The Canons of Culture (NEW CONCEPTS)

[Mick Harper]

I was telling you about me and M C Escher over on the TV thread. How I had access to lots of Escher books and prints when I was growing up but thought them the usual weirdo stuff my household was prey to. I later found out from the TV doc that in fact M C Escher was an established brand way back when I was growing up when, for example, he was featured in Life magazine. Not weird at all. Solidly part of the middle class canon (cookie art division).

Children are not aware of this if they are brought up in a non-middle class milieu. All the more surprising though when 'the sixties' discovered Escher and put him in their canon too. It was all of a piece with Courrèges, Pop Art, drug culture et al.

[Boreades]

In addition and by extension:

Once upon a time, I mixed in circles where Douglas Hofstadter's book "Godel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid" was essential reading.

Imagine my shock and dismay when I now meet people (who at first appear to be of deep learning) who have never even heard of the book.

How the mighty have fallen.

[Mick Harper]

I'll post this up here because of the response and the answer I gave to it.
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I got a letter yesterday addressed to ‘The Occupier’
So I sent it to Israel.

Laugh out loud funny but not one of mine. It was the incomparable Alexi Sayle and he went on to say, ‘If you laughed at that, and you’re a member of the Labour party, you’ll get expelled.” He’s the nation’s favourite Scouse Marxist.

The nation’s least favourite Scouse Marxist is Derek Hatton who was in the news this weekend. Being led off in handcuffs alongside the ex-Labour leader of Liverpool City Council for bribery and corruption over land sales. So let’s consider how these two comic caperers got where they are today.

* Mr Sayle was born to the purple. His parents were prominent members of the Communist Party. He had no choice in the matter growing up but, having grown up, he hasn’t moved very far. He may make a living pointing up the absurdities of Communism and the hypocrisies of socialists generally but his own political beliefs are still a lot further left than the national average. It would be fair to say he would prefer to be burnt at the stake than vote Tory.

* Mr Hatton acquired his Marxism at a Marxist Reading Group set up by the Militant Tendency. They were what is known as Vanguardists. They knew their brand of Leninism (never Trotskyism) was espoused by only 0.01% of the broad masses so, short of defeat in a World War, their only chance of power was to become what is known as Entryists. The members of the Reading Group join the Labour Party in any large provincial city where the Labour Party is moribund (i.e. all large provincial cities in Britain), you sit silent at key constituency meetings until everyone sensible has gone home to their beds, then one of you proposes some changes in the rules, another one of you seconds your proposal, the third and fourth among you vote for the proposal which goes through on a four to three vote. You repeat this at other constituencies around town and before you know it, before anyone knows it, there’s the Marxist-Leninist Republic of Liverpool.

“By ’eck, I thought I were voting Labour like my father and his father afore him.”
“Aye, if only young Alexi hadn’t sold out, gone to that London and invented alternative comedy, we could have had the real Communist Party. Say what you like about ’em, they’re not corrupt.”
“Or we could have voted Tory, I suppose.”
“I’d rather be burnt at the stake.”
“I’d rather watch Everton.”
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[Boreades]

Having mentioned Douglas Hofstadter's book "Godel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid".

I then remembered it had been a Pulitzer Prize winner for General Nonfiction. But then wondered why we don't hear much of Pulitzer Prizes any more?

[Hatty]

Last September I heard about a book 'A Day in the Life of Abed Salama' by an American journalist called Nathan Thrall and ambled down to the local library to borrow their copy, unaware it had been awarded the 2024 Pullitzer prize for general non-fiction (the library blurb doesn't say).

Just looked up the library's catalogue and saw the book is on their shelves so you seem to be correct that not many people, at least in this neck of suburbia, know or care about the latest Pullitzer winner.

[Mick Harper]

It's mainly for newspaper awards--Pullitzer was a big chain after the war. And they take their journalism very seriously over there. "That'll get you a Pullitzer," as they say in the movies when some bigshot is being taken down by a couple of cub reporters.

NB Being awarded a prize is nowhere near enough to get in the canon. Rather the opposite, says posterity sniffily.

[Boreades]

Is there a UK equivalent of the Pulitzer Prize?

[Mick Harper]

It used to be What the Papers Say, remember that? Their annual awards bash was moderately huge but now there are various not very celebrated journalism gongs going. Books get loads of course, led by the Booker. The Americans are quite envious of that. It's strange how the prestige of Eng Lit persists long after being overtaken by Am Lit. (All the other Lits are also rans.)

[Boreades]

Thanks for reminding me of the Booker Prize. But is there one for non-fiction?

[Mick Harper]

There's loads. I've entered a few myself. (The Hennessey History Prize was one, I seem to remember.) But too a long ago for me to offer you any up to date guidance.

I think it's the Mann Booker Prize now. Booker, an unfortunate name for a Book Prize, was a wholesale grocery outfit (I think) who were taken aback by its success. When they wanted out -- a familiar problem, Gillette had to drop a cricket competition when their PR company told them people thought they were a sportswear company--the name was too famous to drop. I've no idea who Mann are, so that's money well spent.

PS I think Britain & Ireland is out of date too. Leastways various colonial bods win it from time to time.

[Wile E. Coyote]

I just got a brilliant idea for a new canon, what with Snow White just to be released.

It's live action remakes of Disney animated classics.

Err....

[Mick Harper]

I posted this up the other day on the late lamented Medium in response to a film crit of Cinderella https://medium.com/framerated/cinderella-1950-charming-disney-classic-dampened-by-two-aggravating-side-characters-dcd8be08051e

[Wile E. Coyote]

It's a bit like this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBrd_3VMC3c

Must be in the canon

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ll6ONO-ae4o

Eh?

[Mick Harper]

If you listen carefully, Joey Ramone is just an old fashioned crooner trying to cram a ballad into a punkpot. It's Saarlouis who is the one trying to break out from convention.

[Wile E. Coyote]

One transports you to a wondrous world, the other is updated for the supposed modern audience. You listen to Joey, your brain wants to like it, but somehow just can't.

This is the problem for Wiley, with Live Action remakes I couldn't give a toss whether Snow White is a Latino if it only gets me to that wondrous place, but they never do.

Maybe it's just me?