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All Your Faves Are Problematic: Can We Cancel Art? #SydneyWritersFestival. Estelle Tang, Ashleigh Wilson & Osman Faruqipic.twitter.com/VYapTRTNql
The phrase of "canceling" is a way for ordinary people to express frustration when an artist engages in harmful behaviours. But they don't have power to end careers (executives do). Instead, they are signaling their expectation for that artist to change. Estelle Tang
What is the impact of "cancel culture" when an artist may lose public support, but their influence is pervasive across other works? In only a few cases, artists are erased from film, or have their music/art removed from public access. - Ashleigh Wilson
What are other options for living with a problematic artist? Do I continue listening to past works, but refuse to go to concerts or buy new works? Is there a difference between consuming the art and enjoying the legacy, versus financially supporting them? - Osman Faruqi
Does it come back to how personally invested we are in an artist? White cismen are more forgiving of artists like Woody Allen using phrase "Let's separate the art from the artist." But Allen has NEVER separated his work from his public persona. Why should we? - Estelle Tang
(Notable that references to R Kelly by panellists address whether or not they are engaged with his music. None of the panelists are Black women. Black women have been working to raise awareness for Kelly's victims. Race, gender + power hasn't yet been usefully addressed)
GREAT question from the floor: The discussion has focused on the artist. What about the victims? Disappointing panel answer reflecting lack of awareness that cancel calls are a form of advocacy for victims AND other survivors. Victims an afterthought in today's discussion
Audience Q&A is frustrating. Question: Isn't it bad to edit racism from past works, such as in Huckleberry Finn, when those works reflect "the values of their time"? White people who think racism was at one stage acceptable are enacting whiteness. Panellists did not pick this up!
Question: maybe "tortured artists" need to go through "darkness" to produce great art? Ashleigh Wilson: No - this myth excuses inexcusable behaviour. Applies to veneration of Brett Whiteley given he was addicted to drugs (Disagree. Addiction not same issue as violence, bigotry)
Panel ended. Should've been a greater focus on HOW so-called cancel culture arose & the fact that minorities & White women bear a huge cost of this work, trying to shine a light on power & injustice.
Finally, it is BIZARRE that panellists ignored discussion of Junot Diaz given
1/ He's a writer. They're all writers. We're at the Writers Festival
2/ Diaz's sexual harassment was exposed at last year's #SydneyWritersFestival by a young Black woman writer, Zinzi Clemmons
Clemmons was shamed by this very audience when she called out Diaz during his talk. As a fellow guest of the Festival, she took a great risk exposing him. The treatment she received at that moment demonstrates why "cancel culture" is not without consequence for those affected
WOW... this sounds incredibly frustrating all round. I would have loved to see a victim of an abusive artist on the panel! (Preferably a woman of color...)
Yes, it was a shame because the rest of the discussion was very interesting. But towards the end, when they had the opportunity to speak meaningfully on victims and survivors, the conversation faltered. Voices & perspectives definitely missing.
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