eksasol: Depends, if I found out my favorite youtuber is a pedophile, then I'm probably not likely going to watch them again.
Agreed, the details of the person in question and the specifics of their beliefs, actions or any controversies they are involved in enter into it. It also depends on the observer's own beliefs, values and convictions and other factors.
eksasol: ...
I don't believe in the concept that if you listen to Rage Against the Machine, you have to agree with their activism, that's called can't make your own decision. Or if you listen to rap you have to go shoot the police. That reasoning is the same as people who blame music and video game for sexism and violence. I listen to Hitler's bodyguard division band sometimes, because of the historical context (or something like that, bad example), it doesn't make me a Nazi.
I agree. It can be very difficult at times though too. There's a well known popular American heavy metal band that I would say I am historically a fan of. I had enjoyed their heavy riffs and their unrelenting sticking to form counter to industry trends over time throughout the 90s long after metal was supplanted by Alternative and other music in the mainstream they kept putting out heavier "fuck you" type albums that were just metal, metal and more metal, refusing to change their style whatsoever to adapt to modern trends. I really respected that and hoped that they would continue to do so, and they did all along until the band eventually split up some time ago.
The sad part is that just last year I watched some videos on Youtube where that band's well known singer was caught on camera saying various racist white supremacist comments that shocked and surprised me, then another video, and another one. Turns out he's just more or less a big racist prick, and that really affects me now going back and listening to their music now, as I hear the emotion in their music from a completely different angle. Not only that, someone with the conviction he has could not likely become friends and play in a band with all of the other guys unless they too had similar convictions or they would be diametrically opposed to each other on such a controversial topic. I don't have any direct knowledge the other band members felt the same way as he, but I have to assume some level of guilt by association, and even though they are not all with us anymore and they're no longer collectively a band for some time now - I now see their music in a way that is difficult. I still have some enjoyment of the actual music, but can't listen to it without thinking about it through a lens of the singer's racist viewpoints in my mind.
I already own any of their music I ever planned to buy, so it doesn't affect my decision making much going forward, but if they were still an active band, I would have to make a decision about whether I wanted to spend money on their art in the future, effectively funding a world view I disagree with, and I'm not sure I could do that in that case.
zeogold: ...
Can you still appreciate these things without being Buddhist, Catholic, or Hindu?
If so, then there's your answer.
eksasol: Buddhism is anything but anti-science, it's very logical system of reasoning imo. People turns it into 'religions' which isn't representative of the entire philosophy.
Indeed, Buddhism is a form of philosophy rather than religion, and it has much much more in common with science than with any religion. The Dalai Lama once said something along the lines (paraphrasing) "If science one day shows evidence that is contrary to what Buddhism believes to be true, then Buddhism must change.". The Dalai Lama himself is schooled in science, as are many of the monks and followers of Buddhism.
I myself am an atheist, however I do investigate and learn from the various beliefs and philosophies that others hold around the world, and as I investigated many such systems I was actually quite surprised to discover that even as an atheist I had more in common with the philosophies of Buddhism than not. I sometimes jokingly think that Buddhists are merely organized atheists in disguise. :o)
Unlike almost all of the world's religions and many other philosophies that make me want to barf in my mouth to listen to, I could listen to someone like the Dalai Lama, or Karmapa speak publicly for hours on end even through a translator and not only not get bored, but actually enjoy listening to them and even learn something or feel a bit uplifted by their positive attitude, temperance and tolerance of all other cultures and world views. I've definitely got a large respect for the Buddhists.
mikaua: ...
It's unfortunate that today's society has a tendency to put far too much emphasis on vilifying people who hold different beliefs than their own. I'm old enough to distinctly remember when it was much more acceptable to disagree without having to deal with an echo chamber of critics telling you how you should think without realizing the hypocrisy of it all.
It's more important to be yourself and not worry about what other people (particularly people that don't even know you) think. You can't please everyone and life is too short to waste your precious time on this marvelous planet with that nonsense.
So, in short, I would say as long as you are enjoying the work, you shouldn't let the fact someone thinks differently than you influence your enjoyment. Should that person's work start to shift toward being influenced by their beliefs you don't share, your dilemma will resolve itself since you would no longer enjoy the work.
This. Very well said.
zeogold: That doesn't mean I'm not going to read the works of Richard Dawkins thwater".
tinyE: He was great on "Hogan's Heroes". :P
Um, that was Richard *Dawson*. I presume your tongue hanging out is intentional word play on the name similarity though. ;) I don't think Richard Dawkins goes around kissing everyone in sight even though he too has a British accent. :o)