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I’m Listening to Kweli and Cole because I can separate the art from the artist.
My favorite artists are walking contradictions, but I don’t want to stop listening to them.
Every few days we get a news report telling us about a scandal involving a celebrity. Sometimes it is someone we admire and sometimes it isn’t, but what comes up daily is whether we can separate the actions of the person from the person. Those who say we can often yell about how “cancel culture” is destroying the fabric of society by not allowing people to have flaws or make faux pas. Still others say that certain actions reflect that person’s character which we may judge and then hold them “accountable” for it.
I always find myself stuck in the middle of this argument. On one hand, I hate how public opinion is being used to determine someone’s ability to work and earn money for their family, especially when it is almost impossible to know what makes people upset or uncomfortable. As society develops, we go through stages of progressive thought and that changes the social contract of what’s permissible. But I also feel as if a lot of conservatives cling to this idea to justify being bigoted. Telling people they can not demonize people because of their sexuality, religious preferences and political affiliations isn’t an example of mob…
