Recent revelations about Alice Munro, one of my favorite writers, are disturbing and made me think about how we view the relationship between artists and their work. No doubt, we can all name a significant number of authors, playwrights, musicians and other artists who engaged in behavior or expressed views that we found disappointing, if not deplorable.
The question is: can we still admire, enjoy and support the work of these artists while acknowledging such behavior or should we boycott their work despite their exceptional talent and creativity? In other words, how do we react when we disrespect an artist but love their work?
Some might suggest that "we are all human" and, perhaps for their own gratification, continue to support the artist. Others, unwilling to indirectly associate themselves with immoral behavior, eschew his/her work. While it is relatively easy to boycott a company based on their policies or products, the choice to deny ourselves the craft of an accomplished artist is far more difficult. We recognize that celebrity often spawns unrealistic expectations but it also may cloud our judgment.
