From: "Eric" <ericandmary-AT-earthlink.net> Subject: RE: Discours Figure Date: Tue, 3 Feb 2004 22:31:10 -0600 Steve wrote: I surmise then that we are in agreement that the Kantian turn has the unfortunate side effect of seeming to be unable to address the very areas of work, (esp popular culture) which are most engaged in the present. Steve, We are in agreement to the extent that a screwdriver can function as a hammer. Without getting caught in the trap of high and low, I think the aesthetic and the cultural are quite different categories, just as I think Lyotard's formulation of the sublime tends to be more ontological than aesthetic. What tends to drive culture today is a contradictory dynamic. On the one hand, it aspires to art, meaning, gravitas, universal standards of truth. On the other hand, it needs to discover and exploit viable consumer markets, usually centered upon youth, that holy grail of the corporation. It must be commercial and profitable, even as it lifts us up. It claims to enlighten as it grovels to entertain. The recent Superbowl afforded us an excellent example of culture in action. eric --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.524 / Virus Database: 321 - Release Date: 10/6/2003
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