Van Morrison's newest album, WHAT'S IT GONNA TAKE, has amazing lyrics, great instrumentals, and, of course, his legendary voice. The problem is that the WOKE are so filled with hate that they will not listen to it or buy it. We live in such a polarized world that Michaelangelo or daVinci could be alive and creating masterpieces and yet, if their political views were known, half of the people in our propagandized and poisoned world would ignore it.
America once had a vibrant and creative culture. The movies were better in the forties and the music was best in the fifties and sixties. Our minds have been poisoned even if we haven't taken the clot shots.
How do we even define American culture? NPR said that the song Wet-Ass Pussy was the best song of 2020 (that's our tax dollars at work, by the way). Worldwide, we see examples of art, literature, and architecture that can no longer be reproduced. Let's face it: America is a whale stranded on a beach. It was a great experiment, but it is over.
My response is: let the progressive spiteful left ignore it, then. I think there is a silent majority that truly appreciates greatness and aren't looking to have their political viewpoints affirmed, whether that's through athletics, entertainment, or the arts. NPR has so much less influence than I suspect it thinks it does. People will find good art and entertainment. I think that's why retro movies and old television shows are resurging in popularity. J.K. Rowling still has a massive following. The NFL backed-off from it's BLM tantrum. Dave Chappelle still sells-out. Winston Marshall of Mumford and Sons left the band but still has stalwart supporters, because he's talented. I think the key is to not apologize. Just work your craft and concentrate on the art. The rest will fall into place. I do appreciate your comment and taking the time to read the piece. Thank you Charles.
And just a thought............need it be called "conservative" art? I just think that puts on a label that is not really necessary and it becomes charged with what can be easily be labeled as negative associations. Words are important and they are being cannibalized these days. How about just great art and leave it at that?
I think part of the problem is not just that conservatives aren't creating art, it's that conservatives are trained so badly to read art. So many books are boiled down to one or two problematic elements (sexual content, swear words, etc), and the conservative messages that you and the analysts you quote in this piece are lost. Not that we shouldn't be aware of the dangers of the foul mouthed protagonist, the gay best friend, or the lewd content - but we can miss the messages of community, maturity, developing a desire for marriage and family, etc if we are trained only to seek the problems. Similarly, we can miss the deadly nihilism present in existentialism found in seemingly family friendly movies like Finding Nemo, where the most emotional moment of the movie is a fish literally taking a leap of faith, instead of any kind of reality based meaning or belief. But Finding Nemo also has many positives - but we need to train our communities from childhood onwards to think about the art they're reading, and not just consume or avoid it.
You make a good point about learning and educating ourselves about what makes for great art. We must be able o identify it and understand it before we can build on that foundation and create it for our modern world. Thank you for such great insight!
I think even more than just training the next generation of conservative artists, we need to train the conservative audience. The Oscars still exist, even though they are dying, because there is an audience for things like craft, excellence, etc. Conservative audiences need to create their own community and tools for analysis so Critical Theory isn't the only lens through which to look (and not a return to biographical criticism or Christ figure analysis). We need to have more things like the Prometheus award that actually matter, that writers want to get. Without a large conservative and intelligent audience, we'll still be stuck grasping scraps like Top Gun 2 (which I loved, but let's not kid ourselves that anyone involved in that film is actually conservative - they just want our money) instead of getting more Hacksaw Ridges.
I understand your point, and maybe it was a failing on my part that I didn't make this clearer: but conservatives need to make art that appeals to more than just one particular audience. Conservatives are already on our side, we need to appeal to the masses and show them that conservativism is so much more than a caricature of what the left makes it seem, and that timeless stories -- whether in literature or film -- speaks to our commonality, not the divisions and identity politics that are the current vogue on the left. So I guess, yes you're right that there needs to be an intelligent audience, but it should be broad, not just conservative or liberals, if that makes sense.
I agree that conservatives should absolutely not just "preach to the choir" - but I think the conservative also need to figure out how to review to the mass audience. We need strong articulators of careful, intelligent analysis that persuade the moderate people, not just conservatives. Right now, conservatives have the market on "how many swear words are in this movie" and "how much nudity do you see" - but that's as useful as "does the dog die" in figuring out the deeper themes and messages that conservatives need to be aware of.
I see where you’re coming from. And yes that’s completely understandable and fair. Maybe a more substantive discussion about the hallmarks of art or articulate “why” instead of superficial criticisms. I think more people would take conservatives seriously. Very good point.
