Fallen Stars
My favorite film from the current crop of Academy Award nominees is A Complete Unknown, the Bob Dylan biopic. (Full disclosure: it might be the only movie I’ve seen this year.) Regardless, I’ve been a big Dylan fan since forever, and the actor who plays the part, Tim Chalamet (Dune) inhabits Mr. Zimmerman so effortlessly that, at times, I thought I was watching a documentary. Now, this is not a movie review; it’s more an exploration of what drives artistic savants to put their creative visions above all else. Or, as the Joan Baez character says to Dylan in the film, “You’re kind of an asshole, Bob.”
Which brings up a bigger issue that, not coincidentally, is the subject of this post. How do we, as consumers of entertainment, separate the art from the artist? Is it even an exercise worth pursuing? Let’s explore:
· Van Morrison — In a Time Magazine article from 2009, the interviewer asked cranky old Van, “Are there any musicians or groups today that excite you?”
His throwaway response, “No. Absolutely not. It’s all been done, you know?”
Leave it to Mr. Morrison, one of the originators of the “play with your back to the audience” style of disrespect, to blow off every performer of this generation. Yet, his songs, along with Dylan, the Beatles, Paul Simon, and the Boss, have largely made up the soundtrack of my life. So, do I keep listening every time “Brown Eyed Girl” comes on the radio? Of course I do. Ironically, being “tone deaf” isn’t a deal breaker for me here.
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· Tom Cruise — Anyone who has suffered through a Tom Cruise interview, such as the infamous jumping on Oprah’s couch PR nightmare, knows that Tommy-boy is batshit crazy. But he’s starred in some of my favorite films, including Rain Man, The Color of Money, Jerry Maguire, and the rebooted Mission Impossible series. When I decide to shell out good money for a Cruise performance, I make a deal with myself to stick his shenanigans in a lockbox until the closing credits.
· Mel Gibson — Not so ol’ Melvin after the antisemitic tirade he rained down on a Malibu cop when he was stopped for drunk driving in 2006. Here’s an excerpt from the official police report:
Gibson blurted out a barrage of antisemitic remarks about ‘fucking Jews’. Gibson yelled out: ‘The Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world.’ Gibson then asked: ‘Are you a Jew?’”
I used to watch Braveheart any time and anywhere it showed up on cable. But, being a “Member of the Tribe,” I haven’t seen it since Gibson’s in vino veritas spectacle. Eff him.
· Will Smith — Same with the Fresh Prince of Bel Air. I was semi-enjoying the 2022 Oscar telecast when Will decided — after much prodding from his wife — to slap Chris Rock (who showed much magnanimity and didn’t miss a beat). I’ve enjoyed many of Mr. Smith’s movies over the years. But I haven’t watched one since. What a pussy.
· Woody Allen — Woody is a true comedy genius. I went to every one of his films when I was a kid, even saw him perform a hilarious live standup at the long defunct Valley Music Theater in the 1970s. But when he married his stepdaughter — “the heart wants what it wants” he said in 1992 by way of explanation — it ooged me out for all time.
· Neil Gaiman — Gaiman’s trademark mixture of fantasy, comedy, and eccentricity has beguiled me for years, no matter the plot or format, possibly because he reminds me of fellow Brit, the late Douglas Adams. But recently, he has been the target of numerous women accusing him of sexual misconduct. While my plan is to finish the Gaiman novel I’m currently reading, taking a wait and see attitude, I can envision a time when I banish him from my home library and DVR.
I’m sure I could go on and on, but you get the idea. The key to dealing with celebrity antics is to analyze each one on a case-by-case basis and figure out what you can live with. And what you can’t.
