Does a musician being a complete asshole ruin thier music for you?

[Kidthorazine]

Im not talking about just having a general rockstar assholish attitude, im talking about the musician being like a total prick or a racist or homophobic or something even if it doesnt come out in thier music, for example, im freinds with this guy who grew up in the 80s DC hardcore scene, and he has this outstanding hatred for anything related to Ian Mackaye, and he haes everything hes ever done, not because the music is bad (hes even said that some of his music is pretty good) but because he thinks Mackaye is a racist homophobe and that he ruined the DC hardcore scene. also heard people bash the Dead Kennedys because of the behavior and attitude of Jello Biafra. So i was wondering what your take on this sort of thing is? Personnaly i dont really care about that as long as they make good music, and think that hating someones music based on thier attitude, beliefs and actions is kind of stupid and immature.

[GnArKiLL]

How is it stupid and immature? If i hate someone for the douchebag things they believe in or do or say of course im most likely going to hate their music just because theyre involved. Would you like hitler if he had an angelic voice and sang of pretty flowers? Hey its good music right?...
On the other hand, hating a person because of the type of music they play, THAT is immature.

[Kidthorazine]

if Hitler happened to make excellent music, i wouldnt bash it, i probably wouldnt listen to it, but i wouldnt say that it sucks just because the guy who made it was evil, i prefer to judge music by how good it is and not by the person who made it.

[GnArKiLL]

well i guess thats where we differ cuz i also prefer to judge music for what it stands for

[Billy_longbrownhair]

well i guess thats where we differ cuz i also prefer to judge music for what it stands for

I have to agree. There's more to a song than just the artist who wrote/sings it...

[Kidthorazine]

well i guess thats where we differ cuz i also prefer to judge music for what it stands for

What the music stands for? or what the artist stands for? because that can be two tottaly different things.

[Billy_longbrownhair]

Now I have to agree with Kidthorazine. The artist and the song can be a conflicting, ummm, wow, you know these pain pills make it hard to think.....
Conflict of interest?

[Lady Alias]

Spring time for Hitler.

[Amelia G]

I've close to stopped listening to music since moving to Los Angeles. Having seen how the sausage is made has made it taste much less good.

[Morning Glory]

music is supposed to be more than just sound, it's the expression of the person that makes it. maybe I'm naive, but I think that music is a sincere for of art.

so short answer, yes.

I mean i love brenden kelly even though he's a total drunk loser, but he writes songs about how it sucks that he's a drunk loser and it fucks up his life. instead of some band that shall go unanmed that are total drunks and they wrote straight-edge songs talking about how drinking is bad and that we should all say no and shit like that.

[Morning Glory]

also I don't think that it's fair to single out Ian mkay and say that about him, you have to realize he's a middle-class white kid from DC. and his atittude about it is the same as anyone elses that you'll find on the street, the general population is racist and homophobic, they just don't realize it. we live in a country that says all human beings are equal and that has to seriosuly question whether that should include gays and women, and doesn't seem to have a problem with the fact that 1/3 of all black people are going to be sent to prison.

[Kidthorazine]

well i just used that because it was example fresh in my mind, and at least accore\ding to some of the people ive talked too , hes a total shithead, for that and other reasons, that im not too clear on, whats important in this context is that some people dont like him for those reasons (weither they are fair or not)

[Satiate]

well, i will say this...

there's a few artists that i've met before i heard their music, and i will refuse to listen to it because they are assholes (racist, etc. ie, i'm part "black," though i look "white") there's even more examples where i've met musicians who've sang about politics and people's rights, then when i've met them they spent the entire time grabbing my goodies and being such a sexist jerk, that it made me feel that their lyrics were just written for the hell of it, not because they really believed in it... and i'll be honest, people who are like that, turn me off and i refuse to put a dollar, that i worked hard for in their hand...

it makes me feel like i'm feeding THEIR machine... why am i paying for another cd or another tour for someone who doesn't appreciate the people who listen to it? i much rather put that dollar and the energy into someone who appreciates it and well, is good people... i much rather that those types of jack asses don't get any success even if they are incredibly "talented"...

i think what makes someone a true artist, is someone who truly believes in their craft... not the fans... i don't create my own art to make anyone happy but myself... and well, if i did something to offend someone, well, i wouldn't blame them if they refused to give me any money for my art... if you don't get me, i've pretty much convinced, you won't get my art either... which i feel is nothing but an extension of myself... because, well, i'm not a poseur...

i mean, if i had a choice to spend $20 on a cd by a band that i've hung out with that i think are super great people and super talented, i'd do that EVERY time over spending it on a poseur or a bigot or a racist... in fact, if i couldn't find a talented band with those great qualities, i'd probably stop listening to music all together... and i'd spend that $20 on something else, like cheese...

i believe that you should practice what you preach and stand behind your beliefs, if you don't, don't be upset if no one wants to buy into it...

but i'm also the jack ass at the party or at the end of the bar, who's decked a few of these types of racist, bigot, sexist pigs when they've run off at the mouth... and i refuse to throw my drink on them, because i thought that's just a waste of money...

who'd thought i was so materialistic?

[LoraLie]

First off, when it comes to music i'm not too picky really. I listen to a lot of crap

But well, there are a lot of artists that have done things that I do not agree with, but if I like their song, I wont let my personal opinion of the artist affect how I hear the song.

But really, I dont know. haha. Cause there are a FEW that I do not listen to cause I cant stand the PERSON.

I'm just odd. But really I dont normally let my opinion of the artist affect how I hear their music.

If its good, I listen. end of story.

