- Hey guys, welcome to Is This Okay,
where we talk about things that are happening
in the world, wondering if, it's okay.
I'm Nyla.
- I'm Becky.
- I'm Daysha.
- I'm Morgan.
- I'm Kwesi.
- Yeah, Kwesi.
(giggling)
- I just realized it's like The View,
with a male guest.
- [All] Yeah.
- So today, we're gonna talk about
how do you separate the person from their art,
when the person can sometimes be problematic
in their life, but the work that they've
done is really important, or something that's
very valuable.
What sparked this discussion was Nate Parker,
and Birth of a Nation.
- You have Nate Parker, who took this very important
slave revolt story, and so this is a very
monumental film for the black community.
But, 17 years ago, Nate Parker was caught up
in a rape charge, allegation.
- I think he was acquitted of rape, essentially.
- Yeah.
- 17 years ago.
- I think the reason why the question or discussion
of today is more about a broader scope of it,
is because with any one of these particular things,
you never can know exactly for sure
if the person did it.
- It happened.
And this woman is not here anymore,
to talk about what happened.
And she's not here as a result
of that experience.
- He wrote a letter about that as well,
I think, showing empathy.
- He has not shown an ounce
of empathy.
He's just like, I'm not gonna say sorry,
it sucks that that happened to you,
or you think that's what happened to you,
but I'm not going to apologize.
I was leaning towards, this film is important,
so like, I'll probably go see it.
And then I read the article where he's like,
"I'm not sayin' sorry."
And I was like, well now I'm all up in my feels again,
and I don't know how I feel.
(laughs)
- Well, I'm gonna go see the movie for sure.
Nate Parker is not my friend,
you know, he's someone who put something on screen,
that I think is important to see.
- Where do you personally draw the line between,
I like your art, but you're a shitty person?
What is considered supporting, like I know people
who were like, "I don't turn Chris Brown off in the car,
"if it's on the radio, but I won't buy his albums."
- I'm like that with hip hop in general.
Like, for me, I'm not going to pay for the music,
I'm not gonna give someone money to take that money
and then oppress me, but, if it's there, like I'm
not gonna throw a hissy fit about it.
- When we say, like, support an artist, we probably
mean, in some way, buying the song, going to a concert,
I would continue to purchase Michael Jackson
songs on iTunes.
I feel a little weird about that sometimes.
- But was he convicted?
- He wasn't though.
- Exactly.
That's the weird part, right?
It's like, because someone with so power and so much
influence, but then again, he could be someone who
did something so horribly wrong.
- If you're trying to debate with yourself,
whether or not, to like, go see that movie,
or like, go see that artist that you know did something,
then are you background checking every artist
that you support?
- All situations are totally different,
and then again, I don't have like, the facts
on the Nate Parker story.
Something terrible happened for sure.
- Is there an artist that you can think of that's
done something that, in your opinion,
you still feel okay supporting their work?
- I saw The Pianist that Polansky did.
- Yeah.
- Didn't know Polanksy did the things he did.
Right, it's like, man, that's a horrible person.
The Pianist was a dope film.
- And like, here's the thing though, for me,
is that like, it's one thing if you're not aware
of someone doing something terrible,
and you've already supported the art,
that's one thing.
But it's hard for me to consciously know what has
happened, and then still feel like I can support that.
- You wanna see some remorse.
Like Roman Polansky, emailed his victim years later,
and apologized.
- I wonder how much more comfortable I would be
going to see it if he just spoke more openly
and sensitively about it.
- I think that, especially as a black person,
it's really hard, cause I feel like at the end
of the day, when it's a black figure,
I'm forced to choose between my blackness,
or like, supporting a fucked up thing.
- When Tyra Banks was like, "we were all rooting for you!"
Like, that's how I felt.
- Yes, I feel that!
(extreme crosstalk)
- That's how I felt, I was just like, no!
Are you kidding me?
We were all rooting for you, and the thing about it is,
I was so ready, I was like, yes!
People are excited about it because it's educational
and it's about black folk, who are unapologetic,
and that's something that we need today.
But then, this came up, and I'm like, there's no way
that I can support this.
- I felt this way about Straight Outta Compton, too,
like, you know, I was so here for it, especially
as someone who loves hip hop, and then to find
out about all the Dr. Dre and the woman beating
things, and the casting call, and I was like,
I can't, I can't give you my money,
because again, money is power.
- There also needs to be more grey.
It was actually a really wise thing that Daysha said.
I was like telling her that I was really upset
about something Beyonce did, I felt bad about that,
because I still like Beyonce, and Daysha was like,
"You can like her as an artist, and a person,
"and not be okay with everything that she does."
- It's hard too, because like, his one terrible
mistake is a reflection upon everybody who
was a part of the film.
So like, people are choosing not to see it, like me.
I'm well aware that I am not supporting the cast,
the crew, you know, everyone else.
And a part of me is like, damn that sucks, because,
I want, yeah, like I love Gabrielle Union.
You know, I'm sure the crew worked hard, they were
like, you know, this was a long journey.
- You can always argue that you going to see
the movie doesn't make that much of a difference,
but it's just that much more admirable,
to take your own personal stand against it.
- I'm gonna go see the film.
What I can take away from this is learn from
the situation.
- I mean, I think it's a pretty fucked situation.
- Yeah.
- I think that Birth of a Nation is gonna be an
incredibly important film, and I think that
it's really fucked that it's entrenched in this,
in this tragedy.
- Are you gonna see it?
- I'm gonna Netflix it.
- I love how we act like that's really sticking
it to them.
- I am.
I'm gonna Netflix that movie!
(laughing)
I can't separate art from artists.
- Yeah.
I can't either.
I think that I'm not gonna see the movie.
I can't.
I'm not gonna Netflix it, I'm not gonna give
my money to it.
- You know that if tomorrow, if tomorrow
every guy who was ever charged with being
an asshole, and woman,
people stop supporting their art,
you know people would take a lot more,
they would think a lot more before they did stuff.
- I think this has definitely taught me
to look into people, and who they are,
before I support them.
Kwesi, thanks for joining us today!
Yeah!
(applause)
Alright guys, so you know what to do,
leave your comments below, and we'll see you next week.
(downbeat electronic music)
(screech of dry erase marker)