Although society enjoys thousands upon thousands of hours of entertainment media each year, whether it is through movies, games, music or television, it is not unheard of for the artists behind the entertainment we love so much to have a questionable track record. In fact, it’s quite common.

In recent news, America has seen the downfall of film giant Harvey Weinstein, who has produced tons of movies near and dear to many people’s hearts. It was revealed that he had been engaging in inappropriate sexual conduct with several of his coworkers. Multiple victims and correspondents of his, including high-profile actors such as Ryan Gosling, have testified against him, stating that the accusations are true. In even more recent news, Kevin Spacey has publicly addressed the accusation made that he had sexually harassed a boy 30 years ago, not denying it, but rather claiming that he does not remember the incident, and that if he did actually do it, he was sorry. While these are just recent cases of famous artists having their dark sides uncovered, the concept is not new to the industry. Chris Brown, a world-renowned pop star, assaulted his then-girlfriend Rihanna within an inch of her life in 2009. After somehow avoiding jail time, his career took little to no damage and he continues to be on the forefront of the music industry. How is this possible, and what does this mean for the people who enjoy the art of these artists?

As a consumer myself, I have had to deal with learning that lots and lots of artists whose art I appreciate are not that great of people I had thought them to be. Domestic abuse, sexual misconduct and assault, and even murder have all been featured in the repertoire of various musicians I listen to (or used to). I often ask myself the question: “How far is too far? When is something that an artist does considered so horrible that I must force myself to not enjoy their art, no matter how much I like it?”

To answer that question, I will say this. Art can be separated from the artist. The music, films, television, or whatever else an artist produces does not have to necessarily be an extension of themselves and their personality. Instead, I view art as something that is left up to interpretation by the consumer. You do not have to feel guilty for enjoying a Weinstein movie, or a Chris Brown song. Instead of feeling that you have done wrong for enjoying a piece of art, evaluate why you enjoyed it. Was it because of its visuals? Its sound? The feeling it gave you? None of these reasons have to be attached to the artist that created them. When art is produced and left for the world to consume, it is not a finite thing. It is left for anyone and everyone to interpret it. This freedom for us as a society to let art be what we want it to be lets us disassociate it from any person that was behind it.

The art is the art. Not the person who created it.