[Web4lib] At Session on the Future of Libraries, a Sense of Urgency

[Ross Singer]

On Wed, Jul 2, 2008 at 9:55 AM, Christopher Kiess <clkiess at gmail.com> wrote:
> This brings me to my final point. There is something inherently wrong with
> my culture. People in my culture know more about their favorite TV show than
> they do about art or literature or history.  My point is that when you have
> a culture that is more interested in American Idol than fine art or
> literature it is hard to sell libraries, research, scholarly conversation or
> the like. While I admit this is a sweeping generalization, there is some
> truth to it.

As opposed to previous generations that put down their Proust for a
couple of hours to go see Toscanini conduct live at the local opera
house?  Afterwards, a night of digestifs with the town literati to
discuss foreign affairs, the state of modernist poetry and reconciling
theodicy?

What is this myth that popular culture hasn't *always* been the
majority and fairly low-brow?  Elizabethan theatre had dancing dogs.
Commedia dell'Arte had chamber pots dumped on lothario's heads.

The theatre of late 19th/early 20th century was filled with sappy
melodramas of the sort now reserved for the Lifetime channel.

Why is that because *you* value fine art or literature it makes your
opinion of what is important more valuable than what the majority
wants to read/watch/listen to?

-Ross.