The Failings Of The Gifted
The uncovering of sexual abuse and harassment by the #metoo campaign raises probing questions. These are not new. The films of Woody Allen and Roman Polanski have long divided people. Both are outstanding directors, but their private lives are marred by lurid evidence of wrongdoing.

 There is something peculiar about art that lends itself to such judgments. Daily transactions are made with people whose backgrounds leave much to be desired. But we don’t feel the need to take a stand over the backgrounds of those who work in more prosaic occupations, like driving buses, cleaning windows and selling tickets. We are content to receive the services offered. The transcendence of art provokes and inspires us to ask deeper questions about the good life. The aesthetic it evokes compels a curious loyalty to the artist. We feel let down if they mess up. The artist’s profession witnesses to higher meanings; it is not dissimilar to the priest whose sins are revealed.
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