Never thought my first essay on this wing of Substack would be explicitly talking politics, but considering the tumor I’m about to remove from my TL, it’s long since time to operate.
Apr 30, 2023·edited Apr 30, 2023Liked by Jacob Calta
Great article!
I'm convinced the subset of conservatives you're talking about want to lose. Why else would they continually shit on 'low art' and only promote 'high art' of the past? (and they don't even do that well) It makes no sense. As your Exhibit B demonstrates there is no attempt at understanding only a visceral knee jerk. No understanding to how important high and low art are to culture as a whole, no understanding that surrendering the low (the cartoons, the comics) means you lose in the long run. No understanding that these forms can be, as you say, entry points to high art. What makes it worse is the complete lack of patronage networks and not even the hint of starting one. These con grifters don't care.
I bet people have gone from Judge Dredd comics to Alan Moore graphic novels then science fiction novels and ended up reading Dostoyevsky. I have read, and enjoy, all of those and can't be the only one. Will every Dredd reader do that, no, but some will, and I bet more have/will than these conservative grifters rally to their side as they bang the same old tired drum on their long road to defeat.
We need art, culture, both high and low of all mediums to be effective. Without art there is no heart. If you haven't read Dave Greene's piece on this issue it is well worth it: https://fiddlersgreene.substack.com/p/the-heart-reset
I remember seeing the video version of Greene's article a while ago and I consider Alex to be one of the best essayists at the moment, and a good friend.
And yes, there is something to say about entry points. I didn't just wake up and become an encyclopedia. I had to be eased in. I started learning to write music by arranging and transcribing. I learned about filmmaking by making doofy little films in middle school with whatever I had lying around. My interests in arts, culture, and entertainment started with things I enjoyed in my youth that took me in a myriad of directions. And yet, perhaps because you are dealing in a space that is born from politicking trying to win this "culture war," they seem to have bypassed the matter of culture entirely, seeing it as a nonpragmatic field.
Great example from a comment on a Timcast IRL stream recently with comic artist George Alexopoulos:
"The irony of Tim bringing on an artist to talk about Ai and then Tim spends the time with his head burried in ChatGPT while the guy sits there talking about how art will still be valued .. that in a nutshell is the future of art."
Setting the commenter's point aside, this also a great example of a pundit in action. On the subject of culture and arts, for all his crowing and fine talk, ultimately reveals a disinterest in the subject altogether. An anecdotal piece of evidence, sure, but a pretty solid snapshot.
Yes, my interest in history was sparked by the Horrible Histories books and Dynasty Warriors games. My interest in classical music (and I now sing in a church choir too) was born out of a love of Final Fantasy music. A lot more can be traced back to my parents taking me to old country homes, incredible art galleries, and castles up and down the country (Britain). I was shown it by my parents, and teachers, interested in it and thus became interested as well. As you say, we aren't born with these intense interests or baskets of knowledge. And these cultural interests have lead me to a certain set of political ad philosophical opinions, not the other way around. The culture is far more important than the politics, which is why I write fiction and gave up going down the academic route of philosophy.
That is a dire situation the commenter writes.
You say it best here: "But above all else, to these proponents of shutting down an attempts at culture-building and taste-making: shut your damn mouths. You haven’t half a clue."
They don't know what they're on about and should be drowned out of the conversation by the growing number of writers, filmmakers, musicians, etc. who are making stuff rather than complaining about what others are making.
Sounds like a splendid upbringing as far as culture-making goes. I'm fast becoming a student of Harlan Ellison's knack for wit and bluntness. Bit of an unruly weapon, but one worth wielding. The man said it best: "You are entitled to your informed opinion." And these people haven't informed themselves of shit.
There is no meaningful high culture, so pop culture is all we’ve got, at least to reach the 99% of people. The 1% elites whose opinions and tastes DO matter still care about high art and it’s production, but it’s more loyalty test (“No, I LOVE that literal steaming pile of shit covered in shredded aborted embryo—it’s powerful. Really!”) than anything else.
So conservatives, pretending to care about the state of high culture, neither promote it, find it, nor consume it. Instead they conceded the ground there and in pop culture without a fight because there’s no immediate ROI. Tale as old as time to us old farts, but I’m glad you young guys in your 20s are seeing the con as well. Once you’re aware, you can’t unsee it.
It also doesn't make sense to someone who prioritizes his creative voice in culture-making, in which these invalids are no better than the cheap suits in executive suites, reigning over studios like tyrants making the dumbest creative decisions imaginable. It's worse than two sides of the same political coin, they are two sides of the same creative coin. Philistines the lot of them and it is worthless to even engage on the issue. That's why I'm here slugging it out with whatever I can.
Honestly, the best kind of suit is one who is not a wannabe artist and just wants to make money. Frank Zappa puts it perfectly in this short clip: https://youtu.be/KZazEM8cgt0
The best suits are the ones who let the talent do what it does and gets out of their way.
That's why I love producers like Arkoff and Nicholson at AIP, who largely just let their talents run riot so long as they included some key items. The ARKOFF formula for success is actually a solid framework for making an exciting and short feature film, and there is so much leeway within it, you can map it onto any genre or story, even beyond the teen market: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Z._Arkoff#The_%22ARKOFF_Formula%22
Great article!
