Should We Separate the Art From the Artist?

Think Tank #108

I’m a big fan of The Smiths. I've written about them before. Morrissey’s voice is unique; his lyrics are pin-sharp. The band is just really good.

I don’t often extensively research the artists that I like. I browse Spotify, put on an album, and that’s pretty much it. This makes me come across as a bit of an old geezer when it comes to ‘pop culture,’ though—a fact I was once again acquainted with when my young, hip brother-in-law who also likes The Smiths told me that Morrissey is actually a pretty controversial figure.

Yes, I think a lot of you know what I am about to say…

Cue the drumroll…

Morrissey is vegan.

It’s okay if this is what your face looks like right now—it was my reaction, too.

Yes, hold onto your hats, folks. It’s true. The man who wrote “Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now” and “Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others” is a hardcore animal rights activist. I guess the album Meat is Murder was kind of a dead giveaway, huh (no pun intended)?

I don’t know if I can look at him the same. All the dry hamburgers I’ve eaten at hipster cafés with “Back to the Old House” playing in the background, all the whole-milk cappuccinos I’ve guzzled while subtly nodding my head along to “This Charming Man”—little did I know, the man whose mellifluous voice I was admiring so innocently would’ve scorned me for my choices.

What’s more, he’s not even one of the tolerable vegans, who can whip you up a nice kale salad with orange slices and soy goat cheese or whatever. He only eats bread, pasta, potatoes, and nuts. Yes, he proudly refuses to eat food with any sort of actual taste. This is the kind of thing that gives British food a bad name. The guy’s walking around half-malnourished, and what’s more, he gets pissed if you even call him ‘vegan.’ It’s absurd!

Needless to say, I will never be able to listen to this band the same way again.

And he professes it so blatantly! Oh, the humanity.

Alright, alright. This was a joke (and not even a very good one).

It begs an important question, though. Why do people idolize celebrities? And why should we care what our favorite musicians think about anything?

It’s such a strange thing. In theory, a professional musician is a person who sells their music. If you like it, you buy it, and that’s where the transaction ends. Who cares what kind of person they are in their personal life?

Well, some people argue that they do not want to financially support a contemptible person regardless of how irrelevant these views are to the product they are selling. Recall the Chick-Fil-A scandal in 2012 (was it really twelve years ago??) when the CEO vocally opposed same-sex marriage.

As a side note, may I recommend PDQ, a quality (koala-T), gay-friendly chicken joint. (Ahem, PDQ, I understand that this is not exactly advertiser-friendly content, but look what controversy did for Chick-Fil-A! We’d still love that sponsorship).

Boycotts aside, the most compelling argument I can think in of in favor of caring about a musician’s political views is that a celebrity’s ‘product’ isn’t merely the art that they sell you, but their personality. Morrissey isn’t just a collection of sound bites on Spotify—he’s the charismatic guy onstage and the answers he gives to interview questions. Is it really possible to separate the art from the artist?

The answer, of course, is that it depends. It depends how badly offended you are by the artist’s controversial opinion, and it depends whether the art (or product) can be enjoyed without the ‘offending viewpoint’ creeping in.

This is all kind of a moot point, anyway. Smiths fans are very rational about this. It seems like the consensus of the vast majority of them is that Morrissey is a jerk, but that they like the music anyway.

So, why did I write this?

I don’t know, really. “Meat is Murder” came on shuffle in my liked songs this morning, and I thought it would be funny. Also, I’m curious as to your opinion.

Do you care about your favorite artists’ politics? Or are you just interested in the music?

Thanks for reading. I know this has the potential to be a controversial one—I’d love to hear your opinions in the comments, but please keep it civil.

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