This question is motivated by the recent debates that sparked around the release of Star Wars: the Last Jedi. The work is challenging the philosophical assumptions of many fans and is eliciting hate on one side, and praises on the other. What I noticed is that for the first time in a long time this allowed me to have philosophical discussions with my non-academic friends. But I'm interested to know if it's a risk in a capitalist society to create such work, or is it actually the engine of the market?
I'd be very glad if you provide some interesting references in your answers, may they be academic or pop-culture related examples from the past. Even if what motivated my question was Star Wars, feel free to provide an answer on the basis of whatever pop culture related work you want.
Both unanimity and debate. These are two "positive" attributes in pop-culture art.
Dennis
Dennis Mazur
artifacts and text in pop culture are polysemantic. they can be interpreted in different ways, they mean different things to different people. this is their "engine" as you call it. it is up to us, the audience how to read it. the most discussed and remembered texts (films, tv show, music albums) are thus the richest texts, those that made these discussions possible
Artwork is often subject to our expectations. Buddhism teaches that if one repetitively consumes something, its consumption losses its luster. This is called upādāna, or the buddhist doctrine of attachment.
A good has a depreciating value, but not because it became a different good. Take for example your favorite song. It will "get old" to you because you grow attached to a certain parts of the song. When you listen to it, you develop a certain expectation, since you learn how it goes. Expectation for a work of art can truly destroy it. The 'art of loving’, or how one appreciates and "takes the song in" then becomes important.
Star Wars fanatics have high expectations which comes only from clinging to past installments. Many art forms are ill-received simply because of unjustified expectations. I would think critically of this because fanatics set very high standards for their attachments. A fanatic’s opinion is likely never pure. Instead, it is influenced by his/her passions.
- Badges
- Science topic
- Similar topics
- Philosophy
- Ethics