On 9/20/1999, Natasha wrote:
> >"Nobrow Culture" by John Seabrook in New Yorker, 9/20/99, p.104. ...
>You gotta have fun with this piece - and so I did. ...
>The real taster-test to cultural elitism is if you know of John Cage. ...
>The person(s) who have an absorbed knowledge of a particular subject can no
>longer communicate with ease with those who do not share references, or do
>not have the skill to bridge reference-gaps. Thus an elitism can develop,
>not out of one thinking she or he is better, but out of a need for the
>communication and finding stimulating and well-rounded or well-thought out
>communications rather than shallow or non-shallow attempts by those who
>want to communicate but haven't the knowledge.
>The old totem of elite, as Seabrook says, requires culture, quality, time
>and money. So does the appreciation and study of biotechnology. ...
>most people are there just to chill out and watch one another, secure
>in the knowledge that they are the culture." ...
>If one wants to be knowledgeable (and if knowledge is power) develop
>interest and understanding of the arts. You may not like it at first, ...
>So, drink my essence and eat my thoughts.
Well expressed, Natasha. Yes of course elitism can develop out of the best of intentions and for good reason. I was particularly interested, however, in the aspects of the article that touched on elitism arising out of baser motives, the "seemy" side of art. A big function of art to many people seems to be various sorts of status, and the article gave hints to help me understand this phenomena.
>feel
>unsure, but keep going. Learning how to log on and build a Web site wasn't
>easy as pie for everyone in just starting out, nor was calculus nor was
>understanding the double helix, which way it is spiraling, what are those
>ladders holding them together or pushing them apart, and those pearly dots
>along the strands. It takes time to learn.
>
>But, back to the subject of tomatoes: I know a little about tomatoes. I
>grew them, canned them, stewed them, and painted them in oils. Tomatoes
>grow well with white stakes and navy blue ribbons to hold the trailing
>growth upright. They also grow quite well with a brick boarder and
>marigolds. And, I'll tell you my secret: a comfortable chair, a jigger of
>scotch (or beer if you're lowbrow, or if you, like me, are current nobrow
>in this regard, Arrowhead water) and a good book. That is how I grew my
>tomatoes.
>
>
>
>Natasha
>
>
>Natasha Vita-More: http://www.natasha.cc
>To Order _Create/Recreate: The Third Millennial Culture_**
> http://www.extropic-art.com/createrecreate.htm
>Organizations: Transhumanist Arts Centre - Home of Extropic Art:
> http://www.extropic-art.com
> Transhuman Culture InfoMark: http://www.transhuman.org
>
>"We are transhumans ..." Meme Orbits Saturn in 2004!
Robin Hanson rhanson@gmu.edu http://hanson.gmu.edu
Asst. Prof. Economics, George Mason University
MSN 1D3, Carow Hall, Fairfax VA 22030
703-993-2326 FAX: 703-993-2323