Bad People, Good Art: What Now?

Some amazing pieces of art have been made by some amazing pieces of shit. Just as great people can make something bad, awful people can sometimes make something good. But how do you approach the work of these folks? The most recent round of questioning arises in the wake of the horrible allegations and behavior that’s come to light about Justin Roiland. Can people still enjoy Rick And Morty or are they being complicit in Roiland’s heinous acts? Can art have a morality passed onto it by its creator? What is the audience’s responsibility in these matters?

These are just some of the questions that are delved into, along with philosophical insights from history, with this video from Wisecrack. Host Michael Burns (working from a script by Amanda Scherker and Corrigan Vaughan) discusses various approaches to the question of morality as it pertains to artist and if people can truly remove the art from its creator. As the synopsis reads:

Ever since news broke about accusations against Rick And Morty co-creator Justin Roiland, there’s been renewed debate about whether we can separate the art from the artist. But does an artist’s immoral acts actually make their art immoral as well? And for that matter, can art itself even be moral? Let’s find out in this Wisecrack Edition: Can We Separate the Art from the Artist?