Enjoying Problematic Authors
Ethical Content Consumerism for Conscientious Readers
What is ethical consumerism and what does it mean to you? What does it mean for your media consumption—the books you read, the video games you play, the movies you go to? For me it means I haven’t seen a Tom Cruise movie since War of the Worlds (2005). I must admit: I haven’t missed him.
There was a time when I thought of Stephenie Meyer as wildly problematic for her portrayal of abusive relationships (in general) and controlling teenage boyfriends (specifically) as desirable and romantic. But that was before J.K. Rowling came scuttling out of her Scottish manse and shrieked “hold my butterbeer.”
The purpose of this article is not to tell you which content creators you should find problematic and it’s not to tell you why certain creators may be problematic. I’m not going to explain J.K. Rowling’s recent comments and why they have made her problematic for me. Whoever you are, regardless of your personal politics and beliefs, you can probably think of an author, actor, or artist that you find problematic for their non-content-related behavior. What do you do when a person you find morally objectionable is someone who also produces content that you want to consume? This article is to help you find strategies to ethically consume content made by people who are problematic for you.
Due to J.K. Rowling’s recent public comments and the unusual size of her fanbase, more people than ever are experiencing this uncomfortable situation for the first time. A beloved fandom. Books, movies, and games that you love to read, watch, and play. And now, out of nowhere, the progenitor of all this entertainment has revealed themself as a person you can’t stomach supporting.
This is not my first rodeo. I’ve been reading Orson Scott Card since the 1980s. And I mean reading all of that Card catalog. Not just the good content like the Ender series or the okay content like the Alvin Maker series, but also the wacky, off-the-wall stuff like the Women of Genesis and the Christopher Columbus apologia. Unfortunately, Card’s emphatic comments on social issues unrelated to his body of work—and his insistence on standing by them for the last 30 years—make him incompatible with receiving money from me. But I still enjoy the content. How can I square it?
First of all: I can’t advise that you steal content. Can theft ever be ethical? Probably, yes. In any case, to reiterate, I am not advocating that you steal or pirate content. Where did you even get that idea? Not from Shelf Life. Would you download a car? Rhetorical question; don’t answer.
(There’s one book you should never pay for and always make an effort to steal or pirate. If you pay money for it—especially on Amazon—Abbie Hoffman dies all over again.)
Vote With Your Wallet
The first step in dealing with a problematic creator is to think critically about giving them your money or causing them to be given money by someone else. There are plenty of ways to avoid making a financial contribution or at least minimizing the contribution you make—with varying levels of effectiveness.
What about all the ancillary personnel associated with the product who also won’t get money? I hear this argument all the time. If I don’t buy a ticket to see the new Fantastic Beasts what happens to Johnny the key grip? What about his career? He never did anything wrong. J.K. Rowling’s comments shouldn’t take money out of Johnny’s pocket. Won’t someone please think of the key grips?
The grip, the editorial assistant, the beta tester, the assistant to the assistant marketing manager—they already got paid. If the content is available for purchase, then they already got their money. These folks do not get a royalty based on how well the content performs. They don’t have points on the back end. If you decline to buy a ticket to Fantastic Beasts, does Warner Brothers go out of business? If everyone declines to buy a ticket to Fantastic Beasts, what then? Then Warner Brothers gets a memo not to make any more of these movies and they make some other movie.
At the end of the day there are not going to be fewer movies. But there could be fewer movies that profit J.K. Rowling. That means more jobs available on movies that don’t fund harmful people and their platforms. Not everyone has the luxury of turning down a job they need just because they don’t like what the end result supports. I have had to work on content whose authors I didn’t agree with or whose message was offensive to me. I’d prefer that the publisher did not sign these books and signed some other books instead. It’s much easier for me as a consumer to decline to purchase a product than it is for me as a person in need of employment to turn down a job.
You can always opt simply to not consume the content. Cut the creator out of your life and forget they ever rented real estate in your brain. That makes sure they don’t get your money, but you don’t get the content either. A highly ethical choice but not what this article is about.
Minimize the Damage
Not all royalties are created equal. As a general rule, an author will make the highest royalty on electronic products like e-books and audiobooks. Hardcover books typically have a higher royalty rate (percentage) than trade paperbacks, which in turn pay a higher royalty rate than mass market paperbacks. Another thing to keep in mind about royalties is that they often graduate in tiers, so the more copies a given book sells, the higher percent of the revenue goes to the author. Finally, if the author self-publishes their book they’re getting all of the profit from that product (except for whatever the distributor takes). If you have to own a book, and you have to get it new, consider the format you are purchasing and how that affects the author’s bottom line. Shop accordingly.
Borrow a Copy
You can borrow a book or a movie from the library. When you use the library your dollar doesn’t directly go toward a royalty for the creator. If you can borrow from a friend, you’ll subvert the creator more effectively than if you borrow from the library. Why? Because when you borrow from the library you create demand for the material and the acquiring librarian gets these data. They may purchase more copies of the book you borrowed and they will very likely make a point to acquire future content by this creator because they know their patrons are interested.
That said, supporting public libraries is a huge social good. Use your local library, love your local library. Just consider the message you send your library when you seek out problematic content there.
When you borrow from a friend, you avoid sending future money to the creator, directly or indirectly. You also have a built-in book buddy to discuss the content with after you’ve read it. If the person you borrow from doesn’t share your view that the author is problematic, you have the option to engage them in respectful discussion about that as well.
