My desire to avoid media made by assholes has less to do with capitalism and the fact the artist could make money off my attention (though that is part of it), and more to do with wanting to avoid giving them a platform. If someone like Roman Polanski is making great movies and I’m going around telling everyone what incredible art he’s making, people are more likely to overlook or even excuse his actions because he’s a great artist. Sure, it’s worse in a consumerist society because then famous artists also have more money defend themselves, but that shield of public opinion exists in any society. Well, any that has people that like art, anyway. People find it easy to make excuses for those they idolize.
My desire to avoid media made by assholes has less to do with capitalism and the fact the artist could make money off my attention (though that is part of it), and more to do with wanting to avoid giving them a platform. If someone like Roman Polanski is making great movies and I’m going around telling everyone what incredible art he’s making, people are more likely to overlook or even excuse his actions because he’s a great artist. Sure, it’s worse in a consumerist society because then famous artists also have more money defend themselves, but that shield of public opinion exists in any society. Well, any that has people that like art, anyway. People find it easy to make excuses for those they idolize.