I'm convinced the subset of conservatives you're talking about want to lose. Why else would they continually shit on 'low art' and only promote 'high art' of the past? (and they don't even do that well) It makes no sense. As your Exhibit B demonstrates there is no attempt at understanding only a visceral knee jerk. No understanding to how important high and low art are to culture as a whole, no understanding that surrendering the low (the cartoons, the comics) means you lose in the long run. No understanding that these forms can be, as you say, entry points to high art. What makes it worse is the complete lack of patronage networks and not even the hint of starting one. These con grifters don't care.
I bet people have gone from Judge Dredd comics to Alan Moore graphic novels then science fiction novels and ended up reading Dostoyevsky. I have read, and enjoy, all of those and can't be the only one. Will every Dredd reader do that, no, but some will, and I bet more have/will than these conservative grifters rally to their side as they bang the same old tired drum on their long road to defeat.
We need art, culture, both high and low of all mediums to be effective. Without art there is no heart. If you haven't read Dave Greene's piece on this issue it is well worth it: https://fiddlersgreene.substack.com/p/the-heart-reset
Hellene also had an article but looking more at the message within: https://alexanderhellene.substack.com/p/all-fiction-is-message-fiction
I remember seeing the video version of Greene's article a while ago and I consider Alex to be one of the best essayists at the moment, and a good friend.
And yes, there is something to say about entry points. I didn't just wake up and become an encyclopedia. I had to be eased in. I started learning to write music by arranging and transcribing. I learned about filmmaking by making doofy little films in middle school with whatever I had lying around. My interests in arts, culture, and entertainment started with things I enjoyed in my youth that took me in a myriad of directions. And yet, perhaps because you are dealing in a space that is born from politicking trying to win this "culture war," they seem to have bypassed the matter of culture entirely, seeing it as a nonpragmatic field.
Great example from a comment on a Timcast IRL stream recently with comic artist George Alexopoulos:
"The irony of Tim bringing on an artist to talk about Ai and then Tim spends the time with his head burried in ChatGPT while the guy sits there talking about how art will still be valued .. that in a nutshell is the future of art."
Setting the commenter's point aside, this also a great example of a pundit in action. On the subject of culture and arts, for all his crowing and fine talk, ultimately reveals a disinterest in the subject altogether. An anecdotal piece of evidence, sure, but a pretty solid snapshot.
Yes, my interest in history was sparked by the Horrible Histories books and Dynasty Warriors games. My interest in classical music (and I now sing in a church choir too) was born out of a love of Final Fantasy music. A lot more can be traced back to my parents taking me to old country homes, incredible art galleries, and castles up and down the country (Britain). I was shown it by my parents, and teachers, interested in it and thus became interested as well. As you say, we aren't born with these intense interests or baskets of knowledge. And these cultural interests have lead me to a certain set of political ad philosophical opinions, not the other way around. The culture is far more important than the politics, which is why I write fiction and gave up going down the academic route of philosophy.
That is a dire situation the commenter writes.
You say it best here: "But above all else, to these proponents of shutting down an attempts at culture-building and taste-making: shut your damn mouths. You haven’t half a clue."
They don't know what they're on about and should be drowned out of the conversation by the growing number of writers, filmmakers, musicians, etc. who are making stuff rather than complaining about what others are making.
Sounds like a splendid upbringing as far as culture-making goes. I'm fast becoming a student of Harlan Ellison's knack for wit and bluntness. Bit of an unruly weapon, but one worth wielding. The man said it best: "You are entitled to your informed opinion." And these people haven't informed themselves of shit.
There is no meaningful high culture, so pop culture is all we’ve got, at least to reach the 99% of people. The 1% elites whose opinions and tastes DO matter still care about high art and it’s production, but it’s more loyalty test (“No, I LOVE that literal steaming pile of shit covered in shredded aborted embryo—it’s powerful. Really!”) than anything else.
So conservatives, pretending to care about the state of high culture, neither promote it, find it, nor consume it. Instead they conceded the ground there and in pop culture without a fight because there’s no immediate ROI. Tale as old as time to us old farts, but I’m glad you young guys in your 20s are seeing the con as well. Once you’re aware, you can’t unsee it.
Those blackpillers are worse than useless.
It also doesn't make sense to someone who prioritizes his creative voice in culture-making, in which these invalids are no better than the cheap suits in executive suites, reigning over studios like tyrants making the dumbest creative decisions imaginable. It's worse than two sides of the same political coin, they are two sides of the same creative coin. Philistines the lot of them and it is worthless to even engage on the issue. That's why I'm here slugging it out with whatever I can.
Honestly, the best kind of suit is one who is not a wannabe artist and just wants to make money. Frank Zappa puts it perfectly in this short clip: https://youtu.be/KZazEM8cgt0
The best suits are the ones who let the talent do what it does and gets out of their way.
That's why I love producers like Arkoff and Nicholson at AIP, who largely just let their talents run riot so long as they included some key items. The ARKOFF formula for success is actually a solid framework for making an exciting and short feature film, and there is so much leeway within it, you can map it onto any genre or story, even beyond the teen market: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Z._Arkoff#The_%22ARKOFF_Formula%22