Instead, it was all about Katy's inability to remain vertical on a Segway. There is even a video of her dad riding one successfully so we all can think the whole thing is cute. I might have missed some nuances of the article here because I didn't take the time to fully read it. Thank goodness. I have things to do before work and don't have time to go to Burning man, or ride a Segway, for that matter (though on days when the legs are bad I am tempted!) Maybe I'm just being crabby and am too old to appreciate Stardom. If it were Roddy Frame on a Segway I'd probably be all over it. But when Europe is experiencing a refugee crisis because Syria is going kaput, and Isis is systematically destroying history, both ancient and contemporary, it is hard to giggle at Katy. I shudder to think that Americans (and others around the world) think that news about the stars is, well, news.
I have a poster in my classroom that says "Stop Making Stupid People Famous." Not to say Katy is stupid as I don't even know her and to judge her would be unkind. It is more of a statement about what we value and why we find value in it. Because the Pop or Movie Making Machine can produce iconic faces, and jam imagery down our collective throats until they are completely recognizable and familiar, we are to accept that there has been a significant contribution to culture. What would it be like if the same media machines promoted artists? Would we see a thirty second intro ad about Laura and Linda Kemshall? An exclusive video about the Power of Needlearts? What if fame was tied to -- gasp -- artistic accomplishment and innovation as opposed to what is visually palatable? This sounds like a good project for my students. Pick a visual artist and create a 30 second video spot that highlights their artistic accomplishments and lets the world know why people should know them. I guarantee at least one student will ask if Katy Perry or one of the One Direction dudes are visual artists, so I must be prepared to hold back my cynical eye roll.
I think the masses love the most mediocre, common denominator of artistic talent. The artists that have the widest appeal do not always have the most to contribute to culture, but might just be fun and make people happy. Not a terrible thing in a world full of Syrian refugees trying to stay alive. I guess I am spouting off because it is hard not to feel manipulated by a media machine that makes news out of fluff instead of exposing things in the world that need changing. Ok, I will hop off my soap box and end my diatribe to go be an artists and make stuff with the kids today. Thankfully sans Segway as I'd likely fall off one, too. Am eternally grateful that no cameras were present when I was thrown from a Stair Master like it was a bucking bronco. That might have gone viral. Cheers!
What will you make today?