"At the end of the day, there's no denying that the artists we support do influence our society, and vice-versa. So the question remains: Just how much should we let them get away with?" - Sonya Lustig
If you ever find yourself secretly dancing to Taylor Swift in your room or feeling guilty for wanting to buy a Miley Cyrus album, you might be one of the many people who've struggled with appreciating the work of an artist whose actions or words you don’t support-- otherwise known as a “problematic fave.” It seems that everywhere you turn, there’s another story about Taylor Swift's slut-shaming lyrics or Miley Cyrus appropriating black culture. Most people that consider themselves socially aware can see the problem with a white woman like Miley wearing a grill while she twerks and sings “To my homegirls here with the big butt shaking it like we at a strip club” in front of a row of black background dancers. That doesn’t change the fact that pop songs like Miley’s “We Can’t Stop” are created to be catchy and easy to like. It’s here that we reach the dilemma: Is it okay to continue enjoying the work of these controversial artists?
Before deciding if we should continue supporting these artists, we first need to come to a conclusion about whether or not they are, actually, “problematic.” The term “problematic” has many definitions, but one user on www.urbandictionary.com said it best when she explained it as, “A blanket term that describes any action that upholds a system of oppression for any oppressed groups. Most commonly used in social justice communities.” So in many cases, the question of problematic or not can be a harder question to answer than you might think. Take Kanye West for example.
Anyone who’s ever been outside before has probably heard about at least one of Kanye’s countless controversial statements and actions. These range from publicly endorsing Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson to interrupting Taylor Swift’s VMA acceptance speech to announce that Beyonce should have won the award instead. Kanye has also won 21 Grammy awards and earned 55 places on the Billboard 100 (the third most among all hip hop acts in history, behind Lil Wayne and Jay-Z.) He’s made sizable donations to 19 charities such as Doctors Without Borders and OxFam, and is often looked to as an inspiration for having earned such large success in his field, an example for many of Black Excellence. Contradictions like these are the reason why it’s so important to research an artist before deciding your stance on them.
Anyone who’s ever been outside before has probably heard about at least one of Kanye’s countless controversial statements and actions. These range from publicly endorsing Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson to interrupting Taylor Swift’s VMA acceptance speech to announce that Beyonce should have won the award instead. Kanye has also won 21 Grammy awards and earned 55 places on the Billboard 100 (the third most among all hip hop acts in history, behind Lil Wayne and Jay-Z.) He’s made sizable donations to 19 charities such as Doctors Without Borders and OxFam, and is often looked to as an inspiration for having earned such large success in his field, an example for many of Black Excellence. Contradictions like these are the reason why it’s so important to research an artist before deciding your stance on them.
So, what if after all that researching you end up coming to the heartbreaking conclusion that this artist just doesn’t represent your values? There are two common responses to this problem. The first is to simply ignore this information and continue enjoying the work of Justin Bieber, David Bowie, Allen Ginsberg, Bill Cosby, Woody Allen, or whoever it might be. This option, although easy, might not be worth the shame and judgement that might come along with purchasing Tyga’s latest album. On the other hand, swearing to never again indulge in the work of a problematic fave might not be the best solution either, as this person’s work could have a large amount of personal significance to you.
In a society that’s filled with varying perspectives and passionate opinions, it’s important to remember that there is not always a correct answer to every question. Despite how much we can convince ourselves that we’re right, many issues, such as the problematic fave, are nothing more than a matter of opinion. As glorified and idealized as they are, it's important to remember that celebrities are still humans capable of making mistakes. Some of the greatest minds in history, from Gandhi to John Lennon, have committed shocking offenses without ever having to face the consequences. Fame shouldn’t be used to excuse injustice anymore than it should be used to amplify it, but it is. So, where do you draw the line? Is it okay to forgive Miley Cyrus? What about Bill Cosby? Why? At the end of the day, there's no denying that the artists we support do influence our society, and vice-versa. So the question remains, just how much should we let them get away with?
In a society that’s filled with varying perspectives and passionate opinions, it’s important to remember that there is not always a correct answer to every question. Despite how much we can convince ourselves that we’re right, many issues, such as the problematic fave, are nothing more than a matter of opinion. As glorified and idealized as they are, it's important to remember that celebrities are still humans capable of making mistakes. Some of the greatest minds in history, from Gandhi to John Lennon, have committed shocking offenses without ever having to face the consequences. Fame shouldn’t be used to excuse injustice anymore than it should be used to amplify it, but it is. So, where do you draw the line? Is it okay to forgive Miley Cyrus? What about Bill Cosby? Why? At the end of the day, there's no denying that the artists we support do influence our society, and vice-versa. So the question remains, just how much should we let them get away with?
