PartinsShot: Does An Artist's Demeanor or Actions Affect Your Opinion Of Their Material?

Mort. 04.04.14	no, my perception of an artists character does not affect how I perceive their art
SeaAnemone 04.04.14	yes obviously and it does so for everyone to some degree because music does not exist in a fucking vacuum where outside factors have no influence
Relinquished 04.04.14	it's more offensive if they are boring cuz it would most likely show in their music
Wafflez 04.04.14	Usually I don't mind. There are certain exceptions though. Also, what did 7 do?
menawati 04.04.14	dont care, unless they lie about dynamic range
BMDrummer 04.04.14	Not usually. A lot of times, I'll be more offended my the music someone makes than what they say.
BloodSweatandBeers 04.04.14	no
zakalwe 04.04.14	Should they think their stuff is godlike when in actual fact it's humdrum as fuck definitely has an effect on my overall opinion. The same as anyone who isn't true to themselves, it comes across in their 'art' whether it be album or performance and just stinks of cobblers as it's so see through. Integrity is key, arsehole or not.
WellFedWhiteMale 04.04.14	Generally more concerned about the tunes. But, Corgan's obnoxygen can be irritating.
sapient 04.04.14	Only if their music sucks, then the pretentiousness just adds to the suckage
climactic 04.04.14	usually not in the case of 1 [which already sucks], the dudes pretentious faggotry only makes it worse
titanslayer 04.04.14	Half the time I don't even know the names of the members in a band, so no it doesn't affect my opinion
StallionMang 04.04.14	To a certain degree yes
EvoHavok 04.04.14	Not really, but 7 would affect it.
Mort. 04.04.14	"Ian Watkins (or baby fucker) is the only person that has made it possible for me to not even attempt to listen to his music. " yeah but being able to listen to someones music, and having an opinion on it are two different things I feel the same way in that im now unable to listen o Lostrprophets without it just reminding me of what Ian Watkins did, but it hasn't affected my opinion on the quality of their music
Calc 04.04.14	If i've already started listening to them and I like it then no, if I haven't and I hear something then yes (like Burzum)
Lord(e)Po)))ts 04.04.14	of course my opinion on an artists demeanor affects my opinion of their music to some degree. anyone who says it doesn't is full of shit. this doesn't mean it has a huge detrimental effect but yeah, of course it plays a role.
Lord(e)Po)))ts 04.04.14	@calc wtf are you talking about, everything i've ever heard about varg makes me want to like burzum even more. and i already love burzum.
Relinquished 04.04.14	u like that he murdered?
Lord(e)Po)))ts 04.04.14	do i like that he stabbed a crazy motherfucker to death with shards of glass in self defence? totally
Kalopsia 04.04.14	the answer is no.
Mort. 04.04.14	"of course my opinion on an artists demeanor affects my opinion of their music to some degree. anyone who says it doesn't is full of shit" why is not possible to separate your opinion of the artist from your opinion of the music. I thing jonny craig is an utter shithead, I don't let that get in the way of enjoying DGD. Kanye West is arguably a prick, I still enjoy his music. Morrisey is a pretentious cunt, doesn't change my opinion on the smiths how is someone full of shit for claiming theyre able to separate their feelings on the artist from the art itself? I certainly feel im able to do it.
conesmoke 04.04.14	Would you stab someone in the head if you truly believed he was going to kill you is the real question quishy baby
conesmoke 04.04.14	And agreed prime, fuck you seaanemone
neurisis17 04.04.14	I think as long as the artist isn't broadcasting beliefs that offend me through their music, I'd say no. Although, being an asshole musician kind of deters my interest in their art.
Calc 04.04.14	"@calc wtf are you talking about, everything i've ever heard about varg makes me want to like burzum even more." it's more like there's too much music out there anyway so when I hear someone is a murderer who burns down churches or whatever cuz they offend him, I just nod and move on.
NordicMindset 04.04.14	it depends on the person
conesmoke 04.04.14	Well that's just not the case if the person was heavily involved with birthing a genre. Does it prawn.
