Should Your Fallen Idols Be Completely Obliterated From Memory?
 

The Morgan Freeman scandal of allegations is just the latest in a long, long line of Celebrities who have become tainted by scandalous allegations or actually been convicted of scandalous crimes.

Worldwide Fallen Heroes include Kanye West, Roman Polanski, David Letterman, Bill Cosby, Mike Tyson, Kevin Spacey, and of course, OJ Simpson and Harvey Weinstein, while here in the UK we have Jimmy Saville, Gary Glitter, Rolf Harris and even George Michael among a long list of tainted celebrities.

My question is;

Is it right that former fans of such celebrities should still remain fans?

I realise, of course, that it very much depends on the severity and type of crimes proven or alleged, but I for instance, still watch Kevin Spacey films with enjoyment and I still listen to Kanya West and still enjoy watching old Iron Mike fights.

I could never abide Saville having met him several times in real life when I was younger so it is no loss at all that he has all but been totally obliterated from TV history - such as his many appearances presenting Top of The Pops and 'Jim 'll Fix It', but what about you?

Are there 'Fallen Heroes' whom you still watch or listen to?

My hero is a 'Law abiding Citizens' Kirk ,so I still watch with a clear conscience :laugh:

no last night i watched a steven seagal movie, even after the negative news i still like his movies

same goes for Morgan Freeman, i like all of the movies he's in

I worked as a DJ for a very long time before becoming ill, and I lost count of the amount of people who asked me for Glitter songs. It was always really awkward as obviously we had to refuse them but it always always caused a huge row.

I don't think anyone I listen to/watch has been convicted of anything. I don't know if I still would. If I really liked them I *think* I would still listen to them but not actually buy anything of theirs, so I was not lining their pockets. Maybe I could illegally download without feeling that little bit bad for doing so :laugh:

i think it depends on the severity of the situation or just you in general

however i HATE when people try to justify their idol’s clear wrongdoing

No because that'd mean I couldn't watch Spiceworld The Movie because gary glitter is a nonce

https://78.media.tumblr.com/8e19df7d...sbqzcx_500.gif

That is simply NOT FAIR

At this point it seems impossible to completely censor yourself from every shady person in Hollywood/music because it's trickled everywhere. Some musicians are called out now for displaying behaviours that were commonplace at the time / aren't as much of a scandal as they are now. Not that that justifies their behaviour but I think if you were to object to listening/watching everything that might have contained someone who once touched a woman's bottom without consent, you might as well delete your entire library of films and music :laugh:

Of course there are exceptionally bad people that're more than taboo. But even famous examples.... with Woody Allen, I can't bring myself to suddenly hate his movies that, even recently, I have loved (Midnight in Paris, Blue Jasmine, etc). Kevin Spacey: I can't bring myself to hate his House of Cards, American Beauty, Usual Suspects performances. Etc.

Most normal folk wouldn't expect fans to play a member of the jury, so I think fine to continue appreciating someone's work even after their reputations are ruined... if on the other hand fans want to retry someone in the court of public opinion after theyv'e already been tried, then they have to take the criticism with that... put it this way, if they're a convicted criminal, if they are working a job, they are still entitled to be paid... so the fans are still allowed to enjoy those works... they are aproduct of their labor... they just lose the status and possibly spokesperson gigs if the client needs a fresh clean face for an ad campaign, etc... but they are absolutely entitled to be paid for work they are featured in and their fans shouldn't feel too bad to continue enjoying those products.. it would just be difficult to see them as a role model.. but its not like we are associating with them on a relationship level or something... not at all the same.

Is this in reply to me saying I would illegally download their work so they did not get paid? :laugh:

I get most stuff that way anyway, just I would lose the ever so slight feeling of doing something bad and I could also use the excuse of their conviction when friends acted all shocked that I do not really buy music/movies :D

Morgan Freeman will always be my hero. In fact, since finding out about his antics, I've made a point of staring at women's breasts and making inappropriate comments, and if they complain, I say "So... What, you think you know better than Morgan Freeman? Don't be ridiculous."


....... But in most cases I think it depends on the specifics of the case.

What Morgan Freeman has done isn't as bad as what Spacey has done, which in turn isn't on the same level as Saville or Glitter. It's pointless and ridiculous to pretend that there aren't individual differences from case to case.

