Would the views of a creator put you off their creative work?

[Guest]

If you enjoyed some thing (book, music, anything creative) for example but then found out the creator said really homophobic/transphobic/racist/ect. things, would it prevent you from enjoying their work in the future?

Also would it stop you if you found out about the creator's views before reading a book for example?

 

I would find it hard to enjoy something if I knew the creator to be very intolerant.

[Guest And Peggy]

I would hate them, but I wouldn't hate their work. For example, I recently read a non-political historical book by a Fox News anchor and it was actually quite good.

[ChillaKilla]

It's very likely. Not 100%, but likely.

[RK800]

I suppose it depends. I'm very knowledge hungry, so if the individual wrote a book that I found insightful I would still seek out the information within it.

 

But I wouldn't contribute money to them.

[Galactic Turtle]

This happened to me once. I read the entire Ender's Game series in high school (2008-2012) and took it upon myself to get other books by the author. One happened to be a sort of political "what if" book but I found the stance taken by a lot of the main characters a bit odd. So I looked up the author, turns out he's crazy.

 

Er... not crazy, but, super conservative, I think homophobic too. 

 

Really put me off. Haven't gotten his other books (besides a collection of short stories) since.... but I still love Ender's Game.

[Polygon]

If the work came across as preachy (one way or the other), then it would interfere. If it's just a character's views, then that's fine, and readers/watchers/etc. can form their own judgment on that character, but if it's blatant that the narrator/author is cramming stuff down your throat, then it gets unbearable.

 

I don't care about their views at all, though. 

[Sherlocks]

It really doesn't matter who made the art. The value of its art is in the work itself. 

 

Charlie Manson was a Musician you know. 

 

Also by that note, you should also worship the work of someone just because you like their character. If Johnny has a great personality does it make him a great hairdresser? of course, it doesn't. 

 

If your work can't stand on its own, it probably isn't very good work to begin with. 

 

[Toothlesss]

10 minutes ago, CakeSpadeAce said:

I would hate them, but I wouldn't hate their work. For example, I recently read a non-political historical book by a Fox News anchor and it was actually quite good.

^ Pretty much my view. 

Considering what my original writing focuses on, I could see the intolerant conservatives hating it like they hate Hamilton. 

[Clumsy Fairy]

I have art from a girlfriend that was awful to me...

 

I still have the art on my wall.. I love the art.... I hate the artist...

[fiѕh]

I could even be FRIENDS with the creator if I hated their views.... D:

[Anthracite_Impreza]

I've found it does actually, once I discover something bad about someone I find it puts me off anything related to them.

[Sylvastor]

I seperate the art from the artist.

Now, some might say "But if you buy their things, you finance them and just support them in their views". While to some extent this might be true, I don't judge art by the artist. I wouldn't want others doing that in my case either.

On the other hand, I usually also don't like having political views and whatnot (directly) shoved down my throat when I try to enjoy a creative work. Luckily, I still get to pick what I want to view, listen to, read and enjoy.

 

The only exception there might be if that's expressed within the art itself and isn't part of any greater context (e.g. racism in a book about a slave's life in the early days of the US would be accurate in the context of its time, but if it's supposed to be a scientific book…).

If – for some reason – it's a book I would want to read anyway (and be it just to know what all the fuzz is about), I would check if it's in the library. Same would go for movies.

Spoiler

Though to be brutally honest, I often don't research much on creators unless they repeatedly get my attention with their work. It's the art I'm interested in, rarely the person behind it (though I do appreciate their efforts of creating it!). If I like their work, I will check for more.

 

Well, that's my view on it.

[Clumsy Fairy]

23 minutes ago, fiѕh said:

I could even be FRIENDS with the creator if I hated their views.... D:

 

<GOES BANANANANANANAS JUMPING UP AND DOWN SCREAMING "YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAASSSSSSSS"> 

 

God fish, sometimes I wish I had a uterus, so I could have your babies!!!!!! 

[ChillaKilla]

42 minutes ago, Galactic Turtle said:

This happened to me once. I read the entire Ender's Game series in high school (2008-2012) and took it upon myself to get other books by the author. One happened to be a sort of political "what if" book but I found the stance taken by a lot of the main characters a bit odd. So I looked up the author, turns out he's crazy.

 

Er... not crazy, but, super conservative, I think homophobic too. 

 

Really put me off. Haven't gotten his other books (besides a collection of short stories) since.... but I still love Ender's Game.

The thing is Ender and Alai had such a homoerotic subtext... Like wtf, Card?

