What is it with people idolising junkies such as Kurt Cobain, Ozzy Osbourne, the list really could go on...
If you idolise someone like Kurt Cobain (or whatever other artists do drugs heavily or have died from drug use), why would you do such a thing?
because the artist's addictions dont have an impact on why i like their music or their work? when i'm listening to ozzy, for example, i'm not thinking about how many drugs he put up his ass
i'm not sure if i'm the right demografic for this, tho, i dont idolise artists lmao
even after the fact of their work being great, theyre still great people regardless of their addictions
The "tortured artist" archetype is something people have always romanticized and/or found intriguing. Goes back ages (I always think of the 19th century poets and impressionist painters as good examples). People see themselves/or aspects of themselves in these people (whether they turn out to be junkies or not, up to them) and their struggles, and they relate to the art or music as symbols of internal struggle. The idolizing aspect is odd and something I've never understood, but I do find it interesting to read about these people on Wikipedia.
Well some people just think drugs are cool. But most people just like the music, and some people choose to go deeper and admire the genius behind it. So Kurt Cobain's behaviour gets glamourized as the beautiful pain behind unbridled greatness. It's pretty hollow, but rockstars and tortured artists are marketable characters.
There's also the notion that drugs and mental illness make musicians better at their craft. Some of the most impactful works of our time have been made while high and depressed beyond belief, I don't think there's any denying that, but obviously you don't need to be on death's door to be a capable artist.
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