Sorry, I should have clarified. I mean how do I know what I actually find bad and what I don't like because I think I shouldn't.
It's like with people. We have a psychological tendency to find people we know and like more attractive. Sometimes this is good. Sometimes it isn't. I can't divorce my experience of something from everything going on around it but it shouldn't have the biggest effect on me either.
If we're talking morally, there are ways to determine if something is good through reason.
If we're talking in terms of production values, there's a certain amount of due diligence I'd expect of a work, for it to be considered high-quality.
I really hope that most people can look past the creator's personality and just evaluate the art...
I mean seriously, I would like to one day have WAY more readers than I do friends.
Oh my goodness. If we keep going, I can use my philosophy degree for the first time in years.
I agree. I think there's a minimum amount of time spent before something can be good.
Philosophy is one of those things that don't start to sink in until ten years after you graduate. Gotta love it now. 
I saw the first comment mentioning that it's normally a package deal, which I also believe in. Normally a creators views, feelings etc. are mirrored in their work. If I don't like/agree with those feelings then I dislike the story. I also find myself more attracted to stories with creators who engage with their readers and show their personality through comments, Q&A's or blogs, whatever really lets their personality shine. If I feel like I know and am connected to the creator then I am more likely to purchase and tip them for their work. It's the same with musical artists, I may like a song but I won't pay for it or go out of my way to support their new work if I don't like them as a person.
I have heard of this and yeah I can see that, though I think trying to find it in all of their works is kinda ridiculous, I mean as a creator I usually just think, "What is interesting? and how can I make this interesting?" more then how can I inject my views or feelings into my work, plus sometimes a story is just a story and looking for a meaning behind the story just makes the story less fun or interesting, like the lego movie
you could go and make a giant thesis paper on how it comments on society making you be a gear on the giant machine known as life and how people are slowly accepting the Orwellian nightmare that is modern day surveillance and governmental practices that are breaking and suppressing individual thought
or you could just turn off your brain and enjoy a funny and simple movie that brings back memories of how you played with Legos
depends on what you want to do and what your feelings are when you go into a story I guess
This yes.
It's like, I can't reflect ALL my views in a work. For example, I'm currently very against the repeal of net neutrality, but how the heck do you put that in a story about girl rooming with demons without getting into political satire which is not what my series is about?
Sometimes I can separate the work from the creator and sometimes I just can't. A good example for me is the creator of Rouroni Kenshin when I found out he was arrested for pedophilia, I lost all respect for him including his work because I was so disgusted. Back in high school I actually enjoyed the series.
I'm normally able to get past a lot of things like the creator being a jerk or different views in politics etc.
Of course. But if you look at someone's body of work you tend to see certain trends. And sometimes a single work can reveal one of the author's views, which in turn can be enough to reach a conclusion.
For example, there's the comic I mentioned where the author allowed one of the characters get away with genocide.
I suppose some creators are definitely "preachier" than others, and I think overall they'd have a harder time appealing to wide audiences anyway, so anyone who does like their stuff will like those views regardless.
On another note I can totally enjoy a person and their personality but find their work base and unappealing.
It depends, and sometimes the rejection is more unconscious (as in I just kinda forget and stop caring about their work and then when I'm reminded it exists I get more disgusted than happy thinking about it?). If it's just small stuff like the person has different ideologies or opinions but is not too pushy about it, then I don't mind. But if they're absolute dicks or if things that hurt me personally seep into their work then it becomes really hard to enjoy it.
Example of the prior: Some interactions I have had with a small group of other webcomic creators. I have had cases where I was eyeing someone's comic for a while and then they acted like an absolute bitch either to me or just in general. After that, I keep thinking "Ugh it's that uptight bitch" when I see their stuff, until I see improvements in their behavior. Which, I should mention, I always hope to see and I am always open to change my view of them. But them actually improving is extremely rare.
Another example would be Marilyn Manson. I was crazy about his stuff in my teens, so I rarely listen his stuff now because it's kinda "listened to death". However when I do I find it hard to decide whether I like it or not, since I did read his autobiography and know what a piece of biphobic shit he is. Buncha talk about "ALL WOMEN ARE INHERETLY LESBIAN" but all men aren't because man+man would be icky, except he has kissed men on cam (also didn't he engage in oral sex with one??? There is so much contradictory drama around this dude that I can't even remember it all), but he IS NOT BI!!!!!! NEVER!!!! HOW DARE U
Also it's because of my interest in Marilyn Manson that my previous sexual abuser found me, and many of the songs have dumb/offensive lyrics. Honestly I think only reason I still put a record on once in a while is because the sound is kinda cool and because it's nostalgic.