Buy It Used
Publishers absolutely hate it when you buy a used book, movie, or video game. They don’t get a cut of that second sale and neither does the author. You don’t drive up their lifetime unit sales. You don’t generate more demand for their content. If you are a person who would otherwise buy a new book, then buying used denies that creator a sale. Buying used books is my favorite way to stick it to the man (or the woman, as often as not).
What’s the best way to buy used books? In normal times, support your local independent used booksellers. With a pandemic going, frivolous trips out into the world are ill-advised and you need another strategy.
My favorite online used bookshop is Better World Books. Books ship free, and each one you purchase triggers a donation of a book to a person in need. You can pay a few cents more for carbon offset shipping. They do all kinds of book-related good in the world, which you can read about on their site. I enjoy supporting them. None of your money goes to Bezos, who is also intensely problematic. Better World Books, by the way, is a great place to find rare and out-of-print books.
A nice thing about buying books used, in addition to what I have mentioned above, is that they tend to be cheaper than new ones (unless they are rare). For example, I spotted a used copy of Ender’s Game at Better World Books for about $4. The mass market paperback is about $8 new. If you have $8 to spend, and if (like me) you are a prolific recommender of the books you like, then consider picking up two used copies instead of a single new one. One to keep and one to give away the next time you recommend it. Now you’re thwarting multiple sales.
This is consuming not just ethically but also with seditious intent. It’s lovely.
If you’re not the type to grow attached to worldly goods, what will you do with your copy after you’ve read it? When you donate a book to a library, remember that it will not end up on the library’s shelves for others to borrow. It will most likely be sold at a book sale to help fund the library, which is ethical but perhaps not where you expected your donation to go. In addition to library donations, consider:
Giving your copy back to a used bookstore, thereby returning it to the used-book economy for another ethical consumer to find.
Donating it to a nonprofit that accepts books and gets them to those who need them—for instance, Books for Africa; Books Through Bars; or Operation Paperback. If you’re a fellow Marylander, the Maryland Book Bank takes donations in person or by mail.
Donating it to a local shelter, retirement home, daycare, or school library—especially one that might otherwise purchase a new copy for their users.
Dropping it off in a Little Free Library in your community.
Support a Worthy Substitute
Rowling isn’t the only supernatural boarding school game in town nor is she the first nor even the best. Jill Murphy’s The Worst Witch. Nnedi Okorafor’s Akata Witch. Ursula Le Guin’s Earthsea. Richelle Mead’s Vampire Academy. Rachel Hawkins’s Hex Hall. Justina Ireland’s Dread Nation (if you want a little zombie on the side of your YA boarding school fantasy, which, face it, you know you do). Show me any problematic creator and I’ll show you an alternative you can be comfortable supporting.
If you (or the person you’re shopping for) are not already a fan of the problematic creator, reach for one of their competitors instead. I can think of very few authors I would consider incomparable to the point where I couldn’t enjoy someone else’s work instead of theirs. When you buy these books—especially new copies, e-books, or audiobooks—you support an unproblematic creator and you send a message to the publisher that the world wants more of their work.
Advocate for What You Believe
In addition to the strategies above you can—and should—also advocate for the things that are important to you. If you have made the choice to withhold your patronage from a creator because of their behavior, let them know. Let everyone know.
Call Out the Creator
Reach out to the creator and let them know that you are disappointed in their words or actions. Write them a private letter or email. If you feel you can do so safely, tweet at them or comment on their insta. If you think a single voice won’t make a difference, know that you will almost always be joining a chorus.
Tell Their Publisher
Let the publisher that makes this author available know that you find them objectionable. It’s not always easy to make yourself heard to a famous person and even when you do they may not care. It’s much easier to get hold of someone at the publisher. Let them know you’re concerned about the person they are supporting. If their decision to support this creator affects your decision to purchase other products from the publisher, definitely tell them that. Ask them what they are doing to ameliorate the damage (ie, how will they support those who may be harmed by the creator they are promoting?). Personally I would not spend energy going to town on Scholastic for publishing the Harry Potter series years before J.K. Rowling became a concern for me; but I definitely have some words for Hachette UK on their decision to publish her new content in 2020.
Raise Awareness
Talk to your friends about the creator and why their beliefs trouble you. Share articles about them on social media. Write about them in your e-newsletter. Promote alternate voices. Support the populations or communities they are harming. Question problematic statements publicly. Don’t stand by quietly while a creator with an enormous public platform uses their voice to further marginalize vulnerable populations. Be loud.
Counteract the Harm
Finally, if you put money toward a problematic creator or devote time to their creation, consider donating an equal or greater amount of money or time back to the people who have been or are being hurt by their beliefs. Let’s say you can’t imagine denying your child the joy of a Dr Seuss book but you have concerns about your money going to the Geisel estate and adding to lifetime sales figures. In addition to acquiring his book in an ethical way you could also:
Make a monetary donation or volunteer as a field advocate with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.
Donate the cost of a new book to the Japanese American Citizens League or to Denshō.
If you have personal experience with mental health conditions, you could volunteer to staff your local NAMI warmline.
If content has been enjoyable or even meaningful to you, don't feel that you have to completely eradicate it just because the creator has gone down a dark road. It’s possible to divorce the creator from their creation. As a famous author once wrote, “Sickness and healing are in every heart.”
Can't think who.
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