Lord(e)Po)))ts 04.04.14	@mortimus if you read what i said more carefully you'd notice i said that it doesn't necessarily have a detrimental impact. you are assuming that your opinion being affected by an artists demeanour has catastrophic impacts and that if someone in the band is a douche you will hate them even though their music is good which is not what i said even a little bit. music is composed of many factors that all impact how you perceive it and how you enjoy it. only one of those many factors is the music itself. other factors include the messages the band conveys and what they stand for (you will like a band more if they stand for something that you relate to), their live presence, their execution, and a shit tonne of other things. these all impact your opinion on the band whether you like it or not. just because you think someone is a piece of shit doesn't mean you are gonna hate their music but it certainly will affect your enjoyment of their live setting and audience, and the messages that they convey. especially if this attitude that you dislike is reflected in their lyrical content. for example, i may think whatever shitty christian metalcore bands music is decent but if they are getting all preachy it will effect my enjoyment and make me less inclined to listen to them even if the music on its own appeals to me. also when you meet an artist you enjoy and they turn out to be super humble and nice dudes that makes you like that artists music even more because it builds rapport and can help you identify with it better. again, whether you think you're doing it or not, this does have an effect, it just varies in degrees and doesn't always need to be catastrophic, but we are on the internet so everybody assumes everything needs to be completely black and white and there is no room for shades of grey
neurisis17 04.04.14	Has everyone seen "Until The Light Takes Us"? Excellent documentary about 90's black metal in Norway that explains in great detail the lore behind that scene. Although Varg was convicted of some church burnings, I'm pretty sure he was just influencing others (inadvertently?). But I may be misremembering some details.
TheSpaceMan 04.04.14	yeah its why I tend to not take a lot of rap seriously tbh
Lord(e)Po)))ts 04.04.14	i just think its silly to think you are 'above' letting things like this affect your opinion when it is one of the many many very important factors that make up the whole of a listening experience. enjoying music is so much more than just "i like the music on its own objectively stripped of all other influences and factors that have an important role in the make up of the medium"
Relinquished 04.04.14	no thanks
MoosechriS 04.04.14	not really, although in the case of ian watkins i cannot listen to the lostprophets without instantly being reminded of his crimes. On the other hand i listen to burzum tons and Varg killed someone. Crimes aside though and just going on attitudes i would probably say i'm not that bothered. I listen to a fair amount of black metal which has more than it's share of dodgy characters (especially within the NSBM scene). In terms of the list i think Liturgy's music blows shit, Hendrix being a douche is just funny. Kanye is an egotistical prick but the guys puts out some kinda cool music (not a massive fan particularly). Omar and Cedric can be dicks all they want as long as they keep doing what they've been doing i don't give a toss.
Kalopsia 04.04.14	any of the bad publicity that Michael Jackson got didn't take away from the fact that he made some of the best music ever... for me anyway
Mort. 04.04.14	@potsy fair enough, Its just I guess the reason I immediately went for examples of artists people generally dislike is because its not usual you hear "hes so nice and that's why theyre good" its usually "eurgh no how can you like insert hated artist here hes a prick" "for example, i may think whatever shitty christian metalcore bands music is decent but if they are getting all preachy it will effect my enjoyment and make me less inclined to listen to them even if the music on its own appeals to me." true, but then you are judging them by their music. I think what your saying is that if a band expresses opinions/views in their music that you find morally offensive/idiotic etc it will effect your enjoyment. I agree with this. but this is an example of the artists "Demeanor" (or whatever we want to call it) being expressed through the art, and it effecting your enjoyment. I agree this is unavoidable and probably much harder to avoid. what I was referring to however (and probably didn't make this clear enough) is that an artists demeanour doesn't necessarily effect your enjoyment of their art because their views may not be expressed through the art. For example, with jonny craig, everything hes ever done that hes been criticised for has no bearing on his music and therefore even though I don't like him, I still find myself able to not let my view of him affect my enjoyment of his art. With Lostprophets, Ian Watkins is hated for something he did, that remains totally unconnected to his music. Do you see what I mean?
Amphoteric 04.04.14	It doesn't at all. Even though I don't agree with racism, I can listen to NSBM if the music is good. However, while Hunter Hunt-Hendrix is indeed a giant douche, that doesn't change the fact that his music is shit. It would still be shit if he was the nicest guy in the world.
