Maybe it’s because I don’t get out enough, but I’ve come to find the selection on Netflix Instant to be a barometer of shifting attitudes in pop culture.

On Nov. 19, the streaming site announced it was “postponing” the Bill Cosby stand-up special it had planned to release, due to the recent flood of survivors coming forward with rape accusations against him.

The tarnishing of Bill Cosby’s image and the rapid crumble of his career is more than justified. When more than a dozen women come forward to publicly accuse someone of sexual assault, when they have absolutely no ulterior motives for doing so, it’s delusional to believe the alleged rapist’s side of the story.

Cosby’s image as a pillar of morality has long been intertwined with his comedic work, especially while portraying the lovable father figure on the Cosby Show. It’s hard to tease apart the man’s work and the man himself and as such, it’s hard to justify enjoying his comedy after learning of the horrific things he has done.

Contrast Netflix’s treatment of Cosby to that of Woody Allen. Allen, another long and widely adored Hollywood figure, has some very damning evidence against him. He has been accused of sexually abusing his adoptive daughter from a very young age, and he is married to a woman he began a relationship with while she was still his underage stepdaughter.

Unlike the conspicuous void you’ll find when searching for Cosby films on Netflix, the movie streaming service offers almost a dozen of Allen’s classic films. Why the starkly contrasted difference in treatment?

It’s challenging to know where to draw the line when it comes to consuming the work of problematic artists. I love singing along to “Ignition Remix” by R. Kelly, but he has a long history, documented by the legal system, of engaging in sexual activity with underage girls. I find “Fancy” by Iggy Azalea to be undeniably catchy despite the fact that she has tweeted some very racist things in the past.

I would consider myself a fan of many celebrities who have done problematic and offensive things in the past. My ability to justify my enjoyment of these celebrities seems to stem from a number of potential factors:

1. I am able to separate the person’s work from the actual person. I find this easiest with musicians — most of the time, I am not associating a face with the work of theirs that I’m consuming.

2. The celebrity has apologized for past behaviors, or has otherwise provided some sort of reparation for past mistakes.

3. I can see why the celebrity made the mistake that they did. Celebrities are humans and, as the saying goes, “to err is human,” so some leeway or acceptance of their shortcomings must be allowed.

Acknowledging the problematic aspects of any celebrity is an important way to raise awareness and hold these public figures to a higher standard. I am able to listen to an R. Kelly song and recognize that the person who made it has done some really awful things, but the music he made is catchy and I like dancing to it.

I can’t make the same justifications for Bill Cosby, or for that matter, Woody Allen.

The “mistakes” that these famous figures made do not fall under the category of “everybody makes mistakes.” These men, if accusations are to be believed (and I believe them), are repeat offenders who have used their power and fame to get away with doing unforgivable acts.

The spotlight is on Cosby now, but the accusations against him are hardly brand new. Women have been coming forward about his actions since 2002. It wasn’t until comedian Hannibal Buress called Cosby a “rapist” in a stand-up performance this past October that public attitude toward Cosby changed.

Allegations against Woody Allen have been public since the early ’90s. Like attitudes toward Cosby before the resurgence of awareness about his actions, many are aware that allegations exist against Allen, but few care enough to speak against him or to actively avoid watching his movies.

I’ve seen a fair number of Woody Allen movies in the past. Some I liked, others I was indifferent about, but none of them were good enough to justify the general population’s looking the other way while his crimes have been publicized.

The swift public denouncement of Cosby was pretty incredible. What’s keeping us from doing the same to Woody Allen?