Stripping away the distracting BS, this is what it all boils down to. (In my opinion.)

[BrotherIvan]

57. Wow, I wish we could have this discussion over coffee or drinks!

So, so true. Education has become indentured servitude, so I understand many people wanting to leverage it for future earnings. But what has happened is a complete absence of anything resembling being "educated". I often ask people, what does it mean to be an educated person in today's society? We have no idea any more. It used to mean, "well read," literally meaning a person who has read and presumably thought about certain works and ideas. I truly and deeply understand that this was a reflection of privileged, upper-class society. That is why I would love for us to define what it means for us today. When someone comes out of that very expensive college, what is it that they are supposed to know?

As for art, as many have said, art is a reflection of a society. I am very hopeful to see the vibrance of street art. But it seems that commerce captures and shortly kills all creativity. You're correct, it's all about how much money a certain work of art generates. As a filmmaker, I can't tell you how heart breaking it is when discussing a certain film, that the first comment is about box office. Or, it's just entertainment. When in fact, filmmaking is the art of our time, combining creativity, technology, skills that can only be gained through a lifetime of apprenticeship. It deals with all the senses (even approaching taste). And yet, it is now an industry (for the most part union-busted) that in this country especially, produces the most mind-numbing crap. Yes, art is a leisure affair. But it also enlightens us and changes the fabric of our thought.

I never thought I would be living through the Middle Ages in America. And yet, here I am.