Opinion If you love something, but then you find out that those who made it have been doing terrible things, will you still love it?

[Rekai Leon]

Well, the title is self-explanatory. Here is an example: You really love a game you have been playing since you were a child. That game is so flawless to you that you will love it forever if you have nothing else to worry about. Then one day, you find out that its creators have been doing terrible things, such as deliberately ruining the game for money, or worse, blackmailing, scamming or discriminating others. How would you feel about the game now?

For me, in many cases I will still love it, but even if I do, that love will never be the same again.

 

[weldherwings]

oh boy I feel u! It’s like Harry Potter and JK Rowling. As far as I’m concerned, Harry Potter belongs to the generation who grew up with it, not to JK anymore. I completely pull them apart from each other and will not support any of her other work.

I had a chat with an elder of the community recently about what he thought about people making Indigenous items without having an Indigenous background because I had recently purchased a NAIDOC week shirt which I loved! But found out afterwards that the shirt wasn’t created by Indigenous people nor did any of the profit go towards Indigenous groups. He told me to not let the power of the shirt or item be destroyed by the creator. Which i suppose is something that I’ve applied to Harry Potter and other things in life

 

[The Waluigist Priestess]

Um, with me(as an example), I like FNaF but Scott Cawthon has donated to homophobic groups. I'm an LGBT community Member, but I don't let that get in the way of my love of the games, Another example would be Sakurai denying Waluigi any respect from Nintendo, but I still play and purchase Nintendo games. (primarily those with Waluigi present)

 

[Katya]

oh boy I feel u! It’s like Harry Potter and JK Rowling. As far as I’m concerned, Harry Potter belongs to the generation who grew up with it, not to JK anymore. I completely pull them apart from each other and will not support any of her other work.

I had a chat with an elder of the community recently about what he thought about people making Indigenous items without having an Indigenous background because I had recently purchased a NAIDOC week shirt which I loved! But found out afterwards that the shirt wasn’t created by Indigenous people nor did any of the profit go towards Indigenous groups. He told me to not let the power of the shirt or item be destroyed by the creator. Which i suppose is something that I’ve applied to Harry Potter and other things in life

I'm just going to put a bit of input because I relate to this on .... emotional, spiritual, traumatic.
Indigenous people all over the world are often silenced or used to propel a movement of some sort. Like residential schools or just mass-murderous sprees of destroying thousands of indigenous lives. It's still happening. I mean I'm not going to go into a huge spin about it. I can hear in your voice you are pretty empathetic. It has to do with the right to grieve. Many have not had the permission to grieve their painful history and so it can be hard letting others in. It's complex. Indigenous items of sacred value mean a lot to different branches of indigenous culture. Some items should only be worn by elders or chiefs. I guess it's cultural scalping that gets really painful. Not being allowed to express your culture or hide it and then see others embrace it or use it so freely. Yeah. It gets complicated. However, I really really admire that you did research on the shirt. This is such a common thing that really does make a monumental impact. Our indigenous communities are still struggling. It's good to support. Just try and support indigenous creators for indigenous support. It just you know brings it full circle.

Ah and the JK Rowling. I literally think Robot Chicken got it right when they parodied her scrapping through a dumpster. She's literal trash. In so many ways.
Just to continue answering the question.

I no longer listen to Billie Eilish or Sia. And that is heavy for me because I love their sound. I mean Billie's lyrics are writing mostly by her brother so I mean... I could jump through that loophole but I just feel sick. I can not embrace their sound with love anymore. Really any artist that uses their platform to harm...Yeah. I just can't. It literally makes me feel queazy. Especially if racism is brought into the mix or stigma of mental illness or neurological disorder. Yup. Bye bye.

 

[Cosmo]

I don't have to like someone, or what they do, to enjoy their creations. Honestly, if that was the bar I set, I'd be pretty miserable and hate everything.

If you are talking about games, I mean, you have Activision-Blizzard going through multiple lawsuits because of their massive, massive amount of sexual assualt against their female employees, but that doesn't effect, at all, what I feel about Warcraft 3 which is a beloved title from my childhood, I still love it, and still play it from time to time.

