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Arts aren't just entertainment. They're a reflection of the soul of a culture and exist long after that culture is dead. If you look at every culture ever recor
by lj3 9y ago
Arts aren't just entertainment. They're a reflection of the soul of a culture and exist long after that culture is dead. If you look at every culture ever recorded in human history, you'll note there is a direct correlation between a culture's progression in art and a culture's progression in science and technology.
That said, I agree with you that most written literature has very little to offer most people. Most pieces of literature bear that designation because they are "teachable" in one form or another. Some are chosen because they perfect one very specific aspect of the craft of writing. Others, like Finnegan's Wake, are like P vs NP in that they provide an infinitely complex problem for intelligent minds to spend lifetimes chewing on without ever reaching a conclusion.
Something else to keep in mind: the medium is the message. The medium a piece of art chooses is significant. TV and movies will rot your brain regardless of whether it's The Big Bang Theory or Citizen Kane. Reading will improve your brain, regardless of whether you're reading Danielle Steel or Chaucer.
- everyone 9y ago"the medium is the message. The medium a piece of art chooses is significant. TV and movies will rot your brain regardless of whether it's The Big Bang Theory or Citizen Kane. Reading will improve your brain, regardless of whether you're reading Danielle Steel or Chaucer." I have not heard that before. The medium a piece of art chooses is significant, yes, (and in a lot of cases the creator chooses the wrong medium, eg. there are plenty of computer games out there that really want to be films, they dont make use of the strengths of the medium and even fight against it.) The rest, I dont agree with. Imo big bang, citizen kane, danielle Steel and chaucer are all somewhat equatable, because they are all fiction/entertainment. Personally I'd rate something educational or non-fiction over fiction in any medium
- lj3 9y agoYou're making the mistake of thinking that all fiction is entertainment. It's not. There's a reason humans are hard wired to share stories. > Imo big bang, citizen kane, danielle Steel and chaucer are all somewhat equatable, because they are all fiction/entertainment. It doesn't work that way. The medium has an impact on the formation and development of the brain itself.
- everyone 9y agoSo are you talking about exposure to certain mediums at certain ages?
- Mediterraneo10 9y ago> TV and movies will rot your brain regardless of whether it's The Big Bang Theory or Citizen Kane. I cannot agree with that at all. A great deal of cinema is heavy enough on information to be educational. Think about how much you can learn about history, literature, economics, or politics from watching Jean-Luc Godard’s output from 1962-1968. Even if the medium has flaws in the depth of its presentation, its compilation of citations to important literature that can then be followed up, can be invaluable. And aren't plays reading? And do they really lose the goodness they have as "reading" when they move from the written page to a performance that just happens to be captured on film instead of before a live audience?
- lj3 9y agoYou're talking content. I'm talking neurobiology.
- everyone 9y agoCan you elaborate? post some links or references? Sounds interesting.
- lj3 9y agoHere's a decent article to start with: https://journal.thriveglobal.com/how-books-and-television-affect-your-brain-differently-according-to-science-82c3b14f789b https://journal.thriveglobal.com/how-books-and-television-af... If you do some searching, you'll find lots of ink spilled on the subject of "does TV rot your brain" and the cognitive benefits of reading.
- Mediterraneo10 9y agoThe article you link to speaks about television, not cinema. Furthermore, its claim that the visual medium encourages passivity: "you can just sit back and watch everything unfold without effort on your part. You’re less likely to pause to reflect on what’s happening." does not apply to the considerable number of filmmakers (and occasional television content producers) who employ Brechtian alienation techniques.