Kevin Spacey

[DracoM]

A real shock. I knew nothing whatever about rumours about his sexuality, or how predatory they were etc etc, and it's not a nice story, BUT this guy is one of the most accomplished film and theatre actors of the day.

Does that mean I cannot, must not / ought not to enjoy performances in the past, or - if he ever gets the chance to do it again - any further films stage appearances?

Musicians, artists, sculptors...........in the past - we could name them, we might not be able to name them - and now, so we reject their music, strip our galleries of their paintings because we know they were dodgy people?

I sense a very slippery slope into....well, what? Prurient puritanism, or sleaziness rules OK, or............what?

[cloughie]

A real shock. I knew nothing whatever about rumours about his sexuality, or how predatory they were etc etc, and it's not a nice story, BUT this guy is one of the most accomplished film and theatre actors of the day.

Does that mean I cannot, must not / ought not to enjoy performances in the past, or - if he ever gets the chance to do it again - any further films stage appearances?

Musicians, artists, sculptors...........in the past - we could name them, we might not be able to name them - and now, so we reject their music, strip our galleries of their paintings because we know they were dodgy people?

I sense a very slippery slope into....well, what? Prurient puritanism, or sleaziness rules OK, or............what?

...and is it Tootsie goodbye after Dustin Hoffman's confession?

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I don't think we should shut out the positive achievements of people who have fallen from grace, though the fact that they have erred in some way should not be ignored.

Wagner wasn't exactly a nice guy, but his music is stunning. Lully was said to have been despicable, but his music isn't. Vaughan Williams was known to pinch women's bottoms, so he too would have been exposed today.

[eighthobstruction]

....he's a human being - full of flaws....so far as the stories go he has not done anything hideous or evil....While it is good STUFF is coming out, and some perpetrators have done hideous dispicable things and should be punished - some of these 'happening' are minor but are causing a feeding frenzy for the media and quasi neo puritans....and people who forgotten their own failings....i have many many - many....

[DracoM]

Yes, on suspects 'sales / feed of the month' for press? OTOH.............there is a 'but...' to all this, of course.

[Conchis]

Spacey's career would seem to be over.

I'm not that famiiliar with his work, as most of it has been in ephemeral films and tv series and I never saw him at the Old Vic, either. But what I HAVE seen of his work has been impressive.

But surely anyone who thinks a good artist is necessarily a good person is suffering from a pretty bad case of virginity?

The story about Hoffman - which he has acknowledged to be true - indicates nothig else but that he's an obnoxious, entitled ass (as had been rumoured for many years). His early performances were very good, though (his later ones have tended toward comfort zone caricature. Ditto with De Niro and Pacino, about whom nothing has, as yet, been alleged).


John Culshaw's anecdote about Josef Krips was very instructive to me, at a young age, in how great art and smallness of character are frequent bedfellows.


Still, at least Hoffman, Spacey et al brought some pleasure into the world, unlike the Former Minister for Warm Hands Michael Falloon.

[jean]

I don't think we should shut out the positive achievements of people who have fallen from grace, though the fact that they have erred in some way should not be ignored.

I think it's all right to continue to avail oneself of their cultural product - but not to justify that by playing down their actions
as not very serious really.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I think it's all right to continue to avail oneself of their cultural product - but not to justify that by playing down their actions
as not very serious really.

[eighthobstruction]

I think it's all right to continue to avail oneself of their cultural product - but not to justify that by playing down their actions
as not very serious really.

....indeed....nor bigging up some of the lesser ones

[jean]

The 'lesser' (as you call them) create the environment that enables the greater.

It's a mistake to divide them up like this; it's a continuum.

[eighthobstruction]

....seeing we are both responding in brief (as always seems to be the case with your posts)....lets leave it at that....i.e with me agreeing that like so many things "it's a continuum"....

[jean]

...brief (as always seems to be the case with your posts)...

This is a bad thing?

[Conchis]

Spacey's sexual orienatation has been widely known since an incident on Hampstead Heath sometime in the last century.

The assumption had always been that he was a ordinary cruising type, who didn't want to come out. Which was fine.

The revelation that he is a serial sex pest have blown it for him, though. He's toast.

[underthecountertenor]

Spacey's sexual orienatation has been widely known since an incident on Hampstead Heath sometime in the last century.

The assumption had always been that he was a ordinary cruising type, who didn't want to come out. Which was fine.

The revelation that he is a serial sex pest have blown it for him, though. He's toast.

Quite, and his reaction should only have made it worse, if there is any justice. To respond to the accusation that he molested a 14 year old boy by 'coming out' as a homosexual (well bugger me and blow me down, quelle surprise) was a contemptible and arrogant attempt at evasion, which will only serve to fuel the pernicious myth cherished by a lot of homophobes (and in particular the more violent amongst them) that male homosexuality is synonymous with paedophilia and pederasty.

To respond to the OP: it's a matter for the individual whether to watch Spacey's films and TV programmes, now as it was before. If he doesn't get engaged to perform again, well, there are plenty of other very talented actors out there who could use the work, and I'm not sure that he will be missed in the long term. My heart doesn't exactly bleed for him, given that I'm sure that he will survive financially (unless he gets very heavily stung by civil suits). But then again, he has always been an actor whom I felt I could take or (more often) leave.

[Petrushka]

What a strange world we live in where the backwash of a Hollywood sex scandal could bring down the British government and a Westminster sex scandal that doesn't (yet) feature any sex.

As usual on these occasions, the stench of hypocrisy fills the air.