Lord(e)Po)))ts 04.04.14	well again you are taking it as a make or break and not just a factor. its not "hes so nice and that's why theyre good" its more "he's so nice and that is one of the reasons that i find their music relatable and enjoy them more" and no thats not just judging them by there music, half the time you can't even understand what they are screaming about anyway, but when you find out their christian and you are a person who doesn't relate to that religion at all even if u cant understand their preachy bullshit, it is a factor that comes into play on your enjoyment. same with christian metal fans who can't listen to satanic stuff even tho they can't understand a word they are saying. and yes i see what you mean but again, i disagree in saying that its completely separate. again its not a detrimental factor but it has effects (to varying degrees from person to person). for you those two examples may not influence your feelings at all but you still aren't free of the impact of other factors we have been discussing as you said so yourself. going back to the satanic metal thing, if you are atheist that probably isn't gonna bother you whatsoever but as a devout christian of course it will. and for me knowing things jonny craig effects my experience because it strikes a chord with me (i won't get into what, its personal and not sputnik appropriate). and i just straight up won't even listen to lostprophets regardless so i cant really comment on that example at all haha lol
Lord(e)Po)))ts 04.04.14	that was @mort of/c
Mort. 04.04.14	"and no thats not just judging them by there music, half the time you can't even understand what they are screaming about anyway, but when you find out their christian and you are a person who doesn't relate to that religion at all even if u cant understand their preachy bullshit, it is a factor that comes into play on your enjoyment. same with christian metal fans who can't listen to satanic stuff even tho they can't understand a word they are saying." well I don't really know what to say to this because I am someone who has a general distaste for Christianity but I just don't feel like ive let that get in the way of enjoying all the Christians bands I do enjoy. im not really sure how I could argue my point any further to be honest. you make a pretty strong argument, well done anyway, thanks for actually making your points without calling me something offensive or bringing up my ratings
Lord(e)Po)))ts 04.04.14	@mort well again, i don't think it needs to be detrimental (although it can be for some). i have a strong distaste for christianity too. but back when i listened to metalcore and really hated christianity with much angst i still listened to a bunch of christian metalcore bands. so yeah, i agree for sure. i guess my main point is that the topic of this list is just another factor in the sum of the parts that is the musical experience as a whole, and what affects one persons enjoyment may not affect another's enjoyment but there are still things for that other person that would effect theres. And I also feel that denying that kind of detracts from the experience of finding artists that you relate to on every single front, which can be a pretty overwhelmingly amazing experience. you know, those times you stumble upon a new artist that is just right from every angle, in everything that they stand for, their musicianship, their attitudes, the emotive elements etc etc, that full experience is when you tear up and totally lose yourself to the music. and no problem dude i like good discussion like i like a good pasta, and your taste in music is irrelevant to the topic at hand anyways!
ScuroFantasma 04.05.14	If I had lostprohets cd's, i would burn them
NordicMindset 04.05.14	Maynard can be a tool at times (pun intended) but I still call Aenima my favorite album
ScuroFantasma 04.05.14	If it's just an attitude problem then it probably wouldn't affect my opinion much, but if a member of the band was actively engaging in seriously fucked up activities or supporting them, it would.
SeaAnemone 04.05.14	like I said at the top potsy is completely right and people arguing with potsy is completely wrong "why is not possible to separate your opinion of the artist from your opinion of the music. I thing jonny craig is an utter shithead, I don't let that get in the way of enjoying DGD. Kanye West is arguably a prick, I still enjoy his music. Morrisey is a pretentious cunt, doesn't change my opinion on the smiths how is someone full of shit for claiming theyre able to separate their feelings on the artist from the art itself? I certainly feel im able to do it. " because you're making a slew of crazy assumptions. just because you don't hate music x because artist x is a dick and you are aware of it doesn't mean it doesn't affect the art / your experience and interaction with it.
BlacKapes 04.05.14	no, i still jam lostprophets first 2 cds for nostalgias sake. i almost never care how shitty their personalities are, unless it translates to the music. not like you have to invest yourself in their lives. mozart was a shitty shithead probably
treeqt. 04.05.14	look girl's day for example are ugly sluts so i don't listen to them but their music is also awful so i don't even miss anything so yeah that's that
BlacKapes 04.05.14	yeah usually if the artist is ugly i stay away bc it prob sucks
SeaAnemone 04.05.14	"no, i still jam lostprophets first 2 cds for nostalgias sake. i almost never care how shitty their personalities are, unless it translates to the music. not like you have to invest yourself in their lives. mozart was a shitty shithead probably " yes but to the extent that art is an extension of the artist it still AFFECTS your experience of the music if you know about the artist yes, you're being affected if you go "I don't listen to Lostprophets cuz that guy is dumb." BUT it's also being affected if you go "I know about how dumb the guy from Lostprophets is but I choose to listen to them anyway." you're still being affected; nobody is saying you have to boycott an artist for it to really count, lolz, not sure where people are coming up with that idea
BlacKapes 04.05.14	how can you say that it still affects MY experience of the music if i know about the artist? im not sitting there thinking man ian watkins is a shitty shithead while im listening to them
silentstar 04.05.14	I think ppl are going off tangent - the question wasn't whether it affects your listening experience but rather 'Affect Your Opinion Of Their Material' which is different, because you can generally view an artist's music in an objective view while you cannot view your experiences as such. using lostprophets since they were mentioned - you could still think that their music is good (??), while not listening to them because of the lead vocalist. there's a difference between how you experience something yourself and how you view something that does not necessarily involve you
ScuroFantasma 04.05.14	You certainly don't have to boycott an artist just because you disagree with their personal lives, the message they send or their beliefs, but there are just some kinds of people that I would rather have nothing to do with, including pedophiles. I'm not about to go listen to the creative mind of someone so twisted when I can easily listen to music of equal or higher quality from normal musicians.
