Lincoln Michel

Indrapramit Das @indrapramitdas.bsky.social [ View ] Jul 08, 2024 at 15:39 UTC

The person in the screenshot wouldn't agree, but this (the screenshotted take) is exactly the kind of thinking that leads progressives to circle right back into fascism and its anti-art characteristics.

2 replies 37 reposts 139 likes

Lincoln Michel @thelincoln.bsky.social [ View ] Jul 08, 2024 at 15:28 UTC

I make no judgement there! There are artists I've stopped consuming because of their acts, certainly. Especially if they're living, and it would be financially supporting them.

1 replies 0 reposts 14 likes

Lincoln Michel @thelincoln.bsky.social [ View ] Jul 08, 2024 at 15:20 UTC

I am operating on the belief that how one acts in the world determines ones morality, yes. I don't think we can ever know another person's thoughts.

2 replies 0 reposts 8 likes

Lincoln Michel @thelincoln.bsky.social [ View ] Jul 08, 2024 at 15:17 UTC

Not sure what you found insulting in my post above? I didn't speak down to you. But I don't think you've provided any reason to believe that, for example, the majority of horror writers must themselves be immoral people who have committed immoral acts.

1 replies 0 reposts 12 likes

Lincoln Michel @thelincoln.bsky.social [ View ] Jul 08, 2024 at 15:12 UTC

This is what I mean. It is not the case that the majority of crime writers, horror writers, and so forth are themselves violent people in real life. Writing "dark" work but not committing evil acts is the norm. It isn't the exception.

11 replies 14 reposts 183 likes

Lincoln Michel @thelincoln.bsky.social [ View ] Jul 08, 2024 at 15:10 UTC

We do disagree, but an additional disagreement is I think there's a difference between what one thinks about what how one acts in the world. In truth, 99% of people consume quite a lot of violent art (video games, action movies, etc.) and I don't think that means 99% of people are violent + immoral!

1 replies 0 reposts 9 likes

Lincoln Michel @thelincoln.bsky.social [ View ] Jul 08, 2024 at 15:06 UTC

ha true but if he had talent he'd be a great artist who explores their own ego and insecurities in art. Many such cases!

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Lincoln Michel @thelincoln.bsky.social [ View ] Jul 08, 2024 at 15:05 UTC

Being preoccupied with violence does not mean you yourself have committed violent acts. There are countless action directors / crime fiction writers / horror artists / etc. in the world and most are not committing violence in real life. This is the norm not the exception.

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Lincoln Michel @thelincoln.bsky.social [ View ] Jul 08, 2024 at 15:02 UTC

I'm talking about Alice Munro fwiw, but applies to anyone.

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Lincoln Michel @thelincoln.bsky.social [ View ] Jul 08, 2024 at 15:01 UTC

It's totally fine to avoid the work of artists who've done immoral things. But I'm saying you can't divine an artist's nature from their art. Who read Alice Munro and realized she had done such awful things? The art isn't a guide here is what I'm saying.

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Lincoln Michel @thelincoln.bsky.social [ View ] Jul 08, 2024 at 14:58 UTC

I'm not making a judgement about what one should do when one learns of an artist's failings. (There are artists whose work I avoid now.)

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Lincoln Michel @thelincoln.bsky.social [ View ] Jul 08, 2024 at 14:57 UTC

If artists can veil themselves so easily in their art, doesn't that amount to what I said initially? I doubt anyone read Munro's work and would have guessed her actions. I don't disagree it can be a getaway car. But the fact remains you can't guess the artist's morality from the art.

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Lincoln Michel @thelincoln.bsky.social [ View ] Jul 08, 2024 at 14:51 UTC

None of this is to say art exists in a moral vacuum. Great art does not "cancel out" an artist's immoral acts. It's that the quality and themes of art are not an indicator of a person's morality and can't be used as a guide to guess who is or isn't moral outside of their art.

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Lincoln Michel @thelincoln.bsky.social [ View ] Jul 08, 2024 at 14:47 UTC

I certainly did not say art exists in a moral vacuum. I said there isn't a connection between morality and the quality of art. Alice Munro created beautiful works celebrated for the empathy and herself did horrible things. You can't have guessed it from her art, nor does the art cancel out the acts.

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Lincoln Michel @thelincoln.bsky.social [ View ] Jul 08, 2024 at 14:38 UTC

Similarly, there's no connection between enjoying art and morality. Reading happy, hopepunk work doesn't make you a good person. Enjoying dark, and challenging art doesn't make you a bad person. We are all drawn to create and consume art for many indiscernible and unknown reasons.

2 replies 48 reposts 301 likes

Lincoln Michel @thelincoln.bsky.social [ View ] Jul 08, 2024 at 14:36 UTC

It was inspired by the discourse around Alice Munro actually (very awful if you haven't seen) but also just a general thing you see a lot on here.

2 replies 1 reposts 51 likes

Lincoln Michel @thelincoln.bsky.social [ View ] Jul 08, 2024 at 14:27 UTC

People really need to give up the idea there's any connection between morality and art. Immoral people are capable of creating moving, empathetic art. Nothing about writing dark and violent art implies the artist is themselves dark and violent. Etc. There just isn't a connection.

18 replies 177 reposts 694 likes