Additionally, I just watched this from Andrew Klavan about the second Knives Out movie, and I think his honesty and intelligence are exactly what we need to replicate on a wide scale for conservative criticism: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jU2271KOK9Y
I personally hated the movie, but I think his take was very fair and considered, and we need more conversation like that.
Jan 14, 2023·edited Jan 14, 2023Liked by Jenna Stocker
I think we need to stop so much criticizing bad books and start talking and writing more about the books that meant something to us and why they did.
Why do I think so?
Because, after reading here about that soldier, I'm experiencing an overwhelming urge to get A Tree Grows in Brooklyn--a book I haven't looked at in 55 years--on my kindle. I might not know what does work, but I do know that complaining about some piece of woke trash isn’t going to ignite anyone’s curiosity about a much too neglected novel—-Andrew Klavan’s novel, The Identity Man, for instance.
I think it's very true that EVERYONE, not just conservatives, should focus much more on meaning rather than failure of meaning. But I also think that it would help if we didn't have such a totalizing view of art - it's either good or bad, but instead is the imperfect creation of imperfect creations. Thus, something like, say, Batman Begins has powerful messages about revenge and justice, but has weak editing sometimes. Being able to see the good and the bad, and not miss either.
Jenna, great essay! You are right. Andrew Fletcher said, “LET ME MAKE THE SONGS OF A NATION, AND I CARE NOT WHO MAKES ITS LAWS.”
There is an ever-increasing number of artists creating great content now. Tom McDonald, for one. He writes and produces all of his songs. He would not have been my choice in music (rap), but he has a positive message, and I have grown to appreciate his music and root for him. “The Chosen” is a worldwide phenomenon completely crowdsourced, and NO Hollywood is involved. So, yes, you and Andrew Fletcher are on the same page, and America is gradually turning those pages. Wonderful piece.
"And say you have a work of art or a piece of culture — getting Tucker [Carlson] to talk about it is not the goal. The goal is to get Stephen Colbert to talk about it, get the other side to talk it, because that's how you get the culture back." And going back to W. Percy for a moment, this was essentially his approach. He did not preach, he entered "through the back door." He got people's defenses down by creating heroes who were alcoholics suffering from satyriasis, and then once the camel's nose was under the tent, he was able to lay out his whole world view through self-deprecating humor, but never self-righteousness. (And as a side note, in his wonderful "Love in the Ruins," written circa 1972, he essentially predicted the profoundly troubled society we live in today.)
Wonderful comment, Bill. You're 100 percent right about Percy, which I think contributed to his appeal and his genius at subtle morality and deep thinking that was so approachable by large swaths of people. And "Love in the Ruins" gets better every time I read it. Thank you for reading the post and adding to the conversation.
Great essay. Gives me some VERY deep thoughts to think. It is obvious what is being done wrong, immoral, illegal and easy to point it out. We need to go past that.
Bless your heart. That was just great to read. And I don't fall into any political camp. I disassociated my self from any political party. It was my first step in reclaiming something that I felt was being lost or at least twisted. I was so happy to read this. I agree. Make great art. See how it may impact the public discourse. We'll all be better for it. Thanks again.
I'm very humbled by your kind words and insight, Kristin. Thank you. I agree, there are many people who are disillusioned and feel politically homeless. And in an environment where divisiveness and politics seems to permeate every aspect of life it is especially trying. Art needn't be. Just make great art. I think we all need it.
Very happy to see your latest post. This is a deep subject. I must confess, I have read your post a number of times thinking how I might contribute to the conversation. I agree, conservatives should ignore the “woke” as much as possible and create their own “art” in any medium they may have talent. Having “actual talent” is important. Having the courage to exert that talent, in an ever judgmental world, is just as important.
My background is in the graphic arts, working closely with artist and designers. Some were good. Some were excellent. Courage made the difference. Since this is mainly a writing forum this quote may encourage someone reading your essay to take action:
“I would stand and look out over the roofs of Paris and think, Do not worry. You have always written before and you will write now. All you have to do is write one true sentence. Write the truest sentence that you know.”
— Ernest Hemingway
If their strength lies elsewhere — your closing statement “Do not wait for permission. Go and do it.” is powerful advice.
“The truth is like a lion; you don’t have to defend it. Let it loose; it will defend itself.”
Van Morrison's newest album, WHAT'S IT GONNA TAKE, has amazing lyrics, great instrumentals, and, of course, his legendary voice. The problem is that the WOKE are so filled with hate that they will not listen to it or buy it. We live in such a polarized world that Michaelangelo or daVinci could be alive and creating masterpieces and yet, if their political views were known, half of the people in our propagandized and poisoned world would ignore it.