SeaAnemone 04.05.14	again, you're just exaggerating what "affect" must mean, for some reason nobody is saying it has to be at the center of your attention but it has without a doubt played some sort of -if very small- factor in your experience with it like I said, music isn't produced and listened to in a vacuum. that's not how music works, bruh. there's probably a million other things that affected your interaction with it, too. like when you first heard it. the weather when you listen to it. how nice of a day you're having when you listen to it. the album art. whatever. all affect your interaction with it. not sure why this is a conversation I think it's pretty obvious -- people just insist on exaggerating the meaning of "affect" to ridiculous degrees for some reason.
treeqt. 04.05.14	"yeah usually if the artist is ugly i stay away bc it prob sucks" word man ugly people are the worst
Ending 04.05.14	I do my best not to but if I'm close to being indifferent to it or at the "maybe I need to give this another try" point then it can discourage me from attempting to enjoy it further. Sometimes though it does definitely affect how I perceive their work and I can't overlook it. For example I can't listen to anything by 7 anymore (I didn't listen to them much at all in the first place though). But for something like 5 the relationship works almost competitively; on MBDTF, I hear some of the most daring hip-hop music to come out of a major artist durings its time but with such good music comes me (for whatever reason) perceiving Kanye as more of an asshole. So I guess it just depends, really.
BlacKapes 04.05.14	ok, well then it doesnt sway whether or not i like their music to a significant degree in any way that i notice (once again, unless their personality translates to the music). is that better?
SeaAnemone 04.05.14	yea that's a little more logical thx
Insurrection 04.05.14	not even a little
Lord(e)Po)))ts 04.05.14	"like I said, music isn't produced and listened to in a vacuum. that's not how music works, " good way of summing up a lot of the points itt that i agree with/have indicated myself
ArsMoriendi 04.05.14	Billy Corgan is a douche, but The Smashing Pumpkins' 90s albums are still all excellent. So I guess demeanor really doesn't matter. Kanye West can go fuck himself. LostProphet Guy should be rung through a meat grinder.
Lord(e)Po)))ts 04.05.14	dont u ever talk shit about my yeezus u frittata lookin motherfucker
tempest-- 04.05.14	sorry pots but u said "anyone who says it doesn't is full of shit" but dave mmustaine is like my most hated dude in the world i seriously fucking hate that guy so much but rust in peace is my fav album ever and i can listen to megadeth fine without giving two dicks about dave queefstain
Lord(e)Po)))ts 04.05.14	@tempest well go read all my arguments or there is no point in talking cuz im not going to reiterate them when they are all itt already
Lord(e)Po)))ts 04.05.14	because i already addressed what you are saying like 5 times
titanslayer 04.05.14	pots I know nothing about the personal lives of any of the musicians I like, hell I don't even know what most of them look like, or know their names. So I really don't think this would effect someone like me in any way.
tempest-- 04.05.14	ah k just started reading the thread and saw that cbf reading more lol
BlacKapes 04.05.14	man dave mustaine is a ginger i mean holy fuck can you get any worse than that
MaggieG 04.05.14	I'm still able to listen to Lostprophets despite what Ian Watkins did. Don't get me wrong; I think he's sick and disturbed and it's good to see that he's rotting in prison. But it doesn't detract from the fact that they were a great band (for me anyway). Billy Corgan isn't as serious as he isn't a pedophile. He's just an asshole. Likewise though, I still love Smashing Pumpkins.
