I've been wondering if Morrissey's recent comments about the Chinese are as deluded as they sound or are just an example of someone who has no true filter. They shouldn't be equated or compared to his PETA-like statements against meat-eating. I played The Smiths and Meat is Murder in the eighties as much as anyone, but I never became an uber-fan. The guy makes clever music, but that doesn't make him an intellectual. Do I shrug off Morrisey's dumb comments because I have in recent years, shrugged off Morrisey? It brings up the question, asked across the internet—how important is it to respect or be in line with the politics of an artist ones admires?
I know that I stopped watching Woody “the heart wants what it wants” Allen movies in the nineties after the whole Soon-Yi/Mia scandal. But the quality of his films had already receded long before he lost my respect. I have seen and liked Matchpoint since, but that's more because of Jonathan Rhys Myers than Allen.
Why should I care what an artist or celebrity does or believes? But somehow I think we all do. I didn't get deeply invested in the recent Polanski controversy. I wasn't interested in his morality or lack thereof—I love Frantic with its filming of the Parisian Statue of Liberty crowding into each shot as if to say, "I wish I was filming in New York." I also like his wack-a-doodle, but hard not to watch, Arturo Perez-Reverte/Johnny Depp mash-up, The Ninth Gate. And I have always loved Rosemary's Baby. But would I have signed his petition? Do I cut him more slack than Woody because I like his movies more? Hmmm . . .
As an artist I know that art and the artist are separate, but still somehow inextricable. A built-in conundrum that I feel when looking at an artist's work vs. the artist. A drawing I do can include imagery that some might find objectionable. But does that make me objectionable? Do I really dislike Eric Clapton's music because he lusted after George Harrison's wife and other stupid behavior, or is that just a convenient personal excuse instead of my saying outright that I just don't like his lazy-sounding voice and have never been the guitar-hero type? I haven't stopped watching Hugh Grant movies because of his infamous indiscretion.
I'm not sure whether this morally ambiguous opining will help me decide where I stand on the next celebrity scandal that comes along, or if I will even pay attention to it. But I do know that a lot of these questions would be moot if celebrities could simply do one thing. Shut up. Hear that, Morrissey?
3 comments:
Feelin' you on the shut up sentiment... I was trying to think of celebrities I can stand to hear political opinions from and I think the only one who's done it well is Angelina Jolie. Her journals from her UN missions are great.
http://www.unhcr.org/439d4ee52.html
But sometimes I hate her movies anyway.
Thanks so much for pointing me toward these - incredible. I guess the reason Angelina is not as annoying is that she puts herself into these situations, she's not just looking for attention. I wonder if she even likes her movies ; ) maybe they are just a means to an end. I will always have a soft spot for Tomb Raider . . .
Great post and love the police photos of Bowie. Now I have to google Morrissey & Chinese to see what he said. Luckily, I don't have to worry about this scandal too much as I somehow missed out on the whole Morrissey thing. I did question myself recently about my lack of moral outrage regarding Polanski, maybe I have always cut him some slack on the charges againsthim because of his wife being murdered in the most horrible of ways and the fact that LA seems like a place where teenagers act like adults. Hmm, probably not the soundest of ethical reasoning on my part.
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