gumby@mit-eddie.UUCP (David Vinayak Wallace) (01/27/84)
In-reply-to: The message of 24 Jan 84 14:55-EST from rlr at pyuxn.UUCP
Date: Tue, 24-Jan-84 14:55:44 EST
From: rlr@pyuxn.UUCP
I, for one, believe that creative artists have a responsibility to
expand the boundaries of their craft rather than pandering to tastes and
to the money that that brings.
That's right! Better to starve and be unknown, then to aquire the taint
of *gasp* financial success. As a matter of fact, we should be taking
the money AWAY from artists like Eno or Rampal, lest their music be
corrupted by the evil money.
*** BULLSHIT ***
Why do they have this responsibility? And to whom? I guess
Michelangelo shouldn't have painted the Sistine Chapel -- after all,
religious paintings had already been painted by others!
Pissed off,
david
PS: -- ad-homonim attack follows --
I thought we had agreed that this sort of pseudo-intellectual
putting-down of other people's tastes was stupid. I just have one
question: Where do you fit? Either you're an uncreative dolt, or
you're violating your own rule. Why aren't you busy advancing the
borders of computer science?rlr@pyuxn.UUCP (Rich Rosen) (01/30/84)
A reply in kind for David Wallace: I'm truly sorry that you were deeply offended by my "pseudo-intellectual" defense of creative artists (as opposed to "hack"s who make their living by stepping on and (virtually) plagiarizing the artistic innovations of others). If you prefer the banal to the original, that's your business. But don't blame me when there isn't any original artistry left. I'm sure you'll be happy with the result, though. There is a difference, mind you, between those who are successful because they pander to popular taste and those who are successful despite the fact that they don't. There's also a big difference between putting down people's tastes and proffering opinions about what one considers to be garbage. I'm not pointing a gun at you telling you not to listen to Eno or Rampal or Rick Springfield. But apparently my freedom of speech ends where I agree with your taste, and any other contrary opinions that I may present are a harbinger of fascism. As to where I fit in, I'm a musician myself, but I don't make a living at it. I enjoy listening to (and creating) music that I consider fresh, original, new, innovative, and interesting. The work I do for a living (computer science oriented things) is not what I would consider art (though some might). I'm not keeping creative systems designers and software developers and pure scientists from working---someone has to do the work I do. But the promotion by a controlled "entertainment industry" (visions of assembly lines producing comedians and rock stars are not as far fetched as you think) of pap and schlock to the exclusion of creative talent DOES prevent real artists from producing and thriving. If people weren't told what to want by this "industry", they could judge artists on merit rather than amount of publicity. Unfortunately, Americans seem to want to be told what to want. But they're quick to jump up and scream when their freedoms are truly infringed, as in the case of mandatory seatbelt regulations... :-) Replying in kind... -- Pardon me for breathing... Rich Rosen pyuxn!rlr