ARTISTS BEWARE: A LETTER TO THE ECONOMIST (March 9, 2011)

Only a fortnight ago you were enthusiastic about “the quest for creativity” in your article linking business and art (“The Art of Management,” February 19, 2011). Now you caution against “creative geniuses” who occasionally go awry (“When Stars Go Cuckoo,” March 5, 2011). And the stars in your story are John Galliano, until recently with Dior, Charlie Sheen, a radio and television comedian formerly with Columbia Broadcasting System and Warner Brothers, and Mel Gibson, once the “sexiest man alive” and the “hottest celebrity of Hollywood. How did they go cuckoo, though? They got drunk and blasphemed against the Jews. Goodness gracious. But the message is clear: the creative geniuses who leave the Jews alone are still to be sought after for all sorts of business ventures. To the profit of both business and art, no doubt. In short, artists beware, for the criterion is abundantly clear. Assuming, of course, that Galliano, Sheen, and Gibson are artists, to begin with. Schumpeter would have been proud of you for getting the message across so adroitly.