So, did you include Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller’ on your Halloween playlist?
By: Sophie Radvan
Tags: Halloween, Life, Music, Culture, Ideas

You’ve read the headlines. You’ve seen the documentary. By now, everyone knows the dark secrets that lurked in Michael Jackson’s Neverland Ranch closet. Leaving Neverland shined an uncomfortable spotlight on the topic of child sexual abuse as it pertained to the late singer.

In 2020, the woke-est year of our lifetime, are we officially done with Mr. Jackson? Does this mean none of you added ‘Thriller’ to your Halloween playlist?

I was out at a socially-distanced patio bar last night when R. Kelly’s ‘Ignition’ came on the speakers. It’s the remix to ignition, hot and fresh out the kitchen, mama rollin’ that body got every man in here wishin’…

“I love this song!” I gushed to a friend who immediately broke my rosé buzz. “Um, you can’t like R. Kelly anymore,” she said semi-sarcastically, “Didn’t you watch Surviving R. Kelly?”

The man versus his art

Of course, I did. It was undoubtedly disturbing, haunting, and sickening. Made my skin crawl. This got me thinking about the troubles of man and his works of art. Is it possible to separate the two?

What if we applied the blind taste test, as seen on The Great British Baking Show, to all aspects of life? To judge a piece solely by its taste, sound, and how it makes us feel, paying no mind to race, religion, or skeletons in the closet.

Can we still enjoy Louie C.K’s comedy after learning about the sexual assault accusations? Do we still watch Parks & Recreation after that Aziz Ansari report? Do we dare ever watch a movie once produced by Harvey Weinstein’s company?

If not, that means no more Pulp Fiction, Django Unchained, or Inglorious Bastards. That means no more Scream or Scary Movie on Halloween night. No more chick flicks like Bridget Jones’ Diary, Shakespeare In Love, or She’s All That.

To what extent should fans boycott?

I hate to say it but Weinstein was a cinematic legend. Who didn’t love Silver Linings Playbook? Why should we, the fan of such titles, be punished for his vile behavior?

In 2019, Vogue UK published an article titled, Is It Okay To Wear Marchesa In A Post-Weinstein Hollywood? For those who don’t know, Weinstein’s now ex-wife, Georgina Chapman, is the designer behind many of those gorgeous red carpet gowns.

In my humble opinion, yes, it’s more than okay to wear Marchesa today. Chapman’s dresses should speak for themselves as an exquisite piece of fashion with no underlying messages.

I don’t see why Chapman’s business should suffer on behalf of her husband…unless…you know, maybe she knew about his behavior and kept it a secret for years…which is complete speculation at this point so let’s not go there.

Now, some may argue that to wear Marchesa would only remind us of Weinstein or possibly celebrate him. Is a Marchesa dress really *just* a dress? Or a visual representation of grave trauma for many women?

I understand your perspective just as much as I hope you understand mine. We may have to agree to disagree on this one and that’s perfectly fine. That’s largely why I wrote this piece, to seek out all angles on this debacle.

Yay or nay on the blind taste test?

If we were to practice the blind taste test, and I’m not saying that’s the right thing to do, you could still listen to Chris Brown without judgment despite the Rihanna assault.

You could still binge the Rocky movies despite the sex crime against Sylvester Stallone. You could still watch Catfish episodes on MTV despite the accusation of sexual assault against Nev.

Of course, then we run into another problem: should all these cases and circumstances be lumped together? Surely, what happened in the Aziz Ansari story isn’t nearly on the same level as Matt Lauer’s office behavior.

According to reports, Ansari’s event sounds more like the awkward ending of a date. He wanted to hook up, she wasn’t completely on board, he made a move, she felt uncomfortable, he had a car drive her home at her request.

Then you have someone like Lauer who supposedly sent a female coworker a dildo. Reports claim she found his “gift” in the drawer of her office desk. How do we draw boundary lines on the #MeToo movement? Should we draw boundary lines?

There may not be any right or wrong answers here but it’s something worthwhile to ponder the next time you put a playlist together. Will it include Michael Jackson, R. Kelly, or Chris Brown?