By Ryan Afable
What would you do if your favorite singer or author got into a controversy or was found out to be a horrible person? Would you still read, listen, or watch what they do, or would you stop? This has been a question that many people are starting to think about.
The first artist is Jack London, who was an author who has made famous and beloved books such as Call of the Wild and Sea Wolf. Jack London went through many hardships in his childhood. London joined the Socialist Party. He advocated for political assassinations, and many of his writings seem to show that he was a white supremacist. In 1916, London sent a letter to a friend which said, “Civilization at the present time is going through a Pentecostal cleansing that can only result in good for humankind.” In his essay, Salt of the Earth, he tried to argue that someone that is white can kill anyone of color for the greater good.
Another artist is William Golding, who is most known for his book Lord of the Flies, in which a group of boys are stranded on a deserted island. It shows how quickly they turn to a more animalistic nature. In an unpublished memoir, Golding said that the story was rooted in a real experiment he did in his class where he got 2 different groups of boys and made them fight. Then he said that the reason there are no girls on the island is because “this has nothing to do with equality at all. I think women are foolish to pretend they’re equal to men—they’re far superior, and always have been. But one thing you can not do with them is take a bunch of them and boil them down into a set of little girls who would then become a kind of image of civilization, or society. That’s another reason why they aren’t little girls.” He also tried to engage in inappropriate actions with a minor while he was 18.
The next person is Kanye West, who is a music artist that is known for songs like Stronger and Heartless. He has been a very controversial person. In 2011, Kanye went under fire for something he said at his concert in England. He said, “I walk through the hotel and I walk down the street, and people look at me like I’m (expletive) insane, like I’m Hitler.” He has discussed his antisemitic views. Kanye also praised Hitler in an interview with Alex Jones, who is a radio host and a prominent conspiracy theorist.
The final artist is the late rapper XXXTentacion. His whole career was covered in controversy. He was highly abusive with his girlfriend, leaving marks. The worst was when he hit the side of her face, fracturing her jaw and nose and fracturing her eye in 2 places. He was violent towards other people and received many assault and battery charges.
When it comes to artists, many of them have been clouded in controversy. These are only a few examples. It makes you wonder when you have to draw the line.
beniciapaw.com 