Hi, Lovely Person!
I’m really glad someone brought up this topic, especially since I’ve pondered over it too. For those who aren’t familiar, separating the art from the artist is when you disagree with an artist’s beliefs or actions, but still find their work enjoyable and partake in activities that support their work.
A famous example of this is when the author of Harry Potter, J.K. Rowling, made multiple transphobic comments on her social media. Some Harry Potter fans gave her the benefit of the doubt, while some stopped supporting the franchise entirely. However, among the crowd were fans who, although were left aghast by Rowling’s beliefs, continued to show their love for the Harry Potter franchise.
Even if you are separating the art from the artist, if you are purchasing merchandise (licensed work or original fan creations), watching movies, sharing their art or creating fan art, you are supporting the artist. If you even just talk about the art to your friends, you are, in a way, supporting the artist. This is because artists benefit from any form of publicity. More publicity means more fans, which also means more support.
However, it can be argued that with a massive franchise like Harry Potter, there were many people who were involved in the production of the movies such as the actors, camera crew, and special effects artists. Thus, the support from fans does not only benefit J.K. Rowling, but everyone involved who may not share the same viewpoint as her.
So, to answer the question: Is it ethical? Well, I personally think it’s okay to enjoy great works made by not-so-great people, as long as the work itself is not a reflection of the same beliefs that you disagree with. I also think it depends on the scale of the project. If it’s not an individual but rather a large team working together, I think it’s wrong to discredit their hard work because of one person’s actions. I hope my response was helpful!
Sincerely,
Dear Letterbox