I like this post, as it addresses a piece of the puzzle of how broken we are as a people and society. The music aspect of this has to be addressed. Rap in particular, and then popular music in general, has really hit some horrific lows over the last few decades.
When you talk about objective standards of measuring art, it makes me think of these so called fancy art displays where it will be a toilet paper with a lump of crap inside going for 100k. Objectively, it is clear that hardly any effort or skill went into these kinds of designs. The art that is valued due to placing emphasis on what the artist was "trying to say," and reading deeply into something that a kindergartner could've produced, is top of the list.
When it comes to music, I'm thinking of the values of todays music. Sex, drugs, depression, aggression. You don't hear songs like Cats in the Cradle popping up on the radio. A story that spans two lifetimes, is touching, and tells a poignant message to the listener. Instead we get a lot of "me me me, here are my problems, here is my money, here is my depression."
Here is a perfect example of what you are saying about complexity in art. It has a lot of very specific meaning as intended by the artist, but without knowing some history, it's meaning would be hard to figure out. In this particular case, the title of the work us very important. It is named "Sacred Temple".
The young man is a part of the Red Guard during the Cultural Revolution. The Red Guard was trying to erase Chinese tradition and culture to make way for Communism. They destroyed many priceless things like temples. The Red Guard were mostly teens filled with youthful idealism who had been indoctrinated to worship Mao and Communism. The young man is looking at the "Sacred Temple" as it burns to the ground. He recognizes that what is happening is horribly wrong and is in the process of being red-pilled.
But you do hear Cats in the Cradle being taken disgustingly out of context and used in a commercial to sell Heineken's nonalcoholic beer. The imagery of the commercial is completely at odds with the meaning of the song. It's as if the creators of it had no idea what the song is about, or were counting on the fact that the audience didn't know the song. I personally react very badly every time that commercial airs.
I like this post, as it addresses a piece of the puzzle of how broken we are as a people and society. The music aspect of this has to be addressed. Rap in particular, and then popular music in general, has really hit some horrific lows over the last few decades.
When you talk about objective standards of measuring art, it makes me think of these so called fancy art displays where it will be a toilet paper with a lump of crap inside going for 100k. Objectively, it is clear that hardly any effort or skill went into these kinds of designs. The art that is valued due to placing emphasis on what the artist was "trying to say," and reading deeply into something that a kindergartner could've produced, is top of the list.
When it comes to music, I'm thinking of the values of todays music. Sex, drugs, depression, aggression. You don't hear songs like Cats in the Cradle popping up on the radio. A story that spans two lifetimes, is touching, and tells a poignant message to the listener. Instead we get a lot of "me me me, here are my problems, here is my money, here is my depression."
Here is a perfect example of what you are saying about complexity in art. It has a lot of very specific meaning as intended by the artist, but without knowing some history, it's meaning would be hard to figure out. In this particular case, the title of the work us very important. It is named "Sacred Temple".
https://www.artrenewal.org/artworks/sacred-temple/han-wu-shen/3112
It is a very sad peice of art that reaches deep inside and makes one want to cry, but only if one knows the context.
The young man is a part of the Red Guard during the Cultural Revolution. The Red Guard was trying to erase Chinese tradition and culture to make way for Communism. They destroyed many priceless things like temples. The Red Guard were mostly teens filled with youthful idealism who had been indoctrinated to worship Mao and Communism. The young man is looking at the "Sacred Temple" as it burns to the ground. He recognizes that what is happening is horribly wrong and is in the process of being red-pilled.
But you do hear Cats in the Cradle being taken disgustingly out of context and used in a commercial to sell Heineken's nonalcoholic beer. The imagery of the commercial is completely at odds with the meaning of the song. It's as if the creators of it had no idea what the song is about, or were counting on the fact that the audience didn't know the song. I personally react very badly every time that commercial airs.