True. I’m sure there are a ton of famous artists with skeletons in their closets we don’t even know about. I was just saying personally for me, it’s hard to really enjoy their work afterward if it’s something really heinous.

I totally agree, but do you punish a person for their intent or the effect of their actions? Is involuntary manslaughter worse than attempted murder?

True, but it was an accident, albeit one that came about because he was not paying due attention to the Irish highway code at the time.

It’s deeply disappointing to me that it looks like Brett Ratner is going to get run out of the business because of sexual harassment, when he should have been run out of the business for having no discernible talent.

I agree with your points. For better or worse, art is a reflection of the artist (whether it’s subconscious or not). That’s why I think the whole “separate the art from the artist” argument is ridiculous. You can’t. Art is inherently a reflection of the person who made it. It can be filled with all their thoughts,…

I’ve definitely done shitty things in my past, and I hate the old me for it. I hope I’m better now, but good/evil isn’t just a switch you can flip. It’s a matter of growth and learning and actively trying to improve yourself.

Fingers crossed that Obama stays a decent human being.

I’m glad he confessed (because it means he can’t get away with it anymore). At the same time, the fact that he’s admitted to it kind of leaves you with a sick feeling inside if you’re a fan, since it more or less confirms the worst (at the very least it’s better than constant, pathetic denial). Still at least we live…

Plus, I think there might be some relief for the victims, because they don’t have to worry about being “believed” - people will now know they have been telling the truth this whole time. And I think that’s huge, because people love to bend over backwards to make excuses for someone they admire and amplify that tiny…

I’m not even a fan of Louie (I’m not a non-fan either, since I simply haven’t really followed his work). But I know many here are, and I feel bad for them as I do for one-time Cosby fans (again, I was mostly apathetic with respect to Cosby, and only really knew him from his 80s sitcom).

I completely agree. As much as I’d like to believe everything he says here, actions cannot be undone merely by words. Let’s see if he can be a better father, human, and advocate of treating women properly going forward (for a very long time), but until then he’s no better than he was yesterday.

I’ve always been extremely wary of putting anyone on a pedestal, but likewise I also feel uncomfortable about ripping people up entirely (with a few exceptions, Trump and Weinstein among them). The danger is that in doing the former we inadvertently create monsters who deserve only the latter.

Fun fact: in Canada lawyers *are* automatically excluded as a rule.

A large number of them seen to be famous, powerful and successful. Which makes me wonder, is their sexually predatory nature somehow linked to the skills/talents that made them famous, powerful and successful, or were they reasonable okay people before fame, power and success turned them into entitled scumbags?

I’m in the same boat. I didn’t think with any certainty that he was innocent, but I wasn’t going to believe stories from nothing but Gawker. Now we have women coming forward and that was all I needed. I’m really disappointed in Louis for this.

Me too. There are always a lot of rumors out there about famous people, and not all of them are going to be true — it’s always a weird position to be in, like, “do I just pretend I haven’t heard this nasty, unsubstantiated rumor and go on enjoying this person’s art like before? Or do I just assume it’s true and disown…

Yup, I was waiting for evidence. Now there is evidence and I’m very angry and sickened.

All they did differently is speak bluntly about what they have always dog whistled.

As a rule, no - but if you show any intelligence about the process (PROTIP: want to get out of jury duty? Mention “Jury Nullification” and I’ll bet you serious money you’ll get tossed on your ass), then generally either the defense or prosecution will dismiss you.