Example of the latter would be... Well almost any alternative band ever. Which is sad because I love the sound, but the lyrics are often preachingly pessimistic, pro-suicide, anti-religious, "life is worthless", or some other crap that will send me into a panic attack >_>
Like this:
Wtf is the point in stinking down such good musical writing with such shitty lyrics? It might be because of the experiences I've had with certain extremists, but all I read out of this is "your loved ones rot in the earth and all you have is memories which you should be happy about i guess but your beliefs are dumb lol fuck u"
This is why music that is good on all points is a rare jewel that you HOLD ON TO FOREVER
There are exceptions to this rule tho.
YES HE IS BLOWING A KISS TO THE CAMERA WHILE SUGGESTING DOUBLE SUICIDE
YES IT LOOKS FUCKING SILLY
YES THE LYRICS ARE EMO AS FUCK AND I DON'T AGREE WITH IT ONE BIT
but that voice man I can't
That may be what fans of the genre expect. I can just see a band sitting down with their marketing team and being told that their latest work just doesn't haven enough references to wrist-slashing and that they ought to ramp up the nihilism a little bit.
Sad thing is that is sortof the case (not literally but yea), but the more of that type of content there is clogging up this side of the market, the more it will encourage that type of behavior and the worse it will make all metalheads and goths look. Most of us are chill people who just happen to like the music and clothes, and want to embrace the idea that individuality is good.
That's another thing... We're supposed to be a subculture about celebrating individuality, but a lot of times I see other goths or alternatives being extremely judgemental towards your average pop girl, or even people within the community for "not being goth enough".
AND THEN THEY TURN AROUND AND CALL ANDREW ELDRITCH GOTH AND HE CANNOT FUCKING STAND IT BUT ALL HE HAD TO DO TO DESERVE THE TERM WAS WEARING BLACK AND HAVING A BARITONE VOICE???
Some people, man 
I should shut up before I derail the topic.
the reasons why I hear mostly power metal or orchestral metal, they all sound like anime openings and talk about being epic even in the face of horrible odds
EDIT: subculture is in itself a culture and what do cultures love to do? alienate anything that isn't part of the culture, -_- I seriously hate tribe mentality and labelling people, also the fuk with Marilyn? that makes me sad cause he seemed like such a down to earth dude, like when they asked him what he would tell the Columbine shooters he said "nothing I would listen cause it seemed nobody did"
but damn didn't know he was such a crazy dude DX, still love his music though
Oh that would be the adhd actually, I go into all caps when I am excited or very invested in a topic so I type really fast and then I CAPS TO EMPHASIZE MY FEELINGS AND YES I AM THIS LOUD IRL
I just realized, back on topic, that I have an inherent difficulty liking creators who talk in a very unenthusiastic manner to their fans. Like... if it sounds like they are just doing a chore, short sentenced... that kind of ordeal.
Or they only care about a few of their fans and praise the shit out of those fans but ignore or shame the rest... Idunno I get a bit of a bad taste in my mouth I guess. As a creator I try to distribute my replies randomly (since I am on a time limit) so people feel like they all have an equal chance of getting my immediate attention. I think some creators forget just how valuable a response can be to the fan behind that username. Or that many of them are teens struggling with their self worth and that being recognized can make such a huge difference. I remember I once received an agreeing reply from Aurelio Voltaire, and it may sound silly but it made me go "wow we're equals", and it also made me go "maybe I can do great things too?" This was yeaaaaars ago but yea
What creator wouldn't want to at least try to give their fans that? All it takes is a 1-2 sentence reply once in a while. Simply seeing a creator respond to other users even if it's not yourself can create a similar feeling of equality.
Haha he did have his intelligent moments and those are what I focused on as a teen. Problem is the shitty ones kinda outweigh the good ones with time.
You don't know much about Marilyn, do ya?
He bragged in his bio about him and his band covering a hooker in meat and pissing on her.
One wonders just how much of that bio was made up bullshit that he just rambled on about because he was high during the interview, and how much is true. Regardless, he is a messed up man, as many heavy drug users are.
oh if its biography's ... you do know those are mostly made up like 99% of the times XD
I'm sure he's messed up but I wouldn't really use his bio as evidence since most of those are marketing ploys made to pander to the demographic, which in this case would be crazy edgy teenagers
I never investigate authors, cause I don't really care about them I only care about their work, though if they do do something horrible I will probably hear about it and then leave their work (looks at most of hollywood right know), so sad I loved little bill growing up =( why did the author have to ruin it for everyone?
That doesn't change the fact that it's still sexist af to say all women are bi or lesbian whereas men are supposedly a different ordeal?!
There was more offensive shit in that thing and in other interviews, as well as many of his lyrics (HE USES THE N WORD. Also he keeps using the word "rape" in its various forms for... really unneccessary reasons. IMO rape isn't something you refer to just to be edgy.)
