Artists and Hate

At Ninth Art, Paul O'Brien writes on Marvel Comics' recent choice of sci-fi novelist Orson Scott Card as writer for its new Iron Man mini-series.

It didn't take long after this announcement for people to start grumbling about some of Card's political views, and announcing that they wouldn't be buying the book.

[In a recent article Card wrote against recognition of gay marriage; O'Brien details some of Card's assertions.] He then goes on to a whole load of other reasons why gay marriage is a bad thing period... Apparently it's a threat to civilisation. "Civilisation requires the suppression of natural impulses which would break down the social order... Television programs will start to show homosexual 'marriages' as wonderful and happy... The propaganda mill will pound our children with homosexual marriage as a role model… Society will bend all its efforts to seize upon any hint of homosexuality in our young people and encourage it." Parents of homosexuals should grieve at "the abduction-in-advance of their grandchildren". He then goes into a climactic rant about the death of America. You get the general idea.

This has nothing to do with boycotting him, a term that is hugely overused. I don't boycott Orson Scott Card - how can I, when I don't particularly want to read him in the first place? It's not a principled stand on his opinions; it's far more pragmatic than that. With opinions like that, he just doesn't sound like much fun, does he?

I wrote to Mr. O'Brien relating my feelings about certain authors upon discovering their other interests, citing L. Ron Hubbard as another example; an excerpt follows.

An artist's personal life and personal beliefs do affect how we feel about them, and rightly so. Artists -- be they writers, illustrators, filmmakers or others -- are entrusted by the public with the responsiblity of holding a mirror up to our lives, and showing us what is good and what is bad. When someone's ideology is one of hate, or when some of their beliefs are just unacceptable, their art will no doubt reflect this, and suffer for it. And we, the public, suffer from it.

Marvel's choice is surprising, but they are in the biz to make money -- and they rightfully imagine that Card will make them some money in the short term. I would expect that the marketplace of ideas will determine whether Card continues to see success, or if his beliefs cause his star to lose its glow.