Black People : can a bad person create good art?

[jamesfrmphilly]

the Cosby case raises the question : can a bad person create good art?
is the art work a separate entity from the artist?

many artists are not good people. do we reject their work?

 

[KMeister]

the Cosby case raises the question : can a bad person create good art?
is the art work a separate entity from the artist?

many artists are not good people. do we reject their work?

Absolutely a bad person can create good art. However, today we judge not only at the art but the person as well. This often includes the individual's appearance, significant other, social/political beliefs, background, etc. The media makes it difficult to judge an artist for his/her art alone due to merchandising and packaging. For example, Bill Cosby wrote a book about fatherhood that sold very well because he portrayed a good father on a fictional TV program. Comedian Paul Reiser (the star of "Mad About You") has written successful books about family life because he portrayed a good family man on TV.

It's difficult for many of us to separate the person from the art. My wife used to be a big Tom Cruise fan until he split with Nicole Kidman amid rumors he was carrying on with Penelope Cruz. I'm a big fan of actor Sir Michael Caine. Would I still be a big fan if I discovered he was a member of a white supremacist group? Perhaps not.