The Kelly Conversations: Kelly fans Jenny Benevento and Jake Austen WBEZ

Ahead of R. Kelly headlining Pitchfork Music Festival, WBEZ's Jim DeRogatis conducts a series of conversations with smart, passionate cultural critics.

http://www.wbez.org/kellyconvo

How does the true fan of R. Kelly's music balance the pleasure that music provides with the unpleasant knowledge of the acts he's been accused of? Should the private actions of an artist ever impact the appreciation of the art? And what is the responsibility of the fan who supports and artist whose misdeeds are hurting others?

Jenny Benevento is a librarian, a blogger, a cultural commentator, and co-host of the pop-culture podcast "Jenny & Paul Sell Out." Last October, she participated in an evening entitled "R. Kelly 101: Trapped in the Closet—What, How, Why?" sponsored by Homeroom at the Hungry Brain.

Jake Austen, who also sat on that panel, went to high school with Kelly at Kenwood Academy. He is the publisher of Roctober, the force behind the public access television show Chic-A-Go-Go, the singer in the Goblins, and the author of several books, including Flying Saucers Rock 'n' Roll: Conversations with Unjustly Obscure Rock 'n' Soul Eccentrics (Refiguring American Music) (Duke University Press) and Darkest America: Black Minstrelsy from Slavery to Hip-Hop (W.W. Norton).

WBEZ - Chicago Public Media: http://www.wbez.org

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The Kelly Conversations: Kelly fans Jenny Benevento and Jake Austen
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Music	Upload TimePublished on 10 Jul 2013