Forgive or Forsake: When an Artist Messes Up

The “Procession of Princes” wall in Dresden. Photo courtesy of Sophia Angele-Kuehn.

I read a fantasy book once that absolutely blew my mind. It was The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson, and it changed how I perceived every other fantasy novel. I told some of my friends that I thought the world-building was even better than Tolkien (which is high praise from someone who has read The Silmarillion numerous times). I fawned over that book, cherished every one of its many hundreds of pages, and hyped myself up to read the sequel. Then, I learned that the author was homophobic.

This stopped me in my tracks. I did some research, of course, and found out that Sanderson had commented about how his religious beliefs prevented him from viewing same-sex marriage as morally right. I was hurt, of course: this man created a world that I absolutely adored, and now I could no longer enjoy his creations without a lingering feeling of guilt. The knowledge that the author held a belief so fundamentally opposed to mine, in my eyes, ruined the source material. I couldn’t bring myself to pick up the sequel, and every time I saw any of his books I felt an immense sense of loss. Such unique creativity and skill was ruined for me and many others by the author’s opinions, even though they didn’t necessarily manifest in the art.

Such a story is becoming increasingly common, especially in the past few months. A YouTube personality makes racially inflammatory remarks; an actor is exposed as a sexual predator; and the trend repeats in seemingly infinite ways. In the end, it boils down to the fact that an artist betrays the trust of some or even all of their fans when they engage in hateful or abusive behavior. What, then, becomes of their art? Can people still appreciate it while maintaining their moral values?

This is a tricky situation, one toward which many people have turned their minds and pens. It raises even more questions as one unravels it: can art be separated from its artist? How much forgiveness should be allowed for ignorant mistakes? Should celebrities be held to higher standards than others? A fairly timely example is Harvey Weinstein—should people stop watching any movie he helped make now that it’s widely known what awful things he did to women? None of these questions are easy to answer, as it ultimately depends greatly on the individual consumer of the art to decide. Some people have a lot more tolerance for mistakes, others have a strict one-strike policy.

However, reclaiming the art from a flawed artist can be a powerful statement. One of the biggest benefits of consuming art is that the audience has almost as much power as the artist does. Was a book written by a homophobic author? What happens if you interpret the main character as gay, or all of the characters as gay? Once an artist puts their art into the world, people who view it can project whatever they want onto it, interpret it in whatever ways seem fit or poignant to themselves. This doesn’t change the perspective of the artist, of course, but it can help someone to maintain their appreciation for a work despite their dissonance with the artist’s opinions.

This being said, there must be a recognition of the limitations to the powers of audience interpretation. Consumption of art, even in a subversive way, still provides support to the artist and does little to challenge problematic views. The limits of the interpretive approach require that people be vocal about the problems inherent in various artistic works and that they know when to draw a line in the sand. It’s a tricky balance to strike, especially if the artist’s misdeeds were minor in nature, or if they claim to have learned from the past.

I have since learned more about the context of Sanderson’s homophobic comments. The blog post that started the discussion went up in 2007, and mostly discusses his reaction to Dumbledore’s then-recently revealed homosexuality. Beyond this, I also learned that in 2011 he posted a lengthy apology in which he stated that he had learned to analyze his own privileges and biases, and that he supported the rights of LGBTQ+ people. Though this doesn’t erase the fact that he did originally write homophobic remarks, and it by no means demonstrates a complete abandonment of his original mentality, it’s a big step toward helping the people he hurt regain the ability to enjoy his works. Of course, a verbal apology can’t heal all ills, and there are some situations where the actions on the part of the author remain unforgivable. These are the scenarios in which a work of art may not be separable from the artist and will always retain a certain shadow.

I don’t believe that this should necessarily keep people from enjoying the source material. It simply necessitates a conversation about the artist: yes this art is good and enjoyable, but one must be mindful about the person who created it. Such a rule can really apply to the consumption of anything. In the end, it is the consumer’s responsibility to be aware of the messages that they are supporting and spreading. In this way, the audience enjoying the art can also keep an attentive eye out for any areas in which the artist’s bias or negative opinions stain the art. No piece of art has ever been created by a perfect individual, it is simply up to the consumer to decide on their own litmus test of morality and then experience art at their own discretion.

I, for one, have found this conundrum to be challenging. I tend to have a low level of empathy for people who practice intolerance, but I also understand that celebrities are often held to unrealistically high standards. The line between art and artist is one that I am still figuring out for myself, and I’m becoming increasingly aware of who creates art and how they influence it. I think that everyone ought to have a conversation with themselves about how they would react to being disappointed or even betrayed by an artist they once loved, and how they might continue to interact with art that comes from toxic roots.  I know there are some artists whom I now refuse to support due to past acts they have commited: Woody Allen, Roman Polanski, Quentin Tarantino, and Nick Robinson are only a few, as the list is unfortunately long. However, I am also looking forward to finally reading the sequel to The Way of Kings, though with a bit more scrutiny in mind.