Separating the art from the artist - or not

I feel like this sub is one of the few safe corners of the internet, so I want to open up for a discussion about this topic because I'm interested in hearing the different journeys you are on. I very much respect the people in here as my impression is that you all embrace that facing the misogyny in our society is a long journey that we've all had to take, so I hope we can share our experiences with this in a safe matter.

Okay, here is my journey with separating art from artist - or not, and I invite you to share yours too.

Growing up, I was a huge Tim Burton fan. I loved everything he created, even when it was objectively questionable. I remember not really liking Dark Shadows, but still watching it twice in the cinemas just because I supported his work. I loved his art for some reason, probably because I also felt like the outsider kid who gravitated towards the gothic aesthetics of it all. This obviously also meant embracing JD, and Helena Bonham Carter, as they were a package deal. I loved their trio.

I grew out of Tim Burton's world eventually, but it is no doubt that it was a part of my childhood. However, since I'm not that into his films anymore, I didn't find it hard to forget them and boycott the whole crew after learning about their personalities. I've discovered new movies and filmmakers who align much more with my values and interests in recent years, and I'm able to embrace those instead. When the JD allegations started, I cut out all his films and didn't have a problem with it.

However, I struggle with music.

Classic rock, hard rock and metal are my favourite genres, and unlike Tim Burton's movies, music has played a much bigger role in my life consistently. Navigating classic rock is a minefield of morally corrupt people, and boycotting misogynistic artists pretty much means discarding 90% of the music I've loved.

I struggle with the realisation that a lot of the men I grew up admiring would not respect me as the grown woman I am today. How do I tell that to my child self? How do I tell my inner child that her favourite musicians would see her only as an object once she hit puberty? How to I tell the little girl who dressed up as Alice Cooper for Halloween that he probably doesn't respect her today?

There is a sour taste in my mouth now when I consume the music I used to love. It feels like I have to give up a huge part of myself in order to align myself with my current values. Losing music has been a heartbreak, but I am also not able to enjoy a lot of these bands and musicians like I used to. It is a journey I am on, and I am still figuring out how to navigate it.

Thank you for reading, and I would love to hear what your experiences are and how you have navigated them. It sucks that we have to live in a society where consuming art by respectable people means boycotting most of the entertainment and music industries.