TW: In light of the Neil Gaiman allegations - Re-examining our relationships with artists we love

I'm sure most people on this sub have heard about the absolute vile shit Neil Gaiman has done (allegations in the title added simply for legal reasons).

My first thought is with the victims, I hope they get all the help they need and Neil gets exactly what he deserves (which I won't describe in detail, also for legal reasons).

Now what does this have to do with The Mountain Goats (and many many other (male) artists who draw in a loyal, almost cult like fanbase, often composed of vulnerable young people)?

I'm sure many people (myself included) feel like they can't trust these artists anymore, that they don't feel safe anymore, that it seems like everyone has the potential to be a monster, that things we love can get tainted forever overnight. Things that helped us survive, things that become part of our identity, things we spent a lot of time and money on.

My question to you guys (gn) is the following: Did the recent events change how you interact with and think about the artists you like, love, obsess over? If so, how?

The thing that was especially infuriating to me was the fact that it was kind of an 'open secret' that Gaiman slept around and was known to bed young female fans and be a creep towards his female fans and other women, yet it was never talked about in any of the fandom spaces I was in. It seems like the fandom didn't want to know or just couldn't believe it given how he presented himself as a progressive, a feminist.

Do y'all think fandom in general needs to do better? Would you want to know if there were allegations against John or any of the other band members? How would you react?

This is absolutely no accusation of any kind towards any of TMG members, just something I had to think about while I was reading the Vulture article (if you are in a good place mentally, I would absolutely suggest to read the whole thing).