When musician Kanye West made several inflammatory remarks against Jewish people on his Twitter account, it undoubtedly signaled a turning point in his career. Crossing this threshold has created a serious point of self-reflection for his millions of fans and corporate sponsors.
Companies like JPMorgan Chase, Adidas and Gap Inc. have cut ties with West following his anti-Semitic statements and his other recent incidents, like the controversy surrounding his “White Lives Matter” attire at his Yeezy Paris fashion show.
The first question fans and critics alike are asking is whether or not to continue to support him. Enjoying West’s music while knowing about his ideals is chiefly human behavior, hinging on our unique values and judgments.
Bradley student Patrick Collison weighed in on the topic of separating the art from the artist in regard to West’s fame and recent scandals.
“I think that to a certain extent, yes … you can like what they do as an artist and then not like what they do as a celebrity and that’s fine,” Collison, a sophomore mechanical engineering major, said. “You’re not really [individually] hurting Kanye that much. He’s still going to make money either way because people are still going to listen to his music … I don’t think it really affects what Kanye is going to do.”
On a large scale, separating the art and artist makes all the more sense, as no one person can avoid how interconnected and interdependent our world has become.
Here, it is clearer what the choices entail, but weighing them against each other comes down to the individual.
Many will continue to enjoy West’s artistry even if their image of him is tarnished. Just as our economy keeps companies in business after severe wrongdoing, there will be fans who still listen to West.