Gary Glitter was in spice world???!! :shocked:, I haven't seen that movie for years I didn't even realise.

The thing is its difficult to entirely turn your back on movies & tv shows you loved watching despite tainted celebrities (obviously depending on the severity of their crimes). But it's a weird situation but you can't completely avoid every program .

Otherwise you'll be in a situation where every time you hear a bad scandal about a celebrity you'll start worrying yourself trying to avoid everything they're in and really the task is near impossible especially with this list .

I wonder how many people still watch things with OJ Simpson it's messed up I know,but there's also a psychopath in the movie 40 year old virgin ( I never watched it but I think he's a famous Bollywood actor ) in real life he stabbed his then girlfriend/ wife several times it's a miracle she survived only just.

And just think how many movies we've all watched that Harvey Weinstein has produced or had a hand in .

Does anyone follow American football and is aware of Darren Sharper.

Brilliant player with a hall of fame career, only problem also a serial rapist who raped at least nine women in attacks that became more and more sophisticated as he grew in confidence. His stats are better than most hall of fame inductees so should he go in the hall of fame? It's a tough question.

I can easily enjoy Morgan Freeman movies but can't look at Spacey the same way if I'm honest.

that is one of those extreme instances that i would say no

a person like that doesn’t deserve it

If I can separate their work from them as a person then no. With someone like Kevin Spacey for example he's an actor so I'm watching a character, and I generally don't care about 'celebrity' anyway (I can't think of any celebrity that I idolise for who they are), so I have no problem enjoying a film he's in even if I have no interest in him, wouldn't be interested in watching him do an interview, or receive or an award or something for example.

Yeah while he's still in prison he should never even be considered

I was always a massive fan of Dr Dre and was inspired by how he turned into great businessman but I lost a lot of respect for him after watching ‘Surviving Compton’

Ha, no. I only read the OP and wrote that during a break. XD

I just connect the work of someone in a movie with a product/production... and any customer or client who pays to see/enjoy that product, they have every right to continue to enjoy that purchase.

Someone who becomes a criminal or develops a certain reputation... they just lose the ability to use their celebrity image for squeaky clean sh** or other sponsorships...

But I think it is *******ed up that we penalize people with criminal records by saying, oh you can't enjoy that privilege anymore... we won't buy your product. Ok, but the same folk then will say they believe that we should seek to destigmatize those who are trying to get straight or to rehabilitate themselves from that life... anyway, I think it is quite rare to find a celebrity who doesn't have issue with drugs, having some mental illness or being prone to word vomit... that kind of record or "blemish" on their record... that standard is quite unrealistic for a fair amount of people really...

So I just find that this is often a hypocritical position will take... but then also will say we need things like prison reform. I don't think because someone becomes rich and famous, they should be held to a higher standard... I think we're all human beings first and foremost... celebrity or not... what we think of them or about their personality, etc, without knowing their skeletons, it's all just an image right?...

I can understand though someone not wanting to continue supporting a certain celeb after having bought into an image (that fantasy...) and then not having the same connection to that product... that I think is perfectly understandable. But then the big picture is, you purchased that ticket or enjoyed that person's work... so there was something there beyond just the image... it isn't just an empty gesture... I don't think that way about my customers or clients who commission my work. I think it means quite a lot...

(Edit) Oh though I will say for things like mass rapes, etc... yeah, it's kind of hard to separate that from the product, as a woman... because of course, that conjures some really terrible feelings.. and if it makes you feel bad, then yes, don't buy that product.. but even then I think you can still justify it, because it's not like that one person was the only one who was behind that product... but if that perv on screen gives you nightmares, then obviously it would be equally wrong to force yourself through that bad feeling... there are some movies I won't buy or watch just because the person who is in them gives me a really bad feeling, so I can understand that... for sure.

Tom Cruise creeps me out. He always has, but with as much as I hate Scientology, it's like x1000 now... but that depends on the movie sometimes...

Yeah, separate the art from the artist.

I'm still having a hard time reminding my brain that Bill Cosby is the kind of monster disguised as a good guy.... like you tell your children... mosters and bad guys dont always look the part.
He was a big part of my childhood positive father figures... and the adjustment is hard. It helps he isn't in any current media or shows.

I've never liked him for some reason. So I can easily separate the citcom from his criminal persona... so interesting how that works really...