 

[Oberan]

It's hard to say! Lots of people and businesses are getting canceled these days - and for good reason. I would hate to judge on a case-by-case basis, because ideally things would be across the board either okay or not okay. But, in the end I think it depends on how formative it was for me. There are plenty of things I like or love that I could easily give up for a good cause. There are other things that would be much more difficult.

I agree with the idea that once something is out there, people can claim it as their own. Harry Potter is a great example. JK Rowling is an awful person, and I don't endorse her or really talk about her if I don't need to. However, Harry Potter was such a huge cultural phenomenon, it's not as if you can simply wipe it out of existence and forget about it. I'm not sure if any of you have listened to the podcast 'Harry Potter and the Sacred Text', but the book can be so much more than a work of fiction for some people. It most likely has literally made such a difference to some people that it's saved their lives, somehow. So to just tell people that because the creator is awful, their experience is invalidated... it's kind of cruel, and it's not really necessary. Aside from that, the media's already been consumed. You can't just... delete it from your body. So you might as well enjoy something that brings you happiness, but stop endorsing and promoting new things that the creator does.

 

[SandraDeelightful]

Yep! It’s become pretty easy for me to seperate the art from the artist. I don’t like Woody Allen, but Midnight in Paris is one of my favorite movies, mostly because it’s my dream. Going back in time and hanging out with the lost generation in Paris? God, yes.

Amber Heard is a terrible human being who needs to be in prison. I’ll still watch The Danish Girl. It’s a good movie!

Armie Hammer may be into some weird stuff, but I’ll still watch The Man From UNCLE because it’s fun.

I love Harry Potter, and while I don’t think she’s a terrible person, she needs to stop retconning. I’m not saying that I agree with what she says, but I don’t think she’s some kind of monstrous, irredeemable piece of human waste.

Idk, maybe I’m just cynical. I hate hearing public figures opinions on anything, even if I agree with them. “Dance for me, monkies,” I say, tossing coins at them.

I have a limited amount of time on this planet, and more important things to worry about that directly affect me, to worry about what those who create things that make me happy say and do.

 

[Sunbather]

I'll still have enjoyed the game and nothing the creator did or does will retroactively change the genuine reaction I've had to that. I can't change my emotion, but I will definitely stop consuming or discussing (or otherwise propagating) the product because I'm not a piece of garbage and weigh something as trivial as entertainment above what's ethically right.

Like, if you still buy food from an exploitative supplier 'cause it's all you can afford, you know, whatever. We all have to live. But if you value a game or a movie above not passively (or otherwise) supporting terrible people you're terrible, too.

 

[clevingersplane]

My stance has always been that if you aren't materially supporting problematic artists (buying books, going to concerts, paying for video games, etc) and you aren't endorsing the creator in a public space ("hey everyone look at this band I like"), then however else you interact with their existing catalogue is probably fine.

 

[Jannah]

Yes. I'm not just going to stop liking something I enjoy just because of who made it. I think cancel culture is extremely toxic and is often treated like a witch hunt in many cases. Things people said years ago, especially if they no longer reflect said person's current views, should not be held against them. Maybe I'm just bitter because this has personally happened to me: I was attacked and essentially bullied off a site due to things I said in the past that no longer reflected my views and beliefs.

A recent example of the "separate the art from the artist" sort of mentality is the game "Overwatch". Blizzard is notorious for sexual harassment, but I still enjoy the game. There's no ethical consumption in capitalism anyway.

 

[Jannah]

I love Harry Potter, and while I don’t think she’s a terrible person, she needs to stop retconning. I’m not saying that I agree with what she says, but I don’t think she’s some kind of monstrous, irredeemable piece of human waste.

Maybe it's because I'm quite disconnected from the trans community, but this is pretty much how I feel. I can think of so many people far worse than JK Rowling. She's just a middle aged woman expressing questionable opinions on the internet. That's minor when it comes to offenses.