[Guest]

Oh, being friends with people you disagree with is just fine, i should go make friends with transphobic people who think I'm a freak and just a mentally ill man.

Sounds fucking great

*sarcasm*

[fiѕh]

22 minutes ago, Lord Grep said:

 

<GOES BANANANANANANAS JUMPING UP AND DOWN SCREAMING "YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAASSSSSSSS"> 

 

God fish, sometimes I wish I had a uterus, so I could have your babies!!!!!! 

I'm sure we'd have pretty babies but let's not XD

15 minutes ago, Mystic Maya said:

Oh, being friends with people you disagree with is just fine, i should go make friends with transphobic people who think I'm a freak and just a mentally ill man.

Sounds fucking great

*sarcasm*

Oh, it's possible, you know... I could even be friends with you.

[Clumsy Fairy]

12 minutes ago, fiѕh said:

Oh, it's possible, you know... I could even be friends with you.

 

 I mean I have lots of friends who think differently to me. I mean some of them do get the wrong idea and think because I am their friend it means I automatically agree with them.. I think having diverse friends makes one more balanced.  It is definitely more entertaining. I mean if you are ever bored one can just bring up something you disagree on. 

 

Fish's views and mine are indistinguishable on this I think.. By that I mean that they are the same... <ducks while dictionary flies over his head>..

 

[Guest And Peggy]

I have several friends that are conservative Republicans. They're nice people, so as long as they don't bring up politics I don't care.

[Paige.]

Well, I disagree with a lot of celebrities politically and that doesn't stop me from enjoying their work. That's what I like about Taylor Swift. She doesn't share her views. I mean, everyone is allowed to share their opinions if they want to, but I like that she doesn't.   

[Homer]

No. Why should they?

[Sea Lemon]

For me it depends on whether/how strongly their views carry over into their work.

[Annie9]

i tend to hate anyone that say something like that but... i don't think i'd hate their work if it's something i enjoyed but i'd hate/dislike the creator.

[Peachyy]

 

21 minutes ago, CakeSpadeAce said:

I have several friends that are conservative Republicans. They're nice people, so as long as they don't bring up politics I don't care.

 You know, my mom used to say that about our cousins. I'd always been extremely close to them and then one day I realized that I couldn't enjoy them when we talked about things that really mattered, like human rights. My mom said time and time again that in order to keep a relationship with her sister, they avoided talking about politics and kept to "light" subjects. "Light" subjects means, "things that don't matter". So she'd rather talk about gardening than whether or not people should have rights over their own bodies. And when she wanted me to do this I asked her, "but, doesn't your political opinion matter? You say they're good people, but do you think a good person would say the shit that they do when we talk about human right issues?" it may be a matter of opinion that i think most conservative republicans are lacking behind what ordinary people consider to be good and moral behavior, and I don't know what "conservative republican" means to your friends, but if it means the same as what it means to half of my natural family, I don't know how you can say you're content with ignoring their opinions, that are rather important to the interpretation of their character on your part. How long can a healthy mind be satisfied with that? Political opinions are so vast and it's not just about one category. It can tell you what someone thinks about education rights, rights of body and healthcare, rights to living in general. I mean this stuff is who we are. I can't like someone who has certain political opinions because those are their opinions on how people should be able to live and I can't seem to understand how people care more about preserving the good and light times of interaction with their friends, more than the deep and sometimes difficult opinions on the life and rights of others in our voting society. I mean, your response troubles me and I have never quite known how to express that to all the people i meet who say it's easy to just ignore. 

[Guest And Peggy]

On 2/14/2017 at 2:58 PM, Peachyy said:

 

 You know, my mom used to say that about our cousins. I'd always been extremely close to them and then one day I realized that I couldn't enjoy them when we talked about things that really mattered, like human rights. My mom said time and time again that in order to keep a relationship with her sister, they avoided talking about politics and kept to "light" subjects. "Light" subjects means, "things that don't matter". So she'd rather talk about gardening than whether or not people should have rights over their own bodies. And when she wanted me to do this I asked her, "but, doesn't your political opinion matter? You say they're good people, but do you think a good person would say the shit that they do when we talk about human right issues?" it may be a matter of opinion that i think most conservative republicans are lacking behind what ordinary people consider to be good and moral behavior, and I don't know what "conservative republican" means to your friends, but if it means the same as what it means to half of my natural family, I don't know how you can say you're content with ignoring their opinions, that are rather important to the interpretation of their character on your part. How long can a healthy mind be satisfied with that? Political opinions are so vast and it's not just about one category. It can tell you what someone thinks about education rights, rights of body and healthcare, rights to living in general. I mean this stuff is who we are. I can't like someone who has certain political opinions because those are their opinions on how people should be able to live and I can't seem to understand how people care more about preserving the good and light times of interaction with their friends, more than the deep and sometimes difficult opinions on the life and rights of others in our voting society. I mean, your response troubles me and I have never quite known how to express that to all the people i meet who say it's easy to just ignore. 

