I am someone who enjoys a wide variety of art. Whether it’s music, movies, writing, comics, architecture, podcasts, video games, websites, I love to consume the gift of creation and creativity.

Over the last few years I have increasingly found myself conflicted about my enjoyment of art made by certain individuals who years after the creation (and my enjoyment) either put themselves forward for something truly heinous (Zionism) or are pulled up for something truly awful (grooming and preying on women).

It upsets me because I want to distinguish the art from the person, but honestly that is simply not possible. I can’t enjoy anything by Neil Gaiman. Jerry Seinfeld can go fuck himself. Warren Ellis was always a douchebag, amazingly he now plays an even bigger one. Honestly the list is very long.

The latest person on that list is someone I have recently been following, Scott Galloway. His admission of being a ‘raging Zionist’ was so heartbreaking. To come out to be fully supportive of what is happening in Israel and be proud, just made all the other stuff he’s said and written to become tainted and now seemingly worthless?

Can you untangle someone’s behaviour or core moral beliefs from their output?

I don’t think you can.

The action in and of itself doesn’t take away from my appreciation of the work at the time but it ruins my relationship with the work after the fact.