I should just qualify this statement by placing a caveat here: this does not include in any way that **** Watkins. What he did is unforgivable and he should and hopefully will burn in Hell, if it exists. There are no mitigating factors to his crime. None.
But that said: I think often, for me at least, the question can also be one of historical or present, let's call it bad behaviour, hereafter referred to as bb, cos I'm lazy. If the bb took place when the artist was young, ie before he or she became famous, then perhaps (depending on the bb in question) for me, it might not matter as much. Similarly, if the bb occurred AFTER the person's career had ended, again, maybe not so bad. I'm not trying to downplay the crime, not in any way, but if I can listen to the music knowing the person was not engaged in that behaviour when they wrote or sang that song, then it isn't as hard to take. Gary Glitter is a perfect case, although I don't particularly like his music. He was famous in the 70s but only, so far as I know, started travelling to the Far East for underage sex later in his life. So I can listen to his music (if I have to) knowing he was not engaging in this sort of bb when that music was around.
Varg, too. While I can't excuse or condone what he did, I find it uplifting that he was able to compose such fine music while imprisoned. Rather than fume and plot and look to the day he'd be released and would reoffend (I don't know if he did or not) he spent his incarceration doing what he loved, killing Jews, I mean, making music. Sorry. So that for me kind of softens the blow.
I guess I'm lucky, in that most of the bands I listen to are boring and safe, so it's unlikely that Rick Wakeman or Peter Gabriel are going to rape anyone, but if they did, I would then have to think seriously about what that meant. However, enjoying their music for so long I think that I might be able to get past any bb, again depending on how serious it was.
__________________
Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018
|