I have friends who I talk politics with, and friends who I just hang out with and talk about other stuff. All my Republican friends fit in the second category. It's okay to talk about "light" stuff. And they aren't discriminatory. I'm not straight and a woman, and they don't treat me badly because of it.

 

Plus, you're wording it like I'm not allowed to have conservative friends. I can be friends with whoever I want.

[Guest]

I don't think it's so easy to take that stance as an mtf trans women, when those people are incredibly likely to treat us with disgust and disrespect just for existing.

[m4rble]

Well a lot of old-timey philosophers  were super sexist and often also really classist. Descartes believed that animals were like machines and couldn't feel anything so we could do what we wanted with them. I don't hold the same world view as these people but I do still appreciate their work. I think some people put philosophers too high on a pedestal, but to me they're just people who wrote down some interesting insights about the world. In a way I don't think people can really be blamed for their genuine beliefs because we don't really have control over what we believe and it's often just a product of our culture and environment. 

35 minutes ago, Peachyy said:

 

 You know, my mom used to say that about our cousins. I'd always been extremely close to them and then one day I realized that I couldn't enjoy them when we talked about things that really mattered, like human rights. My mom said time and time again that in order to keep a relationship with her sister, they avoided talking about politics and kept to "light" subjects. "Light" subjects means, "things that don't matter". So she'd rather talk about gardening than whether or not people should have rights over their own bodies. And when she wanted me to do this I asked her, "but, doesn't your political opinion matter? You say they're good people, but do you think a good person would say the shit that they do when we talk about human right issues?" it may be a matter of opinion that i think most conservative republicans are lacking behind what ordinary people consider to be good and moral behavior, and I don't know what "conservative republican" means to your friends, but if it means the same as what it means to half of my natural family, I don't know how you can say you're content with ignoring their opinions, that are rather important to the interpretation of their character on your part. How long can a healthy mind be satisfied with that? Political opinions are so vast and it's not just about one category. It can tell you what someone thinks about education rights, rights of body and healthcare, rights to living in general. I mean this stuff is who we are. I can't like someone who has certain political opinions because those are their opinions on how people should be able to live and I can't seem to understand how people care more about preserving the good and light times of interaction with their friends, more than the deep and sometimes difficult opinions on the life and rights of others in our voting society. I mean, your response troubles me and I have never quite known how to express that to all the people i meet who say it's easy to just ignore. 

It's true that political beliefs can tell you a lot about a person, but someone with very different values from you can still be a good and generous person. 

[SaturnOOO]

I've thought a lot about this because there are some musical artists whose work I love but who hold some pretty reprehensible views (thought some are severely mentally ill as well, I think.) In the end, I can't say that I enjoy their music any less, but I do find that over the years I've been making less of an identity out of that particular music. I honestly can't say that's all because of the artists' views, though. I think it has more to do with just getting old.

[Scott1989]

If known in advance, yes I wouldn't attempt to enjoy anything from those that discriminate. However if I found out after the fact I enjoyed something, I'll sort of grandfather the piece grudingly. Happened only twice with Orson Scott Card. First was the game Shadow Complex which is based on a book of his. The 2nd may involve my favourite video game line ever, as apparently he wrote some insult sword fighting lines for Monkey Island. Won't touch any of his other, or assoicated stuff.

[SorryNotSorry]

Shit is shit, but it can make flowers grow.

 

I mean, Salvador Dali may not have been the most likeable guy in the world, but nobody can deny his contributions to surrealist art.

[asfi]

I freely admit I'm not terribly consistent about this. Sometimes I'm terribly irked and the creator winds up on my OH HELL NO list, and at other times I'll react like it's no big deal.

 

And then there are the creators I don't disagree with politically/ethically but they're such flaming asshats that I just don't want to have to pretend that they even exist.

 

And there's not much I actively boycott, but there's a ton of stuff that just happens to never get to the top of the to-read/to-listen/etc pile. OSC, take a bow here.