The separation of art and artist is a complex thing that differs from person to person. I think one universal aspect is that one's willingness to divest from art (or product, in this case) is relative to the ratio of disgust felt for the artist to desire for the product. Elon has reached a point of cultural over-saturation while Tesla's products move in the wrong direction on the ladder of cultural cache, the result of their (Tesla vehicles') own foibles and the industry as a whole just becoming more competitive. While plenty of people won't buy his cars, I'm sure they will or would still use a Tesla Supercharger if they could, because the value there is simply too compelling and the relationship is brief but powerful.Elon in particular has become a liability thanks to his deliberate efforts to be the face and voice of Tesla. For me and clearly others, it's no longer possible to think of Tesla independently of him. His products need to be that must better to work against it and they're just not making the cut.
Other products -- Shell, Nestle -- are reevaluated for disgust-vs-need each time. Most of us have tiny, brief interactions with these companies. There's no meaningful relationship, so I'd have to be extremely furious with a brand to avoid their product. Right now I'll get gas from Shell but not Lukoil, for instance.
metabagel|2 years ago