The tyranny of intellect (and class (and age))

[caladri]

I'm growing tired of the use of aesthetics to oppress and denigrate. In a class on Social Justice, Aesthetics and Mysticism this past January, I grew frustrated when we moved from idolizing and adoring all kinds of Latin American folk art to dismissing as kitsch and deriding as "bad art if art at all" Mormon depictions of Jesus. "Kitsch" seemed

Comments

[ext_226279]

If you haven't read it, you might enjoy David Foster Wallace's essay "E Unibus Pluram" (here's a badly scanned PDF), in which he talks about some of the same themes, particularly how TV pulls a "this is really bad, but you get to watch it while knowing it's bad and feeling superior" trick on the "educated" sector of its audience.

[thewronghands]

This was basically my horror at watching my mother, who should know better, enjoying watching other people suffer on reality shoes. What the hell.

[randomdreams]

I'm not comfortable with claiming irony as an iron-clad excuse for racist, sexist, classist behavior/joking, especially when it doesn't look particularly ironic. arrgh.

[twoeleven]

I can make of a couple of counter-arguments, but I'd rather be playing with my legos. :)

[caladri]

Playing with legos is great! I'm watching one of my favourite episodes of Northern Exposure.

[twoeleven]

Since I have a minute, let me sketch one of my counter-arguments. I am, as you know, a music snob. I like certain things in music: complex melodic lines, fancy harmonies (especially large-ensemble polyphony) and a few other things that drive me to "classical" music. But as it turns out, of the popular forms, I end up listening to a lot of country/country&western -- y'know, redneck music -- because they have the most of what I want. (Tho I could listen to Annie Lennox all day, too. ;) )

But the rest is mostly noise. So: obession with class, age, and my superior intellect, or just I knowing what I like?

[caladri]

Knowing what you like is fine; internal convictions and preferences are one thing, but it's the interface between the individual and the outside world where things can get problematic.

Personally, I'm listening to lots of "library music" today, i.e. background music and the like from near-factories populated with skilled session musicians. They played a lot with the kinds of themes that work for me, and tend to be a little minimalist, well-produced, and never leave 'em wanting more. Albums full of of music in the same themes and styles. It's like a buffet with all my favourite foods. Not so classy, but I'm not complaining.

[lyonesse]

i can't wait for the post-ironic era.

[marzipan_pig]

What's funny is I'm right there with you until my upper-middle-class-womanhood nerve gets triggered and then I'm melting down on my friends' in laws' porch b/c it's the middle of winter and I'm wearing scarves as leg warmers b/c it's so cold when I SHOULD BE WEARING NYLONS AND DRESS SHOES.

So yes. Bring on the glittery dolphin stickers, even to Xmas dinner in a fancy-pants house where I feel crazy internalized pressure to REPRESENT.

[m_cobweb]

Oh, but didn't you know? It's okay to make fun of "trailer trash" because they aren't the same as other people. It's other people we shouldn't make fun of. Even fat people. Unless they're trailer trash, then Katy bar the door.

Gah, this makes me crazy. It's the same thing, it doesn't exist on another bloody planet or something.

I think sincerity scares people too. It's like someone else's vulnerability sets us to be attacked too, when it could just as easily be the other way around.

[caladri]

Sincerity is absolutely terrifying. Sincerity need not be earnest, but it's got to be heartfelt, and the idea of people having hearts is awful. Then they might not exist just for our amusement and/or pleasure. And where they disagree or differ from us, they still might matter, and they still might have value. The whole world may not be about us.

In fact, if we limit showing we care only to one-to-one friendships and romantic relationships, people can pretty well come to the conclusion that the only caring anyone in the world who matters does is about them. When sincerity must be hidden from public view, I really can be the most important person in the world.

(I instinctively leave off familial relationships, but one can add them back as needed.)