My Idol has fallen from the pedestal

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This may sound silly, but I have admired, and avidly perused the work of the murder mystery writer, Anne Perry for awhile. How I never knew of her background, I don't know. But yesterday, I was checking out a website about her, for the first time, and discovered that she is a convicted murderer.

Now, I feel weird about her. And when I read about the conditions surrounding the murder, they made me feel even worse. If it had been self defense, I would have felt differently. And the fact that she was a teen-ager, when she did this, makes me think about that movie, "The Bad Seed."

Silly, I know. But I am really, deeply affected by this.

I've seen that movie Heavenly Creatures. I didn't realise she'd gone on to become a writer.

All my idols have feet of clay. I think I've finally stopped idolising people.

aw it's not that good, maybe a 6 out of 10 for me. It was an early film for whatsername (Titanic's female lead) and also for the director who also went on to be famous (might be the Lord of the Rings guy, can't remember).

I don't really have an Idol. I see people as (I think) they really are: just normal people with faults and frailties like all others. I do, however, look up to how well someone does in a certain area.

Yes, she did have a coloured history, however without it she may not be the writer she is now. (That sounds bad considering the situation... but I have no other way to put it.)

Her writing is quite admirable, but she is human. We all are... as fortunate or unfortunate as that may be...

Actually, I quite liked Heavenly Creatures.

I can understand where you're coming from.

I used to really like H.G. Wells but then I found out that he was one of the major voices behind the Eugenics movement.

Arthur C Clarke is supposedly a pedophile.

aw I don't know that Carroll was. Arthur Clarke yeah, but Lewis Carroll...it's a different era, in Carroll's day taking naked photos of children wasn't dirty, since both children and nudity were 'pure'. I don't believe anything other than that took place with Carroll, he had a kind of crush on 'Alice' apparently, but uh I just don't think that counts as pedophilia.

I would feel the same way about it.

In a way you need to separate the art from the artist sometimes. Some of the greatest weirdos or creeps produced some of the finest artworks. I dont know why I even bought it, but I have a copy of the famous "Lie" album by cult leader Charles Manson (the guy who serves a life sentence for setting up the famous Tate murders). As repulsive the man may be, some of his songs are not even that bad when you try to ignore his non-musical acts for a second.

But I think it is normal to feel differently about a person you idolised and then suddenly appears to not be who she seemed to be. But this doesnt mean you cannot enjoy her arts anymore.

I can relate to how your feeling Hartzofspace.
I am an avid follower of Pro Wrestling and am/was a huge fan of Chris Benoit, a very well known, respected and influential wrestler who last year murdered his wife and his 7 yr old son before killing himself. While these actions absolutely appal me and I understand they far outweigh anything he achieved in his professional career, I still admire everything he did in the ring and watch some of his old matches on DVD from time to time. Is this morally wrong?, or is it possible to seperate the performer from the murderer and admire one aspect of his lifes history while simultaneously loathing another?