SehanineMoonbow
Explorer
Separating art from the artist is a conversation that is being had more and more these days (such as around the song, "Baby's It's Cold Outside"). As the OP said, we are all hypocrites to some extent. Sometimes I think it comes down to "picking your battles", so to speak. For dead artists and the "classics" we now understand (or at least, I hope) they're problematic views/actions, etc. We can learn from them.
For living artists, such as Rowling, for some it is a matter of, "Is the artist earning royalties if I buy X?" Not going to lie, I was of the HP generation. I aged with the characters, and, as a dyslexic, I can say that those books changed my life. I still love HP, but I'm not going to lie, learning she was an outspoken TERF was a blow to me. HP has meant a lot to youth in the LGBTQ+ community, as well, and it can be devastating to learn the creator of those works doesn't actually have your back.
It does not mean you have to stop liking Harry Potter (or whatever the work is), but I do think we need to be aware. This does not mean digging into the social, religious, or political views of every author (for example) we read. Many authors use their works to express their viewpoints to some extent, whether it's overt or more subtle. However, when an author uses their works to project their dislike for a certain group, whether that's religious, gender, etc, then it can become problematic. I believe that representation in literature is important. This does not mean every single book has to have it, but there is a difference between simply not writing about characters who are on the spectrum, and writing about them but having them be the villains or the character who is somehow "wrong".
For living artists, such as Rowling, for some it is a matter of, "Is the artist earning royalties if I buy X?" Not going to lie, I was of the HP generation. I aged with the characters, and, as a dyslexic, I can say that those books changed my life. I still love HP, but I'm not going to lie, learning she was an outspoken TERF was a blow to me. HP has meant a lot to youth in the LGBTQ+ community, as well, and it can be devastating to learn the creator of those works doesn't actually have your back.
It does not mean you have to stop liking Harry Potter (or whatever the work is), but I do think we need to be aware. This does not mean digging into the social, religious, or political views of every author (for example) we read. Many authors use their works to express their viewpoints to some extent, whether it's overt or more subtle. However, when an author uses their works to project their dislike for a certain group, whether that's religious, gender, etc, then it can become problematic. I believe that representation in literature is important. This does not mean every single book has to have it, but there is a difference between simply not writing about characters who are on the spectrum, and writing about them but having them be the villains or the character who is somehow "wrong".
