PARIS — When the French government launched a smartphone app that gives 300 euros to every 18-year-old in the country for cultural purchases like books and music, or exhibition and performance tickets, most young people’s impulse wasn’t to buy Proust’s greatest works or to line up and see Molière.
Instead, France’s teenagers flocked to manga.
I loved this story, especially the harrumphing and grumble-blathering of the Big C ‘culture’ types. Given how badly my homies in the local arts community have done it since Ms Rona turned up, we could do a lot worse here.
I’m not sure what our teenaged hoodlums would waste it on, though.
Had it been me at that age, probably AC/DC records and Sven Hassel books.
They say that the thing that pissed offed the Post Modern philosophers like Foucault, Derrida and Lyotard wasn't American imperialism, wanting to speak truth to power or discombulating easy stories into mega meaning. The thing that pissed them off most was the popularity of American pop-culture and why no one liked the French High culture anymore (which was odd because their famous artists were fly ins from Spain, Belgium and Scandinavia) and the French are really terrible at rock and roll with the exception of Hard Resistance and Gojira.
So god speed those French Teens, way to stick it to the man.
Sven Hassel! Hadn't thought of that author for ages - read many of the books probably about the same time as you. And what about Leo Kessler? Similar....but pulpier I thought. Still read them though! And the French love comics aka 'Bandes Desinees' so I don't see spending money on comics as being out of character.
They harrumphed here back in 2008-09 the plebs spent their eleventy-hundred dollaroonies on flat-screens, instead of [I don't know, fine scotch if it was ABolt, polish for the Roller if it was Alan Jones].
I read somewhere else that in France, comics actually are treated as literature-ish. I don't know either way. The fact is that snobbery, or reverse-snobbery, never gets old and never dies. Yeah, it'd be nice if people would spend money on local live music, theatre, art and dance. Me included. But hating on someone because they didn't spend their money the way that I think they should is just plain arseholery.
Live local music had already gone away, before Ms Rona arrived, for the most part, thanks to city planners and NIMBYism. These days new music is mostly what can be composed and created in bedrooms, and shared over the interwebs. Wish it weren't so.
France is approximately home of Tintin and Asterix, and vast quantities of similarly excellent illustrated fare. The kids are alright.
Because they still have local live music venues? Tintin (well, Herge, well Georges Remi) is Belgian, but French-speaking, rather than Flemish. Asterix is as Gaulish as they come.
They say that the thing that pissed offed the Post Modern philosophers like Foucault, Derrida and Lyotard wasn't American imperialism, wanting to speak truth to power or discombulating easy stories into mega meaning. The thing that pissed them off most was the popularity of American pop-culture and why no one liked the French High culture anymore (which was odd because their famous artists were fly ins from Spain, Belgium and Scandinavia) and the French are really terrible at rock and roll with the exception of Hard Resistance and Gojira.
So god speed those French Teens, way to stick it to the man.
Sven Hassel! Hadn't thought of that author for ages - read many of the books probably about the same time as you. And what about Leo Kessler? Similar....but pulpier I thought. Still read them though! And the French love comics aka 'Bandes Desinees' so I don't see spending money on comics as being out of character.
Sven Hassel! Awesome, my Dad read them all in Spanish and German. I slogged through a couple.
Pulpier than Sven Hassel? Impossible!
They harrumphed here back in 2008-09 the plebs spent their eleventy-hundred dollaroonies on flat-screens, instead of [I don't know, fine scotch if it was ABolt, polish for the Roller if it was Alan Jones].
I read somewhere else that in France, comics actually are treated as literature-ish. I don't know either way. The fact is that snobbery, or reverse-snobbery, never gets old and never dies. Yeah, it'd be nice if people would spend money on local live music, theatre, art and dance. Me included. But hating on someone because they didn't spend their money the way that I think they should is just plain arseholery.
Live local music had already gone away, before Ms Rona arrived, for the most part, thanks to city planners and NIMBYism. These days new music is mostly what can be composed and created in bedrooms, and shared over the interwebs. Wish it weren't so.
France is approximately home of Tintin and Asterix, and vast quantities of similarly excellent illustrated fare. The kids are alright.
I think the Belgians may like to dispute your statement!
Because they still have local live music venues? Tintin (well, Herge, well Georges Remi) is Belgian, but French-speaking, rather than Flemish. Asterix is as Gaulish as they come.
Totally agree, Andrew.