America once had a vibrant and creative culture. The movies were better in the forties and the music was best in the fifties and sixties. Our minds have been poisoned even if we haven't taken the clot shots.
How do we even define American culture? NPR said that the song Wet-Ass Pussy was the best song of 2020 (that's our tax dollars at work, by the way). Worldwide, we see examples of art, literature, and architecture that can no longer be reproduced. Let's face it: America is a whale stranded on a beach. It was a great experiment, but it is over.
My response is: let the progressive spiteful left ignore it, then. I think there is a silent majority that truly appreciates greatness and aren't looking to have their political viewpoints affirmed, whether that's through athletics, entertainment, or the arts. NPR has so much less influence than I suspect it thinks it does. People will find good art and entertainment. I think that's why retro movies and old television shows are resurging in popularity. J.K. Rowling still has a massive following. The NFL backed-off from it's BLM tantrum. Dave Chappelle still sells-out. Winston Marshall of Mumford and Sons left the band but still has stalwart supporters, because he's talented. I think the key is to not apologize. Just work your craft and concentrate on the art. The rest will fall into place. I do appreciate your comment and taking the time to read the piece. Thank you Charles.
And just a thought............need it be called "conservative" art? I just think that puts on a label that is not really necessary and it becomes charged with what can be easily be labeled as negative associations. Words are important and they are being cannibalized these days. How about just great art and leave it at that?
I think part of the problem is not just that conservatives aren't creating art, it's that conservatives are trained so badly to read art. So many books are boiled down to one or two problematic elements (sexual content, swear words, etc), and the conservative messages that you and the analysts you quote in this piece are lost. Not that we shouldn't be aware of the dangers of the foul mouthed protagonist, the gay best friend, or the lewd content - but we can miss the messages of community, maturity, developing a desire for marriage and family, etc if we are trained only to seek the problems. Similarly, we can miss the deadly nihilism present in existentialism found in seemingly family friendly movies like Finding Nemo, where the most emotional moment of the movie is a fish literally taking a leap of faith, instead of any kind of reality based meaning or belief. But Finding Nemo also has many positives - but we need to train our communities from childhood onwards to think about the art they're reading, and not just consume or avoid it.
You make a good point about learning and educating ourselves about what makes for great art. We must be able o identify it and understand it before we can build on that foundation and create it for our modern world. Thank you for such great insight!
I think even more than just training the next generation of conservative artists, we need to train the conservative audience. The Oscars still exist, even though they are dying, because there is an audience for things like craft, excellence, etc. Conservative audiences need to create their own community and tools for analysis so Critical Theory isn't the only lens through which to look (and not a return to biographical criticism or Christ figure analysis). We need to have more things like the Prometheus award that actually matter, that writers want to get. Without a large conservative and intelligent audience, we'll still be stuck grasping scraps like Top Gun 2 (which I loved, but let's not kid ourselves that anyone involved in that film is actually conservative - they just want our money) instead of getting more Hacksaw Ridges.
I understand your point, and maybe it was a failing on my part that I didn't make this clearer: but conservatives need to make art that appeals to more than just one particular audience. Conservatives are already on our side, we need to appeal to the masses and show them that conservativism is so much more than a caricature of what the left makes it seem, and that timeless stories -- whether in literature or film -- speaks to our commonality, not the divisions and identity politics that are the current vogue on the left. So I guess, yes you're right that there needs to be an intelligent audience, but it should be broad, not just conservative or liberals, if that makes sense.
I agree that conservatives should absolutely not just "preach to the choir" - but I think the conservative also need to figure out how to review to the mass audience. We need strong articulators of careful, intelligent analysis that persuade the moderate people, not just conservatives. Right now, conservatives have the market on "how many swear words are in this movie" and "how much nudity do you see" - but that's as useful as "does the dog die" in figuring out the deeper themes and messages that conservatives need to be aware of.
I see where you’re coming from. And yes that’s completely understandable and fair. Maybe a more substantive discussion about the hallmarks of art or articulate “why” instead of superficial criticisms. I think more people would take conservatives seriously. Very good point.
Additionally, I just watched this from Andrew Klavan about the second Knives Out movie, and I think his honesty and intelligence are exactly what we need to replicate on a wide scale for conservative criticism: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jU2271KOK9Y
I personally hated the movie, but I think his take was very fair and considered, and we need more conversation like that.
