Fringe and Fortune: The Role of Critics in High and Popular ArtWhy does the distinction between high and popular art persist in spite of postmodernist predictions that it should vanish? Departing from the conventional view that such distinctions are class-related, Wesley Shrum concentrates instead on the way individuals form opinions about culture through the mediation of critics. He shows that it is the extent to which critics shape the reception of an art form that determines its place in the cultural hierarchy. Those who patronize "lowbrow" art--stand-up comedy, cabaret, movies, and popular music--do not heed critical opinions nearly as much as do those who patronize "highbrow" art--theater, opera, and classical music. Thus the role of critics is crucial to understanding the nature of cultural hierarchy and its persistence. Shrum supports his argument through an inquiry into the performing arts, focusing on the Edinburgh Fringe, the world's largest and most diverse art festival. |
From inside the book
Results 1-5 of 67
... Portion of Daily Diary page , 1994 . 4.5 Map of Fringe venues , 1994 . 4.6 Fringe theater and comedy , 1982–1994 . 4.7 Trends in popular genres , 1982–1994 . 93 94 104 104 TABLES 223 223 224 225 225 4.1 Geographical origin of.
... comedy were treated so differently by performers , spectators , and critics . The mediating role of the critic is a significant part of this story and forms the main subject of the present work . The individuals most responsible for the ...
... comedy , opera , or heavy metal . The position of genres is not permanently fixed . Considerable historical variation attends the class position of the audience , the kinds of patronage received , the prestige attached to appreciation ...
... comedy and cabaret , from student revues to political drama . Here we can observe the process of mediation at work , examining the ways in which highbrow and lowbrow forms are distinguished by the public , the performers , and the ...
... comedy or cabaret . Dramatic performers were also more likely to report having made changes based on critical recommendations . The question of shared standards is addressed by using actual reviews to determine the degree of convergence ...
Contents
10 | |
CHAPTER | 25 |
CHAPTER | 42 |
CHAPTER THREE | 63 |
TABLES | 69 |
CHAPTER FOUR | 83 |
Assembly Rooms | 85 |
CHAPTER FIVE | 109 |
CHAPTER SEVEN | 144 |
CHAPTER EIGHT | 165 |
CHAPTER NINE | 181 |
CHAPTER | 193 |
EPILOGUE | 213 |
NOTES | 229 |
BIBLIOGRAPHY | 265 |
CHAPTER | 125 |