Music legend Quincy Jones is urging President-elect Barack Obama to create a ministry of culture, insisting it's embarrassing the government has no ambassador for the arts.
The producer claims the U.S. and Germany are the only countries with no culture minister, which he regards as ridiculous, considering America's contribution to popular music, movies, television and theater around the globe.
Jones, who has worked with Michael Jackson, Frank Sinatra and Donna Summer, among others, says, "Every country on the planet is playing American music. And we don't have a ministry of culture."
Anyone have any thoughts on this?
My initial feeling is that the spread of American culture - especially pop culture - seems to be doing just fine without a government minister to push things.
There are two novels that can change a bookish fourteen-year old's life: The Lord of the Rings and Atlas Shrugged. One is a childish fantasy that often engenders a lifelong obsession with its unbelievable heroes, leading to an emotionally stunted, socially crippled adulthood, unable to deal with the real world. The other, of course, involves orcs.... John Rogers
What do ministers of culture do in other countries?
“There, peeping among the cloud-wrack above a dark tor high up in the mountains, Sam saw a white star twinkle for a while. The beauty of it smote his heart, as he looked up out of the forsaken land, and hope returned to him. For like a shaft, clear and cold, the thought pierced him that in the end the Shadow was only a small and passing thing: there was light and high beauty for ever beyond its reach.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King
I would be hesitant to support this because I think the government should control "culture" as little as possible. Grants and funding are one thing, but any more bureaucracy seems unnecessary. Some of the best works of art have been created as a form of dissent and opposition to the government or the state, and I don't like the idea that the government would be so closely connected to art. I just really don't think it's the government's job to advertise American culture at all. If American culture is popular elsewhere, which it largely seems to be, cool. If it is unpopular, too bad. Culture is so complex and changing that it seems ridiculous to have some sort of official representative or minister for it.
Then again, I don't really know what these other ministers of culture actually do.
It seems that that would be a position for 'promoting' or 'funding' culture - we already promote our culture around the world, and we do have a national endowment for the arts and such. I think that cultural events are sponsored on a much more local level, and don't need a national person directing. If we want to pour more funds into culture, then do so...but don't create a federal department for it!
No need for such an office. No desire for such an office. No use for such an office. No money for such an office.
"If you love wealth more than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, depart from us in peace. We ask not your counsel nor your arms. Crouch down and lick the hand that feeds you. May your chains rest lightly upon you and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen."
-- Samuel Adams
It's fashionable to sneer at the CBC. I don't watch much TV, but I do listen to the radio and CBC radio is a gem, one of Canada's treasures.
The CBC is one of the things that makes Canada, Canada. It costs much much less than keeping our forces in Afghanistan and is much much healthier for Canada. I don't think anyone has died watching or listening to CBC.
For the record: I knew I wasn't hallucinating.
Ontario has a Minister of Culture, though.
So yes, we do have one in Ontario by the name of Aileen Caroll.
That's why I made fun of the CBC, since it's in Ontario.
For the record: I knew I wasn't hallucinating.
Ontario has a Minister of Culture, though.
So yes, we do have one in Ontario by the name of Aileen Caroll.
That's why I made fun of the CBC, since it's in Ontario.
“There, peeping among the cloud-wrack above a dark tor high up in the mountains, Sam saw a white star twinkle for a while. The beauty of it smote his heart, as he looked up out of the forsaken land, and hope returned to him. For like a shaft, clear and cold, the thought pierced him that in the end the Shadow was only a small and passing thing: there was light and high beauty for ever beyond its reach.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King
Yup, who do you think funds the Trailer Park Boys.
*cough* Goverment of Nova Scotia *cough*
Or maybe, I was too drunk when I read the sponsors.
One too many Alexander Keith's.
“Lawyers are the only persons in whom ignorance of the law is not punished.” - Jeremy Bentham (1748 - 1832)
