Encyclopedia of Opinion
Question
Should we consume the art or products of people accused of sexual abuse?
Position2 of 4
Yes, because we can't change anything anyways
Argument1 of 2

Fans of the artist will consume the art anyways

Many of the artists accused are very famous and important figures in the art industry with large fanbases. Even if normal consumers boycotted the artist, it wouldn't make a difference because the fans would still be there anyways

The argument

At his peak, Michael Jackson had over 6 million fans. Although some bystanders occasionally bought a few albums here and there and participated in streaming his songs, the majority of his sales came from his incredibly dedicated fanbase. This also happens to be the same fanbase that, even when allegations against Jackson came out, rushed to defend his actions and continued to stream his music. One individual consumer is an insignificant speck in this sea of consumers, and regardless of whether or not that consumer chooses to continue consuming the art, the artist and their legacy will still survive through their fans. Therefore, if someone enjoys music or a movie or a book, they might as well listen to it, as it doesn't make a difference for the artist anyways. The consumer should just consume what they enjoy and stop worrying about all of these external factors.

Premises

[P1]An artist's legacy is sustained by a large, dedicated fanbase that keeps consuming their work even after allegations. [P2] A single consumer is an insignificant speck within that sea of fans, so their choice makes no difference to the artist. [P3] Since abstaining changes nothing, one might as well consume what they enjoy. [C] Therefore, because fans will consume the art anyway, we can go ahead and consume it too.

Counter-arguments

Boycotting is not just about physically stripping the artist of their material income, it is also an awareness campaign. When #WeinsteinIsOverParty trends on Twitter, people can see it and explore the page, seeing the accusations that have been made upon him. A mass movement allows people to participate, incentivizing people to learn more about important issues like sexual assault. This will erode their fanbase eventually, because not all fans are just fanatically blind supporters of the artist. When they see public opinion turn on them, when they continuously learn more about everything bad that their idol has done, they could still see the artist in a new light and change their opinions. Michael Jackson fans aren’t fans forever, but they are human forever.

Rejecting the premises

[Rejecting P1] Fans can change based on public opinion [Rejecting P2] The difference made is not just in material sales, but in awareness about the artist