You Better Call Tyrone & Have Him Come Get You Out of This Mess: Erykah Badu Under Fire for Humanizing Hitler

During a recent interview with Vulture, Erykah Badu was asked if she can separate an artists' actions with their art. The examples used was XXXTENTACION and Bill Cosby, both who have a known past assaulting women. Badu went on to say that "hurt people hurt people" and questioned why she should be upset with someone who's sick [hurt]. Badu says that she weighs everything and that she has the skill to see the good and the bad. She prides herself on not being one to follow the crowd and is able to think for herself, even if it means upsetting others. All of that is fine and dandy until Badu said, "I'm a humanist. I see the good in everybody. I saw something good in Hitler." This left the interviewer and readers at home going: 

Did Erykah Badu really just try to humanize Hitler? She even went on to say that he was a wonderful painter. The interviewer, David Marchese, was not going to let Ms. Badu get away with that statement. He quickly clapped back and said "No he wasn't! And even if he was, what would his skill as a painter have to do with any 'good' in him?" Chile this interview was quickly turning into:

Badu tried to justify her comments by saying he had a bad childhood and that she imagines what would happen if her daughter, Mars, had one and how it would have affected her. As a jewish man Marchese was having none of that. He really struggled to comprehend why Badu would be able to see the good in people in a world where racism and anti-Semitism is on the rise. Badu just chalked up his trouble by saying he's a Pisces and that's why he feels the way he does. 

Erykah Badu choses to see the good in people and while that's a good trait it can also be toxic. It can be very easy to excuse one's unacceptable behavior by saying "oh he had a bad childhood" "he's just sick" instead of holding them accountable for their actions. It seems that Badu has a history of justifying a man's inappropriate behavior. Back in 2016 she tweeted, "Being attracted to a young woman in a short skirt does not make one a "pervert" It makes them human." 

I'm going to need Ms. Badu to stop looking over the one's who are being oppressed and abused and humanize them as well. No more victim-blaming or belittling of one's abuse. Instead of showing compassion for abusers, show them for the ones who are being abused. There is no excuse for what Hitler, Bill Cosby, or an other abusers' actions.