Simplified Speech # 242 – Separating the art from the artist
Culips Everyday English Podcast
Culips English Podcast
4.8 • 979 Ratings
🗓️ 26 February 2026
⏱️ 28 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
In this Simplified Speech episode, Andrew and Indiana discuss a difficult question: Can you separate the art from the artist? Sometimes, famous singers, writers, or actors do bad things or share opinions that hurt other people. Andrew and Indiana talk about if it is OK to still enjoy their music, books, or movies when this happens.
By listening to this conversation, you will learn useful vocabulary to talk about controversy and personal values. This lesson will help you practice listening to natural English conversations and express your own thoughts about famous people who make bad choices.
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Fun Fact
Did you know that the popular word “canceled” actually comes from a 1991 movie? In the film New Jack City, a gangster gets angry at his girlfriend and tells someone to “cancel” her. Years later, people on social media started using this exact word to say they will stop supporting famous people who make bad choices. It shows how a simple movie line can grow into a word that everyone uses to talk about problematic artists today.
Expression list
- problematic
- separate the art from the artists
- clear-cut
- blanket statement
- to own up to
- boycotting
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | Hello, everyone, and welcome back to simplified speech, the Culep series, which features clear, |
| 0:05.4 | natural, and easy to understand conversations about fascinating topics. Today, I am joined by my co-host, |
| 0:13.1 | Indiana, and we're going to talk about problematic artists and if we can separate the art from the artists. So yeah, joining me as my co-host, |
| 0:25.9 | it's Indiana. Hey, Indiana. How's it going? Hey, Indiana. How's it going? Hey, I'm doing pretty good. |
| 0:30.7 | So that's right. So today we're talking about what it means when we say an artist is problematic, what it means to separate the art from the |
| 0:42.1 | artist. And we're also going to talk about several examples of artists who people consider to be |
| 0:49.1 | problematic and talk about why do people think they're problematic? What behaviors or political beliefs or crimes |
| 0:57.2 | have they committed for people to think of them as problematic? Yeah, and we're also going to chat |
| 1:04.2 | a little bit about how we feel if our friends support artists that we think are problematic. |
| 1:12.8 | So, guys, in this episode, we'll get into all of those topics and more. |
| 1:16.3 | And along the way, of course, we'll teach you all of the key vocabulary that you need to know |
| 1:21.0 | to be able to understand conversations about this topic and to be able to speak about this topic. |
| 1:28.0 | And for all QOFs members, there's also a helpful study guide, an interactive transcript, |
| 1:33.4 | a quiz, and much more available to help you and to guide you through this episode. |
| 1:38.9 | So if you'd like to get that helpful study guide, visit our website, culeps.com. |
| 1:43.0 | You can sign up and become a QL's member for an affordable price and get the guide |
| 1:47.8 | and really get the most out of this episode. |
| 1:52.1 | Okay, and with that being said, let's get started with our conversation, Indiana. |
| 1:57.4 | Here we go. |
| 2:09.8 | So today we are talking about separating the art from the artist and indiana we've been meaning to record about this episode topic for a little while here but finally today is the day |
| 2:16.7 | and i think this will be an |
| 2:18.7 | interesting conversation and one that I'm really curious about your perspective on. So let's get |
... |
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