Thursday, October 22, 2015

Your idols are assholes

Lou Reed was a colossal jerk. My word!

He was an abusive asshole. That's not surprising, but disappointing. Still, I could have done without the heavy moralism of the commentariat. I know this isn't particularly popular in activist circles, but you can and should enjoy art made by problematic artists. And no one should have to apologize for it, nor try to rationalize it. People suck. Sometimes brilliant people suck. A good chuck of your favorites probably suck.

The decision to stop listening or reading or watching someone's movies because they're an abusive prick is admirable only in a superficial way. Not watching Polanski movies or listen to Lou Reed's music anymore makes one feel morally superior, but does nothing to help rape or abuse victims.