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 34
... views his procession are awed by his majesty and power . Yet the crowd is there for the simple reason that he is the Emperor . His status is based on his illustrious social position . In A Grand Scam and in the competition for artistic ...
... views vocally , in the midst of a performance , but such criticism is not without historical precedent . If his tastes run counter to those of the Critic , it is not because he is ignorant of the critic's views . If he dislikes ...
... views of performers and critics . Since theater is an archetypal performance genre , it serves as my model of high art . Although theater is now a highbrow form , this was not so until the nineteenth century . Criticism as the ...
... views ? Is there , in general , an association between the kinds of reviews shows get and the size of the audience that attends ? Does the relationship between reviews and audiences depend on whether the performance is highbrow or ...
... views were more often expressed by performers and directors in theater than in comedy or cabaret . Dramatic performers were also more likely to report having made changes based on critical recommendations . The question of shared ...
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 |