What's Wrong With Selling Out?

Accusing someone of being a “sell-out” involves the use of a pejorative term that impugns the character of that person. It is often applied to artists who, for commercial gain, are perceived to have compromised their values or their artistic integrity.1 In certain cultural contexts, the claim of being a sell-out has been a potent criticism; one with which artists have gone to great lengths to avoid being charged. It is not just a recent preoccupation of independent artists. The term reflects longstanding concerns about the relationship between art and commerce, in particular, with the ways that esthetic ideals can be undermined when the production and distribution of art is driven by commercial interests.