Socrates in the City, Eric Metaxas, has a great interview with Andrew Klavan on Youtube.
I think we need to stop so much criticizing bad books and start talking and writing more about the books that meant something to us and why they did.
Why do I think so?
Because, after reading here about that soldier, I'm experiencing an overwhelming urge to get A Tree Grows in Brooklyn--a book I haven't looked at in 55 years--on my kindle. I might not know what does work, but I do know that complaining about some piece of woke trash isn’t going to ignite anyone’s curiosity about a much too neglected novel—-Andrew Klavan’s novel, The Identity Man, for instance.
I think it's very true that EVERYONE, not just conservatives, should focus much more on meaning rather than failure of meaning. But I also think that it would help if we didn't have such a totalizing view of art - it's either good or bad, but instead is the imperfect creation of imperfect creations. Thus, something like, say, Batman Begins has powerful messages about revenge and justice, but has weak editing sometimes. Being able to see the good and the bad, and not miss either.
Agree.
Jenna, great essay! You are right. Andrew Fletcher said, “LET ME MAKE THE SONGS OF A NATION, AND I CARE NOT WHO MAKES ITS LAWS.”
There is an ever-increasing number of artists creating great content now. Tom McDonald, for one. He writes and produces all of his songs. He would not have been my choice in music (rap), but he has a positive message, and I have grown to appreciate his music and root for him. “The Chosen” is a worldwide phenomenon completely crowdsourced, and NO Hollywood is involved. So, yes, you and Andrew Fletcher are on the same page, and America is gradually turning those pages. Wonderful piece.
Thank you, Dana. I'm not familiar with Mr. Fletcher, but you've sparked my interest. Thank you so much for reading and for sharing your thoughts!
or this https://martinmugar.blogspot.com/2022/02/authority-and-freedom-by-jed-perl.html
https://martinmugar.substack.com/p/guston-at-mfa-boston Funny I should be addressing these issues in this blogpost.
"And say you have a work of art or a piece of culture — getting Tucker [Carlson] to talk about it is not the goal. The goal is to get Stephen Colbert to talk about it, get the other side to talk it, because that's how you get the culture back." And going back to W. Percy for a moment, this was essentially his approach. He did not preach, he entered "through the back door." He got people's defenses down by creating heroes who were alcoholics suffering from satyriasis, and then once the camel's nose was under the tent, he was able to lay out his whole world view through self-deprecating humor, but never self-righteousness. (And as a side note, in his wonderful "Love in the Ruins," written circa 1972, he essentially predicted the profoundly troubled society we live in today.)
Wonderful comment, Bill. You're 100 percent right about Percy, which I think contributed to his appeal and his genius at subtle morality and deep thinking that was so approachable by large swaths of people. And "Love in the Ruins" gets better every time I read it. Thank you for reading the post and adding to the conversation.
Great essay. Gives me some VERY deep thoughts to think. It is obvious what is being done wrong, immoral, illegal and easy to point it out. We need to go past that.
Bless your heart. That was just great to read. And I don't fall into any political camp. I disassociated my self from any political party. It was my first step in reclaiming something that I felt was being lost or at least twisted. I was so happy to read this. I agree. Make great art. See how it may impact the public discourse. We'll all be better for it. Thanks again.
I'm very humbled by your kind words and insight, Kristin. Thank you. I agree, there are many people who are disillusioned and feel politically homeless. And in an environment where divisiveness and politics seems to permeate every aspect of life it is especially trying. Art needn't be. Just make great art. I think we all need it.
I heartfully agree. Take care. Keep up the good work.
Jenna,
Very happy to see your latest post. This is a deep subject. I must confess, I have read your post a number of times thinking how I might contribute to the conversation. I agree, conservatives should ignore the “woke” as much as possible and create their own “art” in any medium they may have talent. Having “actual talent” is important. Having the courage to exert that talent, in an ever judgmental world, is just as important.
My background is in the graphic arts, working closely with artist and designers. Some were good. Some were excellent. Courage made the difference. Since this is mainly a writing forum this quote may encourage someone reading your essay to take action:
“I would stand and look out over the roofs of Paris and think, Do not worry. You have always written before and you will write now. All you have to do is write one true sentence. Write the truest sentence that you know.”
— Ernest Hemingway
If their strength lies elsewhere — your closing statement “Do not wait for permission. Go and do it.” is powerful advice.
“The truth is like a lion; you don’t have to defend it. Let it loose; it will defend itself.”
— Saint Augustine
Keep writing