Terry Crews appeared on Access Live yesterday to promote the new* competition show, AGT: The Champions. I’m putting an asterisk after new because AGT has been around for centuries (okay, 12 years, but it feels longer) and this is just a new branch of it where former champions come back and compete. But since it’s a new spin, it gets to call itself the number one ‘new’ show. And I can’t be mad because that means more Terry! Terry, who spoke out about his support for R. Kelly’s survivors, was asked during a segment about the new Michael Jackson documentary, Finding Neverland, that claims Jackson was, in fact, a child molester. Access asked Terry the question we often ask on this site: is it okay to separate the art from the artist? Terry said no.
First of all, and I say this all the time, success is the warmest to hide. This is it. Because what happens is, you because successful and people accept whatever you do. Whatever your artform is, if you’re a writer, if you’re a performer, if you’re a scientist – it doesn’t matter. You are successful, and it’s warm in there. And what happens is you get away with all kinds of things because the image, for the longest time, has been the most important thing. But this is the thing: we see this now in the #MeToo movement, where we are demanding that the image and the person line up. That is what we are demanding. This is the deal: you cannot be Bill Cosby anymore, because what happens is, you kill your art. I can’t watch The Cosby Show anymore, I can’t look at Fat Albert without thinking of the 40 plus women that were basically drugged and molested by this man. And he’s been convicted for it. When you look at this kind of thing, no you cannot separate it. And I think that we are demanding more. We have to demand more, we have to demand more from our men, we have to demand more from our entertainers, we have to demand more from entertainment itself.
I like Terry’s answer, it’s solid. Like Terry, once I learn about someone’s despicable acts, I cannot enjoy their art anymore. Which generates a new version of this question – can you mourn the loss of the art but not mourn the loss of the artist? I played a Bill Cosby CD in my birthing room when I had my son because comedy relaxes me more than music. Like, where do put that memory now?
In the other segment, Terry discusses how grateful he is to Simon Cowell for giving him the chance to host AGT: TC. Let’s face it, that makes Simon the winner here as he gets to work with Terry. Access showed a pic of Terry and his wife, Rebecca, crying while watching Susan Boyle sing. He said his biggest responsibility is to support the contestants. This was particularly sweet because he brought the whole thing around to Rebecca, who stands in the wings and supports him in everything he does. Watch this segment (the second clip below). Not just because Terry is being wonderful but for the shout out his incredible red and orange shoes get at the 2:35 mark. They are invoking major shoe envy in me.
Photo credit: WENN Photos and YouTube
I adore Terry. I have nothing clever to say. I just think he’s a terrific human being.
He is such a treasure. I wish we could multiply him and put him on every show or movie and series there is instead of the creeps.
Thank you to him.
Keep your memories of your son’s arrival into the world right up there in the special box filled with life’s most cherished things.
You chose Bill Cosby as your birthing partner because you admired and loved him.
Would you choose him today – no way. Please don’t let it taint your birthing memories.
Sad but true
You leave that memory right where it is. That was the birth of your child. Don’t let anything ruin that for you. You only know what you know. You didn’t know about Cosby back then and now you do. Simple as that.
I hope Terry always remembers the truth of his words: That from now on, we’re all (but especially women) demanding that a person’s public image and their private actions match.
That’s not to dismiss a “character” that breaks the fourth wall or something — there are similar-yet-still different conversations about the social value of art to be had. That’s refusing to continuing to separate a person’s bad behavior from their creative output. I’m much more excited about a world where it’s understood that people have to be decent, and we can spend more time engaging in discussions and critiques of art and culture — and have more space to create art and culture, too!
I think one of the hard things when it comes to dealing with the art vs artist issue is that so much art deals with the human condition – analyzes it, examines it, interprets it. So I always wonder how artists that have so much insight into the human psyche can disrespect individual humans when it comes to harassment and assault. How is that possible?
I’ve never seen a picture of his wife before. She is stunning!
God bless, Terry Crews.
I admire and adore art in all its forms. However, knowing the artist is an awful human being of the worst kind? yeah that kills it for me no matter how talented the artist, all I can think about is how many people suffered so I can enjoy the art whenever I see/hear it and it’s not worth it to me at all.
Terry Crews is awesome.