Whether or not you believe in conscientious consumption, it’s hard to deny it’s getting more difficult to simply enjoy art when stars keep getting entangled in horrific controversies. Comedian Pete Davidson may have a solution though, which he graciously shared with his SNL co-stars Colin Jost and Michael Che on the most recent episode of the “Weekend Update.”
But before he gets into the details of his creative plan for easing the guilty consciences of fans of musicians like Michael Jackson and R. Kelly, he does take a bit to compare the the remix of “Ignition” to Catholic church hymns (eliciting a few groans from the audience) and prompt a few guffaws by reminding viewers that the only reason they’re struggling is because they acknowledge both stars made good music. “The reason everybody’s so upset is because R. Kelly and Michael Jackson make great music,” he joked. “If I found out Macklemore did some weird stuff, I’d be happy to free up the space on my iPhone.”
His big idea? “Every time any of us listen to a song or watch a movie made by an accused serial predator, you have to give a dollar to charity that helps sexual assault survivors.” Of course, he couldn’t resist getting in one last dig, quipping that “I’ve already donated $142 and that’s just from the ‘Ignition’ remix alone.”
While it’s not a perfect solution — or even a serious one — it is at least a way for folks who can’t separate the art from the artist to reduce their karmic impact — although if the world really works on a moral points system, you’re still probably going to the Bad Place.
