huge amount of gray area in that statement. I do not think there is a bright line of ally/not-ally. If I support trans causes and donate to trans support groups and lobby on behalf of trans people but I also bought and played Hogwarts Legacy am I not an ally who can be trusted or depended upon? ---
**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:** [February 17, 2023, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-people-avoid-consuming-art-they-enjoy-from-an-artist-who-they-dislike-or-disagree-with-on-a-personal-level/979721/211 "2023-02-17T17:11:24Z")
> [@Odesio](#): > > A friend of mine in the late 1990s refused to eat at Chick-Fil-A. Was it because they gave money to organizations that supported an anti-gay agenda? No. It was because they were closed on Sundays and he believed it was wrong of them to inflict their religious values on the rest of us. It’s weird what sets some people off. Especially since the “Closed Sundays” thing was the founder’s way of making sure that every one of his employees had at least 1 day off a week. Nothing really religious behind it. It’s the people in charge _since_ then that have made me boycott them. ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2023, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-people-avoid-consuming-art-they-enjoy-from-an-artist-who-they-dislike-or-disagree-with-on-a-personal-level/979721/212 "2023-02-17T17:11:47Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > If I support trans causes and donate to trans support groups and lobby on behalf of trans people but I also bought and played Hogwarts Legacy am I not an ally who cannot be depended upon? Why do you think that someone owes you anything? An ally is someone who has your back, who joins you in your struggle. So, if you don’t have their back and you are off playing games put out by the enemy, then you have declared _yourself_ to not be an ally. I used to do a bit of rock climbing and repelling. I had people that I trusted on belay, and people I didn’t trust on belay. It wasn’t that I didn’t like them, it wasn’t that I had any animosity towards them, I just didn’t trust my life in their hands. Sometimes, they’d get offended when I would tell them that I didn’t want them on belay for me, and I’d tell them that I don’t care, my life is more important than their feel feels. So, I’m sorry if you are offended because you haven’t earned that trust, but it’s _not_ about you. ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2023, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-people-avoid-consuming-art-they-enjoy-from-an-artist-who-they-dislike-or-disagree-with-on-a-personal-level/979721/213 "2023-02-17T17:22:58Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Especially since the “Closed Sundays” thing was the founder’s way of making sure that every one of his employees had at least 1 day off a week. I went with closed Mondays to make sure that all my employees had at least 1 day a week off. Difference is, you can actually get stuff done on a Monday. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2023, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-people-avoid-consuming-art-they-enjoy-from-an-artist-who-they-dislike-or-disagree-with-on-a-personal-level/979721/214 "2023-02-17T17:25:17Z")
> [@k9bfriender](#): > > Why do you think that someone owes you anything? Where did I say or even imply that? ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2023, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-people-avoid-consuming-art-they-enjoy-from-an-artist-who-they-dislike-or-disagree-with-on-a-personal-level/979721/215 "2023-02-17T17:28:01Z")
Ah, so why _do_ you think that they should treat you as a trusted ally? ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2023, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-people-avoid-consuming-art-they-enjoy-from-an-artist-who-they-dislike-or-disagree-with-on-a-personal-level/979721/216 "2023-02-17T17:30:14Z")
> [@k9bfriender](#): > > it’s _not_ about you. I think this is an excellent point. I try to be supportive of trans causes in my community, but I’m imperfect and my support will also be. If I decide to go to the next Fantastic Beasts movie, it’s an indicator that this issue is not as important to me as it is to you. It isn’t life and death for me, so perhaps you can’t exactly count on me the way you can count on others who take it more seriously. But it isn’t about me. I felt my hackles rising at the “you’re not an ally”, but really, I don’t support trans causes because I’m going to get a pat on the back. I do it because I know kids who are trans and I want them to be happy and safe. If they don’t see me as a trusted ally, I’m going to have to live with that. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2023, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-people-avoid-consuming-art-they-enjoy-from-an-artist-who-they-dislike-or-disagree-with-on-a-personal-level/979721/217 "2023-02-17T17:36:00Z")
What is your definition of ally? How supportive does someone need to be to be considered an ally? How many mistakes can they make before they are deemed not an ally? Please be specific so we can be careful not to transgress. ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2023, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-people-avoid-consuming-art-they-enjoy-from-an-artist-who-they-dislike-or-disagree-with-on-a-personal-level/979721/218 "2023-02-17T17:40:17Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > Again, only made me love him more. It was a great speech that he gave, or rather, Sir Tony Robinson of Dunny-on-the-wold gave on his behalf. If people will forgive the momentary hijack, here is the link. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/90b1MBwnEHM/maxresdefault.jpg "Terry Pratchett: Shaking Hands With Death") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90b1MBwnEHM&t=487s) ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2023, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-people-avoid-consuming-art-they-enjoy-from-an-artist-who-they-dislike-or-disagree-with-on-a-personal-level/979721/219 "2023-02-17T17:41:30Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > What is your definition of ally? How supportive does someone need to be to be considered an ally? I already gave the definition, not sure why you think that repeating myself will do you any good. > [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > How many mistakes can they make before they are deemed not an ally? It’s not about “mistakes”, that would be your own strawman. > [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > Please be specific so we can be careful not to transgress. Specifically, if someone is offended by the fact that I don’t trust them, then that is all the more reason not to trust them. They were never being supportive for me, they were only doing it for themselves. ---
**Author:** ![Mikkel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikkel/32/13151_2.png) [@Mikkel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mikkel)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2023, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-people-avoid-consuming-art-they-enjoy-from-an-artist-who-they-dislike-or-disagree-with-on-a-personal-level/979721/220 "2023-02-17T17:41:49Z")
My take is that if I enjoy the art, I want to enjoy it, never mind the artist’s political views or moral conduct. First time I almost did boycott some authors was back in '68 where some science fiction authors made an advertisement to support the war in Vietnam. Don’t ask me to remember them all, but Poul Anderson, Robert Heinlein, Marion Zimmer Bradley and Larry Niven was among them. I read them still, and they do write good. Michael Z. Williamson is a Corona denier. I stopped reading his blog, but have bought his books afterwards. Bradley aided and defended a possible paedophile. Still I love her books. None of it destroys the books for me, even though it does detract from my respect for them and their lives. Oh, and Asimov did sign a protest against the war in Vietnam. It doesn’t excuse his behaviour to women, of course. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-people-avoid-consuming-art-they-enjoy-from-an-artist-who-they-dislike-or-disagree-with-on-a-personal-level/979721.md?page=10) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-people-avoid-consuming-art-they-enjoy-from-an-artist-who-they-dislike-or-disagree-with-on-a-personal-level/979721.md?page=12)