The Gray Area with Sean Illing

When you can't separate art from artist

Listen Later

What do we do when an artist we love does something monstrous? Constance Grady, a culture writer at Vox, talks with Claire Dederer, the author of Monsters: A Fan’s Dilemma. They discuss how to reckon with the facts and feelings of consuming art by someone who's done something bad, if it's possible to separate the art from the artist, and what responsibility — if any — comes with being a fan.

Host: Constance Grady, (@constancegrady), culture and gender writer

Guest: Claire Dederer, author of Monsters: A Fan’s Dilemma 

References: 

  • Monsters: A Fan’s Dilemma by Claire Dederer (Penguin Random House, 2023)
  • “What Do We Do with the Art of Monstrous Men?” by Claire Dederer (The Paris Review, 2017)
  • Dept. of Speculation by Jenny Ofill (Penguin Random House, 2014)
  • Mad at Miles: A Blackwoman’s Guide to Truth by Pearl Cleage (Cleage Group Publication, 1990)


    Enjoyed this episode? Rate The Gray Area ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

    Subscribe for free. Be the first to hear the next episode of The Gray Area. Subscribe in your favorite podcast app.

    Support The Gray Area by making a financial contribution to Vox! bit.ly/givepodcasts

    This episode was made by: 

    • Engineer: Patrick Boyd
    • Editorial Director, Vox Talk: A.M. Hall

      Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

      ...more
      View all episodesView all episodes
      Download on the App Store
      The Gray Area with Sean IllingBy Vox
      • 4.5
      • 4.5
      • 4.5
      • 4.5
      • 4.5

      4.5

      10,473 ratings

      More shows like The Gray Area with Sean Illing

      View all
      Fresh Air by NPR

      Fresh Air

      38,202 Listeners

      The Political Scene | The New Yorker by WNYC Studios and The New Yorker

      The Political Scene | The New Yorker

      3,891 Listeners

      Gastropod by Cynthia Graber and Nicola Twilley

      Gastropod

      3,586 Listeners

      Switched on Pop by Vulture

      Switched on Pop

      2,601 Listeners

      Decoder with Nilay Patel by The Verge

      Decoder with Nilay Patel

      3,125 Listeners

      Explain It to Me by Vox

      Explain It to Me

      7,841 Listeners

      The New Yorker Radio Hour by WNYC Studios and The New Yorker

      The New Yorker Radio Hour

      6,599 Listeners

      Pivot by New York Magazine

      Pivot

      8,888 Listeners

      The Daily by The New York Times

      The Daily

      111,177 Listeners

      Good One: A Podcast About Jokes by Vulture

      Good One: A Podcast About Jokes

      1,438 Listeners

      Radio Atlantic by The Atlantic

      Radio Atlantic

      2,270 Listeners

      Today, Explained by Vox

      Today, Explained

      10,047 Listeners

      The Cut by Vox Media Podcast Network

      The Cut

      1,584 Listeners

      Interesting Times with Ross Douthat by New York Times Opinion

      Interesting Times with Ross Douthat

      6,715 Listeners

      Future Perfect by Vox

      Future Perfect

      585 Listeners

      Throughline by NPR

      Throughline

      15,933 Listeners

      Land of the Giants by Vulture

      Land of the Giants

      2,144 Listeners

      Unlocking Us with Brené Brown by Vox Media Podcast Network

      Unlocking Us with Brené Brown

      23,612 Listeners

      The Prof G Pod with Scott Galloway by Vox Media Podcast Network

      The Prof G Pod with Scott Galloway

      5,220 Listeners

      A Touch More with Sue Bird & Megan Rapinoe by Vox Media Podcast Network

      A Touch More with Sue Bird & Megan Rapinoe

      610 Listeners

      Hard Fork by The New York Times

      Hard Fork

      5,360 Listeners

      Celebrity Memoir Book Club by celebritymemoirbookclub@gmail.com

      Celebrity Memoir Book Club

      6,271 Listeners

      The Ezra Klein Show by New York Times Opinion

      The Ezra Klein Show

      15,216 Listeners

      Unexplainable by Vox

      Unexplainable

      2,153 Listeners

      Waveform: The MKBHD Podcast by Vox Media Podcast Network

      Waveform: The MKBHD Podcast

      5,901 Listeners

      Offline with Jon Favreau by Crooked Media

      Offline with Jon Favreau

      2,206 Listeners

      The Interview by The New York Times

      The Interview

      1,440 Listeners

      Not Just Football with Cam Heyward by Cam Heyward

      Not Just Football with Cam Heyward

      138 Listeners

      On with Kara Swisher by Vox Media

      On with Kara Swisher

      3,147 Listeners

      Networth and Chill with Your Rich BFF by Vivian Tu

      Networth and Chill with Your Rich BFF

      1,701 Listeners

      Served with Andy Roddick by Served with Andy Roddick

      Served with Andy Roddick

      868 Listeners

      Prof G Markets by Vox Media Podcast Network

      Prof G Markets

      898 Listeners