Saturday, November 24, 2007

Journal: mass culture v. "arts culture"

Posted by John Stoehr on Sat, Nov 24, 2007 at 2:41 PM

Doug McLennan over at ArtsJournal continues examining the nature of American mainstream culture, this time by offering the notion of an "arts culture" that has increased since the 1960s while mass culture, via television, has diversified since then. He writes: "I'm not even arguing that the audience for classical music rivals that for the pop star du jour. My point is this: Since most culture is defined in part by its relationships with the other cultures around it, if mass culture is losing its ability to gather huge audiences, and arts culture is growing, the relationship between the two needs some redefinition."

Here are some of his statistics:

In 1950 there was only one full time orchestra in America. In 1965, there were only three state arts commissions. Now there are 18 full 52-week orchestras, and more than 3,000 arts commissions at the local and state levels. The 1990s were the biggest expansion of arts activity in American history; we went on a construction binge, building more than $25 billion worth of new museums, theatres, concert halls and cultural centers. Since 1990, almost one-third of all American museums have expanded their facilities. Major American museums such as the Met and the Museum of Modern Art are now so crowded the experience of visiting them has degraded.

The number of performing arts groups is up 48 percent since 1982. Last year American music schools graduated more than 14,000 students, and new fine art academies are popping up all over and overflowing with students. There are more than 250,000 choruses in America - that's choruses, not people in choruses. That means that more than four million people a week are getting together to sing. There are at least that many book clubs. Opera attendance is up 40 percent since 1990. Band instrument sales are at an all-time high, and in cities like Seattle, where I live, the youth orchestra program is so crowded, more and more orchestras have been added. Culture is a $166 billion industry, accounts for 5.7 million jobs and is America's top export.

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The GOP is just using the same tactics that the Bush Administration uses. Avoid the issues by trying to control the framing of the conversation. The GOP doesn't want us to talk about supporting our troops by bringing them home (oops, another couple of slogans there). They would rather attack Edwards, who is trying to remind Congress that the people spoke loudly in November. We want our troops home ASAP, safe and sound.

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Posted by Kristen on May 24, 2007 at 12:45 PM

When Republicans have nothing material refutations to such cogent arguments like the ones Edwards made yesterday, they revert to "emboldening the enemy" and other *slogans*. Slogans are basically the Republican modus operandi across a host of issues: taxation ("raising taxes on working people"), family values ("As [insert elected office], I'll make families stronger."), etc., etc. They never present a plan or explain how they will help Americans, it's always some symbolic, normative, declarative statement. By contrast, Edwards may declare things--that there is no such thing as a war on terror, that there are two healthcare and education systems, etc.--but he always follows up these bold, declarative statements with detailed policy plans. The Republicans are shaking in their boots, especially Giuliani--with even fewer credentials, less integrity, and fewer values than other Republican candidates.

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Posted by Sam K. on May 24, 2007 at 1:04 PM

If the GOP is attacking Edwards, he must be doing something right! Remember, the GOP state party chair Dawson gets his talking points from the RNC so original thoughts and content on his part is not needed. Every GOP inspired pundit out there uses the same tired (needing to be retired) phrases. I'm afraid that I have to agree with a fictional character, Borat when he approved of Bush's war 'of terror.' The old chestnut that the GOP dusts off from time to time, 'we have to fight them over there so they don't fight us over here' has certainly proven to be untrue. I am sick of the GOP cliches, can't they think of something new? I support Edwards in his admonition that 'it's time to be patriotic for something other than war.'

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Posted by Susan Y Smith on May 25, 2007 at 10:35 AM
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