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Carrie Brownstein Compares Black Lips' Swilley to Roman Polanski

Carrie BrownsteinSleater-Kinney's Carrie Brownstein has a problem with the Black Lips bassist Jared Swilley's use of the word "f----t" in a recent statement. Swilley used the slur multiple times earlier this week when he gave his account of a fight he had with Nathan Williams of Wavves at a Brooklyn bar last Friday.

In an NPR blog post titled "Loving the Art But Not the Artist," Brownstein wrote, "You will find that many people have a problem with Silley's pervasive use of the word. I, for the record, have a problem with it, as well." She also takes aim at Roman Polanski in the wake of the news that the famed director was arrested in and could be extradited back to the US for charges of drugging and raping a 13 year old girl in 1977.

"Despite the wide gap in literal offensiveness between Polanski's actual crimes and Swilley's ugly words, some might toss out their Black Lips records and yet continue to watch 'Rosemary's Baby.' Why is that?" Brownstein wrote. "Perhaps it's easier to separate the art from the artist within the forgiving lens of hindsight. (It's a lot easier to forgive and forget if the artists lived and died well before our time.) And maybe we make exception for the supposed great ones, or those time-tested artists -- exceptions that we wouldn't make for those we consider our peers."

"There are also the ethical lines, based on our own histories and experiences, that each of us draws in the sand," she continued. "These lines, when crossed by our most cherished or worshipped artists, may result in an outright rejection of them. Or, if their mishap doesn't affect us personally, we might be able to overlook it. For others, and thus far I am among this group, I do find it relatively easy to separate art from artist. However, that is not to say that I don't think the artist should be held accountable. Swilley needs a dictionary, and to find a new insult, but Polanski's actions are indefensible."

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Scott

Who the hell are these people? She talks about separating the art from the artist. Okay, so don't have to stop listening to Black Lips because their bassist called someone a f----t or stop watching Polanski's films because he gave a 13 year old girl drugs and alcohol then raped her. I wonder if she feels as strongly about separating the art from the artist in the cases of Charles Manson (songwriter) and John Wayne Gacy (painter, clown).

October 02 2009 at 12:16 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
cheri

Polanski is a child rapist. He admitted to the fact in court. There is a difference in being accussed and actually being guilty. Any idiot that would say Polanski's art should overshadow being a pedophile is ignorant. He should do the time associated with the crime. I will never rent, but or pay for a movie ticket for any artist that signed the petition in favor of teh child rapist.

October 01 2009 at 11:46 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Wayne

It's a good thing she's got a blog to babble on to because sure as hell nobody would waste their time listening to her blithering blather.

October 01 2009 at 10:59 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Joe

This article is nothing. I am really steamed about Whoopie Goldberg's statements on "The View" this week about Polanski. She said that this was not a "rape rape". What the hell does that mean and where is the outrage from the womens right groups? All women should be boycotting "The View" and every single advertiser who advertises on that show until Goldberg is fired from it.

October 01 2009 at 10:57 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
jimbo

Who are these people and groups????? Do I hear them on the radio or see their cd's in the store and not know it?????? Have no clue, but there are a billion bands anymore so who knows?????

October 01 2009 at 9:32 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
kramerdad1

bet all you youngsters out there wondering what the fuss about polanski is? well here's what your liberal media has failed to report, polanski plead Guilty to unlawful touching of a minot=r the fled the country to avoid his sentance, he wasn't arrested for the rape, he was arrested as a felon for fleeing the country.

October 01 2009 at 9:02 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to kramerdad1's comment
queenforce

and what that makes him less guilty? makes what he did ok and not that wrong? Trust me if he didn't have money he would have went to jail for what he did and not just for fleeing the country? I'm sure just like michael jackson someone will get paid off and he'll be set free. Just imagine all the girls he's raped or took advantage of overseas or in 3rd world countries. He should haved his pecker removed, end of story.

October 02 2009 at 1:03 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
spinblastr

Whoever posts these stupid stories obviously has crappy taste in music. Every day, there's something about some stupid outcast band that almost nobody likes and nobody has heard of. The next time I hear about one of these no-name musicians, I hope the headline reads something like "Busload of Talentless Musicians Plunges Off Cliff."

October 01 2009 at 8:12 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
cole alexander

Roman Polanski could rape and kill hundreds of children....and his art would still be 100 times better than thing Carrie Brownstein has ever done. If you want morals then go to a preacher. You would be surprised at what some of your favorite artists have said and done. I don't even think rock n roll would exist if it was only done by those of sound moral character.Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis... even Micheal Jackson (RIP) ...all brilliant. I wouldn't give them up for the world. I would rather have them than jesus and the Dalai Lama combined.

October 01 2009 at 5:40 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
2 replies to cole alexander's comment
lita

My goodness. What a sick rant.

October 02 2009 at 1:54 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
gnemalie

That has to be one of the most supreme examples of douch baggery I've ever witnessed. I guess if you don't mind an "artist" plying your 13 year old (7th grade) daughter with ludes and booze and then sodomizing her, that's your choice (perhaps you think this behavior is cool even for non-artists?) But we have laws (mostly for the uncivilized who have no morals and can't differentiate between right and wrong), and if they are broken, dirty pervs like Polanski need to pay the price. I hope the old perv spends the rest of his pathetic life in jail. Yes, pathetic. What good is a man, regardless of his 'art", when his soul is black and he has no heart? He's a pig and anyone who defends him is just as bad. If he were a Catholic priest, dumbarses like you would be screaming for him to be strung up by his @#!!$. Well, if it's good enough for those pervs, it's befitting this one, too. As for you and your daughters (present or future)? GUys like you obviously shouldn't be a parent. If some artist wanted to rape them, you'd probably approve as long as they gave you a sneak peek of their latest movie. You, and the idiots in HOllywood that defend this creep, are souless.

October 02 2009 at 3:42 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply