Comments on: All New Stuff is HORRIBLE

By: Kate

Kate — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 17:23:07 +0000

So I have to say, as the parent of the younger child, I was feeling a bit eye-rolly about her response regarding the “Wimp” book. I couldn’t help but wonder if she was mimicking the behavior modeled by the adolescents. Such is the way that this approach is passed on and perceived as cool, persisting into adulthood as wry cynicism. The interesting thing is that when someone has established a certain level of cool, their willingness to show interest in the popular suddenly elevates what was once dismissed to another level of acceptability. Others now model this behavior, and another level of detached irony is added.

As a sidebar, I must say that I hope this was the only behavior of his she models (D. – I think you know what I mean…)

By: Kat

Kat — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 02:54:18 +0000

I think a little bit of it has to do with mass consumption and mass production.

Enjoying any kind of art means you have to meet the artist partway. You have to pick up the book and read it, rent the DVD, show up at the theatre, pause on the street, go to the club.

Those who are early adopters and like their art up-close and small-venue tend to like the first two albums (at most!), the fringe production, the arthouse cinematic debut. As soon as they can enjoy the artist or obtain their work from a place that meets fire code and has more than one location, they’re not interested. The hunt is as much of a thrill as the prey.

Then, of course, there are those who like their culture handed to them on a silver platter, like a certain relative of mine who was shocked that a book I wanted for the holiday had to be ordered directly from the (small) publisher because their only distribution method was their web site.

Naturally, it’s interesting times right now because of those web sites — it means that musicians can be popular in parts of the globe they can’t afford to travel to for a performance, and that people need to get multi-zone DVD players because they live in North America but watch videos from Korea and Sweden.

Traditionally, mass production and mass consumption have been turn-offs with the thrill-of-the-find crowd, because there’s no hunting involved.

People are starting to learn, though, that it can be just as many clicks to discover a small-time artist as a big-time one.

By: denniscass

denniscass — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 03:11:46 +0000

@Lindsay: One of the things I’m fascinated with is where our attitudes about art and artists come from. You can trace religious belief and beliefs about political structures and economic theory, but where do our beliefs about art come from?

By: michaele

michaele — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 17:35:04 +0000

I think a lot of that attitude is just about trying to find an identity when you are young. If you are doing what everyone else is doing, then there is nothing unique about you. So buck the trends (so the theory goes), and voila, you’re an individual!

I would take this phenomenon to be more about adolescence, and not really a judgment about your artistry.

By: JES

JES — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 00:29:04 +0000

A favorite 20-something nephew (they’re all favorites, this is just one of them) blogs on this topic every now and then. He calls it his “Older is always better” theory. Like you, I don’t recognize all his musical touchstones. But sometimes I get them.

And I confess I’m intrigued, but maybe only because I myself am getting older and want to believe he’s subconsciously talking about ME.

By: Lindsay Price

Lindsay Price — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 18:57:16 +0000

Isn’t it funny how artists are supposed to toil in obscurity for no pay and love it? Why is that? I suppose there’s a misguided notion that the arts isn’t work.

By: Adrianne

Adrianne — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 15:43:21 +0000

Dave Eggers wrote a totally awesome thing about the concept of selling out (scroll down a bit to the "addendum" for that, although this entire interview is great.)