[Morning Glory]

yeah, speaking of DC hardcore, a lot of people made a big deal about Bad Brains being a homophobic group, even though none of thier music says anything ant-gay. apparently the context is that in the 90's, years after most of their popular albums were released, the singer made a comment that was negative towards gays in an interview and then from what I hear later apologized for it and admitted that he was wrong and would try to be a better person in the future.

so it brings up some good questions like, at what point is it acceptible to be an asshole and be forgiven?

and if a person wrote some music, presumibly being the kind of person that you like and respect, and then later on they become an asshole, does it not change the perspective of that music? or is the music inveriably always tied to the person that makes it and the context of when it's made is irrelevent?

[Morning Glory]

also, anyone who hates the dead kennedys because of biafra is a douche bag. first of all the music of dk was jello and so it's not like they were saying one thing and he was saying another. if you think that he's gone too far and you just like listening to music and want to ignore any social change or action, then that's you're perogative, but that's not what Jello was trying to accomplish. and if you hate him for breaking up the dk well that's jsut dumb, they wanted to make lots of money and merchandise all thier shit and basically do everything that jello was opposed to, and so that's why he doesn't want to have anything to do with them. so he'll continue to fight the system in a real way and all the kids can go out and be punk rock by buying dead kenndies air freshners and wall scrolls and all the guys that never wrote any of the music in the first palce can buy new cars.

[Mr Karl]

if I like a cd I buy it and listen to it, I couldn't really care less who I'm supporting

I also couldn't care less who assembled my appliances either

on the other hand jello biafra is a douchebag... that's why the deadkennedys weren't mediocre

[Kidthorazine]

also, anyone who hates the dead kennedys because of biafra is a douche bag. first of all the music of dk was jello and so it's not like they were saying one thing and he was saying another. if you think that he's gone too far and you just like listening to music and want to ignore any social change or action, then that's you're perogative, but that's not what Jello was trying to accomplish. and if you hate him for breaking up the dk well that's jsut dumb, they wanted to make lots of money and merchandise all thier shit and basically do everything that jello was opposed to, and so that's why he doesn't want to have anything to do with them. so he'll continue to fight the system in a real way and all the kids can go out and be punk rock by buying dead kenndies air freshners and wall scrolls and all the guys that never wrote any of the music in the first palce can buy new cars.

Actually according to several other people (and the widely accepted story that most rock journalist use) is that the DK brole up because Biafra was being greedy and witholding royalties form the band, and then later he treid to get all of his fans to donate so he could sue them for playing as the dead kennedys again, the veiw of most people is that his actions really do go against some of the stuff that he sang about.

[Mr Karl]

well the dead kennedys and jello are getting old

[Kidthorazine]

yeah they are.

[OliX]

no, it doesn't ruin their music for me...
...except that I don't like Michael Jackson anymore... not that I liked him before, but there was a couple of good remixes on his songs

[Buster Friendly]

i think glenn is a sourpuss of a smurf, but i still dig the misfits.

on the otherhand some of the most amazing music i've ever heard was coming from folks who's philosophies are completely anathama to me, so i despise their shit... it's kind of hypocritical in a way, but fuck them, i'd have no problems with blowing holes in their faces.

...miles davis was a real jerk too, but that man was a genius...

don't mind me. jet lag.

[Nudemuse]

To me it really depends. If I know said musicians personally and know for an absolute fact that the person is an asshole (as with writing/etc) I probably won't support their art.

If it's in the news or people around the way so so and so is an asshole that's less likely to have an impact. It really varies to me person to person.

[Velvet-Tongue]

It does a great job of making me less likely to support the artist.

[Morning Glory]

Actually according to several other people (and the widely accepted story that most rock journalist use) is that the DK brole up because Biafra was being greedy and witholding royalties form the band, and then later he treid to get all of his fans to donate so he could sue them for playing as the dead kennedys again, the veiw of most people is that his actions really do go against some of the stuff that he sang about.

yeah maybe.. but the fact that jello doesn't have anything to do with DK today, that he has made it very public that he doesn't want to have anything to do with them, that he runs his own music label and plays in other bands, while the other members of Dk continue to tour and play as the dead kennedies and sell DK merchandise- it kind of seems to refute the notion that jello is trying to capitaliaze off the kennedys against the wishes of the other members.

[Amelia G]

yeah maybe.. but the fact that jello doesn't have anything to do with DK today, that he has made it very public that he doesn't want to have anything to do with them, that he runs his own music label and plays in other bands, while the other members of Dk continue to tour and play as the dead kennedies and sell DK merchandise- it kind of seems to refute the notion that jello is trying to capitaliaze off the kennedys against the wishes of the other members.

I thought Jello Biafra was a puss for years because he used the excuse of not wanting Jello Biafra to be his real name as why he dropped out of politics.

But I think it is very hard to sort out who is telling the truth when punk rockers start calling each other money-motivated. I would tend to agree with your interpretation.

Group projects are so depressing. When you like a band or a company or anything like that and you like everyone involved because you think the whole thing is cool . . . and then they all hate each other and you are left not knowing who to like or think is cool.

I used to live in a group house called Cambodia after the DK song.

[Morning Glory]

I guess this is going off topic cuz we're going into the "I hate so and so because they are a sell out". as opposed to "I hate so and so because they actually are a repulsive asshole, not just because they did something that goes against my own business ethics and which may or may not have anything to do with there own business ethics or what they were trying to achieve musically."

[Amaltheas_Attic]

I stopped listening to Mystikal after he was involved with that gang **** of the disabled woman (that he videotaped, what a moron!) That was just way too much for me. I really had enjoyed some of his stuff, but that was more than I could stomach.