 

[clevingersplane]

I love Harry Potter, and while I don’t think she’s a terrible person, she needs to stop retconning. I’m not saying that I agree with what she says, but I don’t think she’s some kind of monstrous, irredeemable piece of human waste.

My biggest issue with Rowling, outside of the transphobia, is that she isn't even "cancelled." She like to complain online that she's, like, being suppressed because of her beliefs but she just isn't. She's still writing. She still has a platform. She still makes more money with one month of royalties than most people make in ten years. The worst thing that's happened to her is that sometimes people make fun of her on twitter.

There are lots of artists with regressive or reactionary opinions out there. Most of them I just ignore and can go months without thinking about. Rowling, however, makes her situation infinitely worse by being absolutely insufferable about it at every opportunity.

 

[Jannah]

My biggest issue with Rowling, outside of the transphobia, is that she isn't even "cancelled." She like to complain online that she's, like, being suppressed because of her beliefs but she just isn't. She's still writing. She still has a platform. She still makes more money with one month of royalties than most people make in ten years. The worst thing that's happened to her is that sometimes people make fun of her on twitter.

There are lots of artists with regressive or reactionary opinions out there. Most of them I just ignore and can go months without thinking about. Rowling, however, makes her situation infinitely worse by being absolutely insufferable about it at every opportunity.

As I said above she's honestly not even high up on my priority list when I try to think of awful people who actually do deserve to be "canceled" (as much as I dislike cancel culture).

 

[Oberan]

Maybe it's because I'm quite disconnected from the trans community, but this is pretty much how I feel. I can think of so many people far worse than JK Rowling. She's just a middle aged woman expressing questionable opinions on the internet. That's minor when it comes to offenses.

My biggest issue with Rowling, outside of the transphobia, is that she isn't even "cancelled." She like to complain online that she's, like, being suppressed because of her beliefs but she just isn't. She's still writing. She still has a platform. She still makes more money with one month of royalties than most people make in ten years. The worst thing that's happened to her is that sometimes people make fun of her on twitter.

There are lots of artists with regressive or reactionary opinions out there. Most of them I just ignore and can go months without thinking about. Rowling, however, makes her situation infinitely worse by being absolutely insufferable about it at every opportunity.

As I said above she's honestly not even high up on my priority list when I try to think of awful people who actually do deserve to be "canceled" (as much as I dislike cancel culture).

I think the fact that she isn't "canceled" and still has a huge platform where she openly talks about how she is anti-trans is part of the problem, though? I'm not saying you need to change your opinion about her, it's your prerogative to not feel strongly (and God, who can care about everything anyways. Pick your battles and let other people battle the ones you can't pick up) but it should be noted that as a substantive 'influencer' for all generations at this point, it's not okay for her to be doing what she's doing.

But she's not at the top of my personal list either lol

 

[Jannah]

I think the fact that she isn't "canceled" and still has a huge platform where she openly talks about how she is anti-trans is part of the problem, though? I'm not saying you need to change your opinion about her, it's your prerogative to not feel strongly (and God, who can care about everything anyways. Pick your battles and let other people battle the ones you can't pick up) but it should be noted that as a substantive 'influencer' for all generations at this point, it's not okay for her to be doing what she's doing.

But she's not at the top of my personal list either lol

You do have a fair point that it's odd she's still speaking at all, but you are right in that people should choose their battles. I personally have other ones I prioritize over JK Rowling writing bigoted tweets. Not everyone has the energy to fight every battle and that is okay. People who feel more strongly about what Rowling is doing, trans people especially, can feel free to fight that battle.

 

[clevingersplane]

I think the fact that she isn't "canceled" and still has a huge platform where she openly talks about how she is anti-trans is part of the problem, though? I'm not saying you need to change your opinion about her, it's your prerogative to not feel strongly (and God, who can care about everything anyways. Pick your battles and let other people battle the ones you can't pick up) but it should be noted that as a substantive 'influencer' for all generations at this point, it's not okay for her to be doing what she's doing.

But she's not at the top of my personal list either lol

Of course! I was just pointing out that on top of doing real harm, she is also very annoying.

