Have you ever loved a song but hated the singer? Or read a book only to learn the author is a terrible person? Moments like these are conflicting, and push us to separate the person from the things he or she creates. This is called separating the art from the artist. For some, it is easy; for others, it is difficult. But the question we must answer today is: how do high school students do it, if they can at all?
When the discussion of separating artists from art was brought up to senior Katie Tisoskey and junior Michael Eder, they both admitted to listening to controversial artists. Tisoskey listens to Zach Bryan, who “cheated on his girlfriend and [treated] her poorly.” Eder listens to Pantera, a band with a “lead guitarist [who is] known for supporting confederate states.”
When asked why these two listen to these artists, Eder admires the band’s “guitar solos and overall soundtrack,” claiming that it is both “very heavy” and “orchestrated.” Tisoskey “really likes [Zach Bryan’s] music,” and “doesn’t think about his background,” while listening.
Eder only thinks about Pantera’s controversy when on social media, considering “many people joke about it online.” But despite this, Eder believes, “just because someone might not be… correct with their views, does not mean they are not extremely talented.”
When asked to what extent Eder would go to support a controversial artist, he states that, “it depends if they are too radical in their ideas.” Freshman, Danny Guicheteau shares his perspective that, “to really appreciate art is to only focus on the art itself,” adding that one needs to “forget the artist” to “enjoy it.” Tisoskey believes that “everyone listens to controversial artists… some people just don’t talk about it.”
