Spot on, amigo.
I read somewhere that the prefrontal cortex portion of our wetware (responsible for critical thinking, control of emotions, and thinking before running our mouths, among other related things) doesn’t fully mature until past the age of 25.
IMHO social media (present forum excepted) has, among some positive things, weaponized intolerance and stupidity.
Yet, another case of the clash of art and life: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/15/opinion/peter-handke-nobel-bosnia-genocide.html?searchResultPosition=2
An excellent article. Thank you.
The tension remains and is well worth exploring.
A compelling essay. Thanks for sharing.
Another thing, I tend not to disparage a man’s character and life, especially if I did not know the person personally, unless I have walked in his shoes.
So, given none of us has walked in another man’s shoes anything goes?
No…I think you missed what I was saying.
So what is it exactly you are saying?
I am saying that you shouldn’t judge someone as harshly as you have unless you have first hand personal knowledge of that person and their circumstances in life.
I disagree. Mr. Ginger, in addition to being a good drummer, was a dreadful human being. There is no excuse for repeatedly assaulting others and endlessly engaging in deliberately cruel behavior.
You may find such behavior excusable. I do not.
A close relative of mine chose to think that way when she chose her husband. He almost killed her. Sorry, that line of thinking is wrong and dangerous.
Truth can be obtained through second hand means. If it can’t, then we are all in trouble. Further truth requires telling the truth, not applying some dopey “principle” like “they are passed, talk good about them”. What crap.
Peace,
Bruce in Philly
Come on, Bruce. We aren’t talking about picking a husband or even a friend. We are talking about Elk talking out of his butt about someone he never met and has no first hand knowledge about. All he is doing is talking badly about someone he has heard stories about. Does he need to spread this hate around? Is it going to make any difference in the world? No. The guy is dead. He can’t do whatever he did anymore. Everything he says may indeed be accurate or some of it may not be accurate. Who cares? If he did it with some dispassion maybe it wouldn’t seem so ugly.
@Elk - stop hatin’ on Gingers. My wife was one and my son is.
Everything I have written is completely accurate and well documented. There is even a movie, by the way.
Given what is out there, I have been quite gentle and have avoided specifics. But any elegy should be complete (even though I am note a poet and not writing in elegiac couplets). That is, I do not separate the musician from the man. It all matters. It may not matter to you. This is OK.
Yes, Mr. Baker will no longer be doing anything - good or bad. Does this mean no one should comment on him - good or bad? That he be relegated to the dustbin of history? Why even mention his death? As you state: Who cares?
Interestingly, most of the discussion has been attempts to assert writing something unflattering about a public figure is against forum rules, violates protocol of some sort, etc. This is not where the focus should lie.
I write with complete dispassion, with a calm state of mind. 
There has always been discussion about whether one can divorce the value of an artistic product from the character of the artist who created it, An example is Eric Gill, an artist, sculptor and typographer who was very influential in the last century. He was also a philanderer who, amongst many others, had relations with his sister, his two young daughters, and his dog. A far from admirable character, but the concensus seems to be that his art is still to be admired. One advantage for the ‘consumer’ is that you can appreciate the art without needing to be exposed to any contact with other aspects of the artist’s life. That Ginger Baker was not a pleasant man does not detract from the quality of his drumming, which can be appreciated in isolation.
Here’s a principled defense of the art over the politics (or behavior) of the Artist
I always have “trouble” with the over self-importance of artists in general. It is art. It is entertainment. Yes art has played very important roles in societies, but frankly, the bulk of it… the shear number of art things… falls solidly into the entertainment space. So…
For me to be entertained, I have to be receptive to it such as in a good mood. I have trouble “getting into” my favorite artists when I am ill for example. If an artist has antisocial behaviors that are something that I identify with emotionally (and make me unhappy), then I can not enjoy their art. So be it.
Peace
Bruce in Philly
A good deal of contemporary art, including music, is just entertainment and often lowest common denominator. A couple of hundred years ago this was also true, at least for music and theater, but only those who artists who actually were good would be able to make a living at it. We also have the benefit of time which filtered out the dreck, leaving only that worth paying attention to.
I do not separate the artist from the person. Knowing who the artist was influences my perception of his art. Thus whether he was good or bad is highly relevant. It does not mean I will not view or listen to his works, but it provides context. I also find art and artists fascinating on their own.
The responses to my original post make for some great reading Folks. Never expected it to keep going 11 days after the Man’s passing.
After going through all these posts. I see a bit of a trend which again I’m about to go off on another Tangent.
There are two types of “Artists”. The Tortured kind (Suicide) and those who Torture (Mr. Baker).
So many of my favourite Artists belong in either camp. I still enjoy their Music.
My opinion may be incorrect but it’s mine alone. Elks opinions are his and respect and understand where he’s coming from.
Let’s just agree to disagree.
He’s had more coverage on here in 11 days than he’s had in 30 years.