If an author acts like a bully should people stop reading their books?

[CmdrShep2154]

Sarah Dessen recently acted like a cliched High School mean girl.

https://slate.com/culture/2019/11/sa...ia-attack.html

https://www.newsweek.com/young-adult...aduate-1472200

Isn't she the Tom Clancy of YA teen fiction?

Should young people and adult YA readers stop reading her books and instead go for fiction of a higher class such as these?

[rayvio]

if you don't like the stories, stop reading the books
if you don't like the person writing them, stop paying for them. they don't make anything from library borrowing, second hand sales or ethically debatable downloads

[PC2]

Rayvio had a great point which is that you could find a (legal) way to read it without paying for it. In general though the merit of a book is entirely independant of the writer. So if Hitler had written a book on physics or a fictional book like The Great Gatsby or The Catcher in the Rye then you should still read them and consider the contents independantly.

Ideas > People

[Corvus]

The whole YA market is a it of a toxic mess at the moment - this is fairly benign compared to some of the stuff going on. Authors and self-appointed gatekeepers go after any they perceive as deviating from their self imposed norms, and they are utterly merciless, sending their fans after their victims. Cultural appropriation is a big no, but at the same time so is having a white, and especially a white cis male, main character.

It is not a healthy place right now.

[Kraenen]

Rayvio had a great point which is that you could find a (legal) way to read it without paying for it. In general though the merit of a book is entirely independant of the writer. So if Hitler had written a book on physics or a fictional book like The Great Gatsby or The Catcher in the Rye then you should still read them and consider the contents independantly.

Ideas > People

I think that works more for historical figures, but you should still take into account that those ideas could be propagated more by keeping them in circulation/discourse. Even then, it's about how people interpret those books - i.e. American Psycho is either the handbook for a psychopath or a critique of vanity and materialism. Which interpretation is more likely, and which could have the more net negative effect?

[Sorshen]

Sapkowski is an asshole, but I mostly enjoyed the Witcher books. Won't lose sleep over it.

[callipygoustp]

Nope
{10char}

[Queen of Hamsters]

Lol.

I can read the books without supporting the author in any way if I should feel inclined. Same with movies and music, really. In the end I ain't gonna stop reading, viewing or listening to something I enjoy because the people behind it turn out to be bullies, sexual predators, bigots or whatever. They'll effectively cancel themselves out of future work in the end if they keep it up. Just look at the slope Jeremy Clarkson is once more dead set on sliding down.

[PC2]

The whole YA market is a it of a toxic mess at the moment - this is fairly benign compared to some of the stuff going on. Authors and self-appointed gatekeepers go after any they perceive as deviating from their self imposed norms, and they are utterly merciless, sending their fans after their victims. Cultural appropriation is a big no, but at the same time so is having a white, and especially a white cis male, main character.

It is not a healthy place right now.

Yeah the identity stuff is a self-correcting issue though. One good thing about art is that it's intuitively obvious when character details and sub-plots are organic vs shoe-horned. Typically the ratings of the "critics" and the unwashed-masses will be flip-flopped.

[turboether]

Hate the artist, not the art.

[shadowmouse]

Is this that cancel culture you young ones talk about? I read a book if it is a good read, neither more nor less. I'm not dating the author, I'm satisfying my own desire for a good book.

[Corvus]

Is this that cancel culture you young ones talk about? I read a book if it is a good read, neither more nor less. I'm not dating the author, I'm satisfying my own desire for a good book.

No, no, you aren't allowed to do that. It just proves that you are so privileged you care about your own entertainment more than the hurt of marginalized people. I kid you not, that was actually said by a YA author.

[kail]

Hate the artist, not the art.

Pretty much. You can go about ways to have the creators not get paid via second hand purchase or such but I rate art/stories/games on their own. Michael Jackson's music is still enjoying to listen to, Seinfeld is still funny to me, and Mel Gibson's creations are still good to watch (as actor/director). A child murdering neo-nazi could right a good piece of fiction and I will still enjoy reading it.

[Trassk]

Is this that cancel culture you young ones talk about? I read a book if it is a good read, neither more nor less. I'm not dating the author, I'm satisfying my own desire for a good book.

This ^
H.P Lovecraft was considered one of the most prolific writers in his time, which today his works have inspired many other writers and artists with his otherworldly creations.
However he was a racist man who looked down on people based on skin colour.

His work continues to be used and developed even today despite what his world views were.

[shadowmouse]

@Corvus As a marginalized person in the YA market, I'll just have to choose to go my own way. Bastards need to remember there are old folks out there too! >.>

[PC2]

This ^
H.P Lovecraft was considered one of the most prolific writers in his time, which today his works have inspired many other writers and artists with his otherworldly creations.
However he was a racist man who looked down on people based on skin colour.

His work continues to be used and developed even today despite what his world views were.

Yeah and it goes for anything and not just art. Like it turns out Einstein was racist but it literally has nothing to do with how good his work is.

[Sunseeker]

Do whatever the fuck you want.

[Endus]

Sapkowski is an asshole, but I mostly enjoyed the Witcher books. Won't lose sleep over it.

Sapkowski is mostly an asshole because he sold the game dev rights to the Witcher, to CDPR, for a fixed sum. No percentage of profits. That was a very bad decision, in hindsight, but he still made it. So he's being an asshole because he wants a taste of that sweet, sweet Witcher money. Which, to be fair, he basically wrote and created.

I'm not saying I agree, but I understand.

[smityx]

It's why I stopped reading the bible.

[Cthulhu 2020]

The whole YA market is a it of a toxic mess at the moment - this is fairly benign compared to some of the stuff going on. Authors and self-appointed gatekeepers go after any they perceive as deviating from their self imposed norms, and they are utterly merciless, sending their fans after their victims. Cultural appropriation is a big no, but at the same time so is having a white, and especially a white cis male, main character.

It is not a healthy place right now.

People still unironically saying this... Thanks for the laugh.