I’m an aspiring director, so my idol is Alfred Hitchcock. I’ve always admired him, and I hope one day, I can make a film similar to his. However, as I learned more about him, I realized that he wasn’t the best person. He would often make his actresses feel uncomfortable, flirting with them and being generally creepy.
As a feminist, I know this isn’t okay, and it makes me sad to know that one of my favorite people is a creep. But sometimes, that is the reality. People we admired growing up can turn out to be bad people. However, it’s okay to still like them, it’s okay to still recognize the fact that they were an influence on you.
For me, I can say, “Alfred Hitchcock’s films made me want to write movies with high tension and interesting characters. However, he didn’t treat his actresses well, and that isn’t okay.” You can still enjoy someone’s work while acknowledging the fact that they aren’t a good person.
A more serious example is Bill Cosby. I’ve heard some people say that he’s the reason they learned that black people can be funny or have successful careers. However, it is well known that he drugged and raped several women, which is disgusting.
He isn’t a good man, and he deserves to be punished for what he did. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t still appreciate his work and acknowledge the fact that made a difference in comedy. You can do this as long as you also acknowledge the fact that he is a rapist.
We can’t help who we admire. One of the big stars of today could turn out to be a terrible person later on in life. It happens, people change, they do things that many can’t imagine. But we can’t rewrite the past. I can’t just stop loving Hitchcock’s films. I don’t have to like him as a person, but I will always love his work. I can’t erase the impact he’s had on me as a filmmaker. But I can acknowledge that he is a creep, and that what he did wasn’t okay.
Every celebrity has a part of them that may be a bad characteristic. And as their fans, we should notice these flaws and accept them. We should stop thinking of celebrities as perfect. Why has it become so bad to say “I like Taylor Swift, but she’s a bit of a white feminist”, or “David Bowie was a cultural and musical genius, but he’s been accused of sexual misconduct”? It’s perfectly fine to admire someone for their work, as well as acknowledge their flaws.
You may say I’m supporting rapists, or I’m supporting people who do terrible things. But I’m not. I don’t support Hitchcock’s attitude towards his actresses. I would never support Cosby’s rapes. However, I cannot erase what they have done in their fields. I cannot erase the impact they’ve had on people. There’s a difference between support and appreciate.
Supporting someone means that you’re behind them 100%, you don’t care what they do, you’ll always love them and you’ll always stand by their side through whatever they go through. Appreciating someone means that you like their work, you understand the impact they’ve made, but you also understand how they aren’t perfect, and they may not always be a good role model. I appreciate Hitchcock. I don’t support him.
The line becomes blurry when it comes to buying their work. With Bill Cosby, he’s still alive. If you buy a Cosby Show DVD, that money still goes to Cosby, so you’ll be supporting him. With Hitchcock, he’s dead, so buying a Psycho DVD doesn’t support him, it supports the studio and whoever holds the rights. Use your best judgment when thinking about purchasing something made by someone who has done some terrible things.
In conclusion, don’t feel guilty if you’re inspiration was a bad person. Just acknowledge the the fact that they aren’t perfect, that they did something wrong, and that it isn’t okay. You can’t help who you are impacted by. But you can decide weather you will support them no matter what, or weather you will just appreciate their work.
