As a human gains power, the brain suppresses the empathy centers and loses the ability to consider the harm they do to others. Getting rich, famous or powerful makes your brain more like the brain of a psychopath.
All heroes are monsters.
This is exactly why a society has to regulate and progressively tax wealth which is the main source of power. The then need to use what they collect to have the best general experience for the populace. education, healthcare, public spaces, minimum income.
Stop idolizing famous people…
I knew Edgar Allan Poe was pro-slavery before I read any of his work.
I knew Ian Fleming was a racist.
It’s completely possible to separate the artist from the work.
Also, if you like Gaiman, acquaint yourself with his muse, Tanith Lee. Gaiman stole most of his best ideas and a lot of his writing style from her.
I have never heard of this of Poe. I know he was raised in a family with them. Did he speak out or something in favor or own any in adult life? All I can find is some interpretations of some of his works but folks don’t write their exact viewpoints. All authors have to write for the villian as well as the hero.
I never delved too deeply into it. I remember reading that “The System of Dr. Tarr and Prof. Fether” was considered pro-slavery.
But that’s my point. I know that Lovecraft wrote some really racist stuff, but I can enjoy his works, “degenerate Eskimos” and all.
My personal take is that if I can watch “Silence Of The Lambs” and not want to be like Hannibal, I can read pretty much anything.
I can understand why publishers won’t want to be associated with Gaiman now, but boycotting “Gone With The Wind” isn’t really going to help anything.
Well maybe let’s not “and all” the racist parts. You can still be critical of works you otherwise enjoy.
I think it’s easier to separate the art from the artist when those artists are long dead, like Poe and Lovecraft. It is materially more difficult when those people are alive and still benefitting from their works. This has been a big issue with JK Rowling for example, where consuming her media (book and movie sales, video games, theme parks, the new show, etc.) often directly benefits her and her transphobic crusade. Gaiman doesn’t have that kind of political baggage necessarily but it’s also understandable that people don’t want to support him in any way now. So, like, don’t trash your already purchased novels or anything, but also I think it’s perfectly reasonable to avoid Good Omens Season 3 if you want, you know ?
At this point I assume that literally anyone with some modicum of success is a secret nazi/pederast/abuser… . The ones whom we uplift because they’re wholesome simply have better PR (or luck) that they haven’t been found out yet.
There are a bare handful that are genuinely great people. Fred Rogers, Dolly Parton, Alex Trebek, and Keanu Reeves (so far at least) all come to mind. Still not perfect people, but no major scandals and they were/are generally a great influence.
It’s almost unfortunate, because it gets your hopes up for more.
