In January 2014 Woody Allen was presented with the
Golden Globe Lifetime Achievement Award. Woody Allen creates critically
acclaimed films. He has won four Oscars and received several other prestigious
awards throughout his lifetime. The film industry is full of critics that are
predominantly not people of color. Additionally the people who find Woody
Allen’s work to be brilliant and incomparable are predominantly not people of
color. This is important to note because
recently Woody Allen’s receipt of the lifetime achievement award was followed
by an open letter to the New York Times
written by his estranged daughter Dylan Farrow. Dylan detailed abuse
allegations her father perpetrated against her over 20 years ago when she was 7
and her parents were separating.
(This is the link the Dylan's statement.
The
break up between Woody Allen and Mia Farrow has been meticulously detailed by
the media and the legal system.
There have been several articles written about this
topic over the years but this recent revelation by Dylan and the response by
Woody have created a flurry of written responses from the journalistic
community.
(Link to the state of public opinion regarding the Allen case.
(Link to the state of public opinion regarding the Allen case.
There have been multiple articles written either in
support of Mr. Allen or in support of Dylan. There is ambiguity regarding the
veracity of the allegations.
There is a multiplicity
of perspectives regarding this issue but there is no shortage of differing
perspectives. Some people call on the public
to divorce Woody from his work. They mention flawed great artists of the past
and point to the fact that their work outlived scandal. Mozart wrote
semi-incestuous letters to his mother.
Roman Polanski still created wonderful films despite allegations of
rape. These artists were flawed but we still revere their work because of the
independent benefits we particularly and intimately derive from them.
Juxtapose this to the media reaction to the release
of R Kelly’s 12th Studio Album “Black Panties”.
(Review of R Kelly's most recent album
http://www.hotpress.com/R-Kelly/music/reviews/albums/R-Kelly--Black-Panties/10992723.html)
http://www.hotpress.com/R-Kelly/music/reviews/albums/R-Kelly--Black-Panties/10992723.html)
The media reaction from various media outlets were
relatively similar. They were all bothered that R Kelly was accomplishing any success with this album
because of accusations in his personal life. In 2008 R Kelly went on trial for allegedly
having sex with a minor. He was acquitted of these charges but for years before
and after he has been labeled a pedophile and a deviant. What I have noticed a
distinct absence of are articles supporting R Kelly and asking if we can
separate his art from the personal complaints against him. The amount of people
who are supporting R Kelly in print are virtually non-existent. Additionally, the majority of R Kelly fans are
people of color. Their voices are not
held in the same critical esteem as people in the majority racial/ethnic group.
These men are different in a variety
of ways. Woody Allen is a shy,
introverted, seemingly benign and not explicitly sexual.
(Who is praising Woody Allen?
R
Kelly on the other hand is a big, black, and hyper-sexual. He writes about sex,
he sings about, his music videos are carnal and sensual and he’s unapologetic
for being a passionate Lothario.
The difference between these men is
obvious and subtle at the same time. Some will point to particulars to
distinguish them. Woody was never married to Mia Farrow, he never spent much
time with the children, he was the subject of an intense investigation and was
found innocent. R Kelly has settled with numerous young women and their
families.
(Read the allegation surrounding R Kelly
He
actually saw the inside of a courtroom and there are lots of affidavits
detailing his wrong doing on file. Woody Allen engaged in questionable activity
with the children of his former partner. R Kelly is the scary black buck. He’s
terrifying and worrisome and America assumes he’s King Kong coming for every
white woman he can find. He’s a danger. He’s a scary Mandingo. He’s the monster
under the bed. There are a lot of people who connect to R Kelly’s work because
it is fun, catchy, accessible, and speaks to the experiences people of color
tend to have.
(What it means to support R Kelly
Should
his work be linked to his personal life because the people who appreciate it
don’t make the rules for what is “high
art”?
(Details of the allegations against R Kelly
Ultimately these men are living the
exact same truth. Both were accused of committing heinous acts against children
and neither man was actually convicted of any wrong doing.
The overarching conclusion would suggest that
these men be treated the same by the media. The media advocate for both sides of EACH
story or neither of any story. Either allow both men to have personal flaws
that are independent of their work or inextricably connect the accusations to
their art.
