My only point is that its bad political content is entirely irrelevant to its status as good or bad art. Whether it is good art turns on its subtlety, complexity, emotional power and range, aesthetic beauty in terms of mastery of the medium, etc. All of these are consistent with the work being apologetics for evil. The Illiad certainly is. So is Birth of a Nation or Triumph of the Will. Those arelesser masterpieces, but very great. So, yes, I do get it. I just don't think art reduces to progressive politics.
On the other side, the world is full of earnestly dull politically correct stuff with good messages that are artistic failures. The work of Toni Morrison comes to my mind.
jks
--- Wojtek Sokolowski <sokol at jhu.edu> wrote:
> Justin:
> > You don't get it. What's wrong, artistically, with
> a
> > show that glorifies gangsterism? Why do you adopt
> this
>
> What's wrong? It is a macho fantasy, a replay of
> the myth of the strict
> father which, according to the cognitive linguist
> George Lakoff,
> (http://www.wwcd.org/issues/Lakoff.html) is the
> fundamental archetype of the
> conservative mind set. The main problem with these
> macho fantasy shows,
> from a progressive point of view, is that they act
> like Trojan horses - they
> deliver the conservative frame of reference to
> popular consciousness, making
> it ready to absorb the conservative propaganda sound
> bites as "common sense"
> and "natural." However, if one tries to critically
> analyze them, they hide
> behind their "fiction" status becoming "just"
> images, "just" fictitious
> stories.
>
> I am afraid, Justin, that it is you and kindred
> rational spirits who do not
> get it. People do not think like rationalists want
> us to believe - by
> critically examining the facts and drawing
> conclusions by the process of
> induction and deduction.
>
> People think through cognitive frames that make them
> accept certain
> conclusions as "natural" and "given" and simply
> ignore all the facts that
> are inconsistent with these conclusions. Those
> frames are stored in the
> neurons forming human brain.
>
> Therefore, the trick is to evoke the frame that is
> most conducive for
> reaching a desired conclusion, as any good
> propagandist knows. Those frames
> are evoked and reinforced by constant repetition of
> metaphors, stories,
> stereotypes and images that embody them.
>
> Macho fantasy shows, while nominally only a fiction,
> represent a frame of
> reference that, after the show ends, stays in the
> mind and directs it
> accordingly to interpret real life evens. Those
> frames can be counteracted
> by the ones that you deride, and showing the
> nurturing archetypes which
> Lakoff claims to be the foundation of the
> liberal/progressive mind set.
>
> So here is the answer to your question: if you are
> trying to promote
> progressive values and ideology and, at the same
> time endorse the macho
> fantasy shows that form the backbone of the
> conservative mind set - you are
> shooting yourself in the foot. But you are not
> alone - many genuinely
> progressive people, including our fearless guru Doug
> the New Economy Slayer
> Henwood and hip hop fans, fall into the same trap.
>
> Wojtek
>
>
>
>
>
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>
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