Encyclopedia of Opinion
Question
Should we consume the art or products of people accused of sexual abuse?
Position1 of 4
Yes, because the art is separate from the artist
Argument2 of 2

Sexual abuse accusations are often unconfirmed

Many of the artists currently being boycotted were simply accused of sexual assault but haven't yet gone through the court system and been found guilty of sexual assault. People are innocent until proven guilty, so it is too early to start boycotting them.

The argument

The social media code of justice is often quick to jump to conclusions and follow bandwagon stories that have very little grounding in truth. The accessible, sensational nature of social media also makes it incredibly hard to fact check everything that is said on there. Boycotting an artist would ruin their entire career. It means that they cannot make money, which also means that they cannot work on new projects. Rumors also take a very long time to quell. Therefore, people should be sure of the truth of accusations before they jump on it and take action.

Premises

[P1]Social media justice is quick to jump to conclusions and follow bandwagon stories with little grounding in truth, and its sensational nature makes accusations hard to fact-check. [P2] Boycotting an accused artist ruins their entire career and livelihood, even though rumours take a long time to quell. [P3] People should therefore be sure an accusation is true before acting on it. [C] Therefore, because sexual abuse accusations are often unconfirmed, we may still consume the art since it is separate from the artist.

Counter-arguments

The ultimate truth often takes a long time to come out. Regardless, it will always be better to have sided with the potential victim than to have sided with a potential rapist. To not make a change and continue the status quo as a consumer is a decision in and of itself. It is not to continue to do nothing. It is to actively discount the accusations of the victim and choose to believe the perpetrator more. That is unacceptable, given how grave an issue like sexual abuse is.

Rejecting the premises

[Rejecting P2] To not do anything is to make a premature decision to side with the rapist.