Deviant. 04.05.14	There's really nothing new to be added to this discussion that hasn't already been covered by Potsy, but yeah it's crazy to think that in some subconscious way the antics (or lack thereof) of the the artist(s) involved aren't subtly influencing the listener. Would Burial's music evoke such emotion and mystery, would his interpretative mythology, be so powerful if he was handing out interviews to NME every 5 minutes? Probably not - the lack of identity only adds to his music. On the flipside, Zomby won't shut up, and yet he still has the power to create such an aura around his music. I'm aware of his arrogance, but it doesn't create a predisposition, it's just something that exists beyond the immediate experience
Lord(e)Po)))ts 04.05.14	"Would Burial's music evoke such emotion and mystery, would his interpretative mythology, be so powerful if he was handing out interviews to NME every 5 minutes? Probably not - the lack of identity only adds to his music." perfect example
Lord(e)Po)))ts 04.05.14	"pots I know nothing about the personal lives of any of the musicians I like, hell I don't even know what most of them look like, or know their names. So I really don't think this would effect someone like me in any way." that is an extremely fallacious argument.
BlacKapes 04.05.14	yeah this is a discussion and its all opinion, and there are far too many variables to make an absolute like you are. sorry pots but you dont speak for every human being and you cant prove it
Lord(e)Po)))ts 04.05.14	relax steam boy all ive been doing is having a friendly discussion with some people and sharing my opinion. i never claimed to speak in absolutes and never tried to provide objective truths, i just argued my belief on the matter respectfully so cool your fucking jets.
Lord(e)Po)))ts 04.05.14	besides i've never even addressed you once in this entire thread
BlacKapes 04.05.14	but your logic is flawed to begin with as you assume that an artists demeanor must affect you in some way is true when there are so many variables (like you may not know who the artist even is besides the name of the band, etc) and youre trying to push that flawed point when its an opinion to begin with. im not mad, just a bit annoyed, lets let this die bb
Lord(e)Po)))ts 04.05.14	uh, no, i have over and over again commented on the multiple relevant factors and the varying degrees of affect and i have never ever denied that if you don't know anything about an artist that (obviously) it has no impact. and i have no idea why you are here trying to undermine a positive discussion that ended yesterday. me and mortimus were talking and i think we both gained a broader perspective and had good things to say and it was a respectful exchange that has been moved on from so i really don't know why your so chapped and here accusing me of trying to speak for everyone and putting words in my mouth. Furthermore, not only was i not pushing this flawed point that you pulled out of thin air, but i wasn't trying to push any point at all. again, its called a discussion, get used to them you might have some during your lifetime.
panagiotis 04.06.14	I wouldn't buy an album from a dick most of the times. I wouldn't like him to take a penny from me.
panagiotis 04.06.14	I would still listen to it though
DarthJames 01.07.15	I think it makes a slight contextual difference yeah, depending on severity like i think it's impossible not to think of what Ian Watkins did in regards to Lost Prophets because of just how bad it is. But I think personality affects the music, with people like Kanye and Morrissey they're such characters that you can hear it and I think the more you listen the more you can emphasize and accustom to their traits - flaws and otherwise, like how you would if you knew them but less so of course. I love kanye and don't think anyone else could make one of his albums because of his character, I don't think he's a bad person despite some obvious character flaws (that seem more like insecurities to be honest) and I think you can tell by his music. Phil Spector was a genius, but he was a bit mad, and again what he did was down to him being disillusioned and paranoid and I don't think he meant to hurt anyone - and in this period he was not making his best music, same with Morrissey who was less annoying during the Smiths era. So that was a long winded way of saying it depends on the artist and what they have done to earn their reputation, after all I don't actually know any of them on a personal level so you can only really dislike their persona. I think, then, that it makes a slight difference but ultimately the biggest difference it will make is on the artist's music itself. Cheers
Tunaboy45 01.07.15	Not really, no
KrazyKris 01.07.15	Somewhat yes. But mostly it just affects if I'll listen to some artist or not. It's kind of unlikely I'll dig U2 sometime soon just cause I already hate Bono and it's not like I miss something special. But I try to separate those two things. Actually it would be unbelievably difficult to appreciate many artists, if their demeanor and characters would have that much of an impact. RHCP, Rolling Stones, LZ, Cure, Eminem, Jay-Z, Green Day, Weezer, Radiohead, Floyd, Linkin Park, Metallica, list goes on forever. All those are at the very least annoying or have members that are, most of them I wouldn't want to meet even once in my life. But their music still kicks ass (partly).