The Work of Artists and How We Assess Them Given Behavior, Statements and Allegations about Them

Yes, I am back to this topic..

I am getting more than a little annoyed at some friends of mine who seem to be deliberately shunning the real topic based on some possible aspect of it.

"I won't say ANYTHING about Woody Allen," whines one writer friend of mine who should know better. Nobody said he had to write SPECIFICALLY about Woody Allen, Roman Polanski, the Righteous Brothers, the Everly Brothers or the Andrews Sisters for that Matter -- what we are talking about is something totally different.

Nor did I say they HAD to talk about any specific artists's comments on topics which they do not want to touch with a ten foot pole, like Alice Walker on Israel as " an apartheid state," or people who say Hamas is " a community service organization."

 I DID finally get through to one of these refuseniks and then he happily obliged me with some fine observations ( and didn't have to say a word about Hamas, for instance).

Well, at least writer and pal of mine Craig Bayer "got it", right away. I like what he has to say here, he writes with great eloquence, I feel.

Walls and Bridges 
by Craig R. Bayer

I was watching some 1980's music videos and coming on almost back to back were pieces by Paula Abdul and George Michael,
two disgraced artists, neither of whom are among my favorites . but to both of whom, nevertheless, I have to give credit where credit is due.   

Abdul got into trouble because she is an alleged drug abuser and because she allegedly lip-synched some of her biggest hits.

George Michael publicly embarrassed himself by getting arrested in a public park for getting a "BJ".

In the case of Abdul, I'm hoping that she played at least some role in the song " Forever Your Girl" , because whoever wrote it and sang it did an excellent job and the combination of the cute lyrics, riveting melody and Paula Abdul's seductive dancing add up to a refreshing video.

As for George Michael, his "Careless Whisper" combines a nice song and a fine video. I also like a couple of other George Michael songs.

But the point I am making about both these artists -- and good or great artists in general, is that you can't take away their accomplishments once they've been achieved.

I'm not saying that great artists should be above society's rules and above the law, but I do believe that a great, and better yet, sustained contribution to the human race should lead to public rehabilitation of a disgraced artist, provided that the artists ceases his/her socially unacceptable activity , expresses genuine remorse for it and public apologizes ( and does time, if he/she has broken the law).

 I feel the same way about public figures, intellectual figures and other major contributors to humanity and history.

If you condemn a great person and higher works permanently, you are cheating him/her, yourself and the human race of inspirational achievements.