Quote:
Originally posted by NiceWorg:
But why does everyone have to talk about it? [img]smile.gif[/img]
There is something in popular books and movies that makes them so hard for me to check out - the book might be good, though, or so I´m told.
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That's crazy. So the only reason you wouldn't check something out is because many of your fellow humans decide that it's enjoyable?
I've never understood that line of thinking. Culture is culture. Popular culture is no better or worse than alternative culure. It's all subjective judgement of humans.
When I was in high school there was a band called RatCat. Independent. Alternative. It was cool to like them.
Then a lot of people started liking them. Very quickly.
So then it became uncool to like RatCat.
So RatCat plummetted into oblivion. Very quickly.
The same people that four months before had said they were the best Aussie band ever, were saying they sucked. Ridiculous.
When I taught creative expression at colleges, I encouraged the embracing and exploration of all culture. Watching foreign films in Australia is considered hip, cool and cultured, But a cool French film could be perceived by French as popular culture there, and ignored by the hip cool French.
What does that all prove?
So, I tried to encourage the removal of this sort of bias when apporaching art. Take it on it's own merits, not whether it's popular or not. The inverse - only validating things that ARE popular, and ignoring seminal or overlooked works is also not a great thing to do, especially if you want to be a creative.
The Lord of the Rings Trilogy was far more a part of 'popular culture' in America than in England where it had more of a cult following.
The books were influenced by mythologies that have been part of Teutonic culture for generations. Tolkien's books in turn influenced a generation of writers, dreamers, gamers and those with imaginations. They were groundbreaking in regard to the depth and detail of the mans created world. It inspired and enriched countless creative minds. Ah, the possibilities of human imagination.
The film is an incredible work for that medium. It is the most ambitious and groundbreaking work yet. Jackson has presented an incredible vision of Tolkeins world. It will inspire and enrich countless creative minds. Ah, the possibilities. Film truly can take you to another world.
It is also worth seeing, simply to be in touch with what millions of people are experiencing. To have a finger 'on the pulse' of what people across the globe are experiencing. Information, knowledge, experience.
Art
does reflect society and in turn shapes society. If you reject popular culture totally, you do so at the risk of totally losing relevence.
Your choice.
[ 12-18-2002, 01:43 AM: Message edited by: Yorick ]