 

[edc]

oh boy I feel u! It’s like Harry Potter and JK Rowling. As far as I’m concerned, Harry Potter belongs to the generation who grew up with it, not to JK anymore. I completely pull them apart from each other and will not support any of her other work.

I had a chat with an elder of the community recently about what he thought about people making Indigenous items without having an Indigenous background because I had recently purchased a NAIDOC week shirt which I loved! But found out afterwards that the shirt wasn’t created by Indigenous people nor did any of the profit go towards Indigenous groups. He told me to not let the power of the shirt or item be destroyed by the creator. Which i suppose is something that I’ve applied to Harry Potter and other things in life

Harry Potter separating from the author is exactly what I came to say!!

 

[crumbelivable]

Case by case basis for me. A lot of animes and whatnot I'm a fan of, the directors have gone on to do some rather lame things (lookin at you Chiaki Konaka), but honestly it's spawned do much other talent I can't just ignore it outright. Other times, it's so absolute I go out of my way to avoid consuming anything even adjacent to it, as is the case with R&S Records and their awful treatment of those people who created the very genre of music they profit off of.

 

[ayejaye19]

This is a hard one. I try to practice the “separate the art from the artist” mantra in my day to day life, but sometimes I just can’t stand a person after I learn that they’ve been accused of, or found out to have actually done, bad things.

My biggest example is the creator of Hazbin Hotel. I cannot… no. I tried to separate the accusations from her, but it wasn’t so simple. It left a stain on her character, and as a result of that, anything she was involved in creating. I can’t watch HH without thinking about the accusations.

Beyond that, there are times where I can look past it, and just enjoy their contributions to society. It’s a case by case basis thing, for me at least.

 

[The Great Sage]

No. If a evil man one day gave a sandwich to a beggar you wouldn't run up and slap it out of the beggar's hand would you?

In that same vein I won't abandon all the beautiful stories, poetry and architecture the different religions of the world have inspired just because those same ideologies were responsible for terrific human suffering.

I can separate Harry Potter and all the good memories he's inspired from that psychotic narcissist that penned him into life.

If you don't forgive people for their faults you'll just end up hating everyone eventually and that's not healthy for you or for the world.

 

[Baphomet]

Well, the title is self-explanatory. Here is an example: You really love a game you have been playing since you were a child. That game is so flawless to you that you will love it forever if you have nothing else to worry about. Then one day, you find out that its creators have been doing terrible things, such as deliberately ruining the game for money, or worse, blackmailing, scamming or discriminating others. How would you feel about the game now?

For me, in many cases I will still love it, but even if I do, that love will never be the same again.

I'm a pretty principled person. I will stop shopping at places if I don't like their practices. I will stop listening to music if the artist is a horrid person. I will stop playing my favorite game if I found out they've been abusing child labor. I absolutely will give up my favorite things in a heartbeat. I will not support monsters. Despite being a monster myself.

 

[The Great Sage]

I look at it as supporting the good parts of bad people.

 

[Prince Lutin]

It's probably easier with creators who are dead than ones who are alive.

I actually love a lot of classic literature, even some stuff that's rife with racial stereotyping. I try to enjoy the overall story and acknowledge that the stories are a product of a past era instead of going ballistic about it. Heck, I really like Gone with the Wind even though it's from the Confederate point of view and it contains a lot of racial stereotyping. Still. I am friends with people who are black and I don't talk about GWTW with them since I know they probably feel differently about it than I do.

However, I will refuse to have anything to do with stuff from people who mistreated autistic people. I refuse to read anything by Bruno Bettelheim because he promoted the "refrigerator mother" theory that got autistic kids taken away from their parents and sent to mental institutions where they were severely abused (sometimes even molested). Had I lived in that generation, that could have happened to me. I also stopped listening to Sia because of her movie "Music" that stereotyped autistic people (including casting a neurotypical actress as the lead) and showed the characters putting Music in a chokehold that IRL could have killed her. (To make matters worse, the chokehold was reminiscent of the one that killed George Floyd.)