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. |
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The Role of Critics in High and Popular Art Wesley Monroe Shrum Jr. CONTENTS LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS xi LIST OF TABLES xii ... Performing Arts 42 PART TWO : THE FRINGE 61 CHAPTER THREE Development of the Festival Fringe 63 CHAPTER FOUR ...
... PERFORMING ARTS In five weeks what will be left of ( my play ] ? A script , a press release , a couple of photos , and the reviews . -Scottish director and playwright The performing arts are especially useful for an analysis of ...
... theater and cabaret , but with performance the art is live as well.14 This ephemerality is what gives reviews their special power and significance . Emotional as well as artistic responses to critical reviews in the performing arts ...
... performing arts , arts festivals are ideal because of their diversity . Their organization , the social composition of audiences , and the internal characteristics of performances are all aspects of cultural hierarchy . For the idea of ...
... performance . The more systematic results of the study follow in Chapters 6 ... arts and those who are avid consumers are not subject to the same process of ... performing group and greater media coverage . More favorable reviews , A ...
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 |