🎧 Roger Waters, "Amused To Death" Thanks to @YouInMyEye for putting this one in my mental queue. It's hard to separate Waters' extremism from his art. He looks at war as an assault on people, so his politics are guided by body count. That being said, ATD, to my ears, is his ultimate anti-war/anti-capitalism statement. One has to respect his dedication to the want for a better world. Lyrically, musically, and production-wise, it's a triumph.
@MPCavalier @YouInMyEye
I have an issue with Mr Waters as well but there have been a couple cases where I had to separate the art from the artist and I do want to listen to this
@Idissent @YouInMyEye
No argument there. As I age (quickly) the list of artists from which I must disassociate myself personally in order to still enjoy their art gets longer. John Lennon, Pete Townshend, Lou Reed, Waters, Mike Portnoy, and on. It's a slippery slope sometimes. As recently as 2021, there was a band I LOVED and I had to stop even mentioning them in conversation because it turned out their main person was a horrible (read young and stupid) user of people. Yeah, it sucks.
@Idissent @YouInMyEye
And I'll admit a lot of it is trying to set an example for my kids. My boys are enormous Kanye fans, and we are Jewish. And we had that conversation, about art vs artist. Where's the line? At what point is your personal ideology offended to the point where you have to say "fuck that guy, I'll listen to this other thing instead". I guess we are lucky to live in a time where art is abundant AND available at the click of a mouse.
@AskTheDevil @MPCavalier @YouInMyEye
We each do what is right for us
@Idissent @MPCavalier @YouInMyEye Eh, some people clearly do what isn't right for them, but it's their free will.
@MPCavalier @Idissent @YouInMyEye I don't like to listen to the music or absorb the art of people who I know are assholes.
First, it becomes tainted to me, and I enjoy it less.
But I also know that music and art carry messages and influences with them, that move us and change us.
I don't want to put any more contaminated bullshit into my head than I have to. I already have to live with ads and news and vitriol from "leaders".
I don't want Bad Guys' music in my head.