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We are moving toward a society that avoids standards because they may seem judgemental or hurt someones feelings. Kids aren't told, sorry try again, it's more along the lines of well, you tried hard. We're trying too hard to protect feelings instead of making them become competent. The same lack of standards goes to school personnel. It's very hard to fire someone who's incompetent.
Here are some examples of the dumbing down of the American Culture:
Hip Hop Gangster Rap
Do you know there is a difference between Hip Hop, Rap and Gangsta Rap? But I suspect you wouldn't care anyway. And why was that the only genre you chose?
Quote:
Rising High School Dropout Rate
Dropout rates have gradually declined between 1972 and 2004, from 15 percent to a low of 10 percent in 2003, where the rate remained in 2004. If you have different numbers please provide them.
Quote:
The TV News Channel
Agreed, especially with the addition of the Fixed News Channel.
Quote:
Tabloids (Paris, Brittany, Lindsey)
Agreed.
Quote:
Quality of Movies
Disagree. Can you imagine watching Transformers 40 years ago? And besides porn is much better today than the 70s and early 80s. It was too hairy for my taste.
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Multiculturalism
I love it!
Quote:
Political Correctness
Agreed.
Quote:
Instant Messaging instead of talking face to face anymore
Agreed. Although I have to admit I love text messaging.
American culture has always been low brow....cheesy capitalism is the best way to express it. When is the last time America was excited over a painter?
Chris Ofili's The Virigin Mary in 1999 when it was displayed at the Brooklyn Museum of Art. The uproarious reaction by the public and Rudy Giuliani turned into a blue ribbon example of American anti-intellectualism. I keep wondering that if the painting, done by a Nigerian artist, had been displayed in a case along with other Nigerian art in The Museum of Natural History, there would have been any complaint at all. America was prepared to be offended by what it did not understand. Numerous art historians tried to explain that in the region Ofili is from elephant dung is very important. It is used to mortice houses, used as fuel for fires, and fertilizes crops. Elephant dung is also a powerful symbol of matriarchy (elephants are matriarchal), devotion (elephants are highly protective of their young), constancy (elephants really do have great memories), and power (elephants are the biggest animals out there. They do not even fear lions), but nobody wanted to listen. Because what is essentially an exercise in tribal art had the representation of a western image and was hung in a western-style show outside of the context of its origin, people went bats. Ofili was well aware of what would happen and he accomplished what he and his other YBA (Young British Artist) friends long to do and that's create controversy. If it's any consolation to its numerous detractors, the painting was destroyed in a barely newsworthy warehouse fire that consumed $90 million worth of Joseph Saatchi's art collection.
Controversial art isn't limited to painting or the US. Directors of the 1865 Paris Salon had to hang Manet's Olympia out of the reach of an enraged public who wanted to throw things at it. Now it's considered one of the world's great paintings and it doesn't raise an eyebrow for anyone:
Last edited by Jason_Els; 08-09-2007 at 04:30 PM..
This little quote kinda says it all for me.
So does the misspelled "dummed down" thread title. People want to be heard but sometimes do not really hear themselves.
I agree with a lot of what everyone has said, especially PrettyHateMachine's entire post.
What to do?
Get involved. Volunteer. Don't buy so much stuff.
Complain to your TV network, or maybe simply turn off the TV.
Sounds like many of you are involved in your child's education.
That's a really good start.
Another strategy is to support the cultural activities that do exist where you live.
American culture has always been low brow....cheesy capitalism is the best way to express it. When is the last time America was excited over a painter?
Our culture appeals to the lowest common denominator.
Interesting to read this...over the last few years I wonder that I just can't be the only one who thinks like this. But there are others.
When was the last time America was excited over an innovative TV program? Or movie? Or novel? or artist? Somewhere, out there in America, are surely many people who have original, creative ideas for TV, movies, novels, art, and music. But their work will not appeal to the lowest common denominator, so they drive cabs, work in cubicles, do construction, etc.
No one has yet mentioned the overwhelming importance given to sports, as if the meaning of life was attached to certain championships. Talented athletes are placed upon pedestals and worshipped.
I think America unintentionally cultivates small cultural ghettos, such as New York, Chicago, some places in California, where cultural events still draw crowds. But, for the majority across the country, culture is 6 hours of TV per day. Entertainment, whether mindless or not, reigns.
Interesting to read this...over the last few years I wonder that I just can't be the only one who thinks like this. But there are others.
When was the last time America was excited over an innovative TV program? Or movie? Or novel? or artist? Somewhere, out there in America, are surely many people who have original, creative ideas for TV, movies, novels, art, and music. But their work will not appeal to the lowest common denominator, so they drive cabs, work in cubicles, do construction, etc.
No one has yet mentioned the overwhelming importance given to sports, as if the meaning of life was attached to certain championships. Talented athletes are placed upon pedestals and worshipped.
I think America unintentionally cultivates small cultural ghettos, such as New York, Chicago, some places in California, where cultural events still draw crowds. But, for the majority across the country, culture is 6 hours of TV per day. Entertainment, whether mindless or not, reigns.
Good question. The appeal of American avant garde is definitely limited. I think of composers like John Cage, Phillip Glass, Thurston Moore; visual painters like Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Matthew Barney; and these are big names elsewhere in the world. They're even relatively big names here, but the average person isn't going to know a thing about them. Articles about them, concerts or shows, just don't much happen outside the big cities. The audience is very limited.
And much of that is our complete lack of arts education. Everything is math and science, math and science, math and science. Civics, history, English, and the arts go right out the window. We raise our children to be worker drones, not independent thinkers. The liberal arts education is just a shadow of what it once was and employers welcome it. Oh sure, an elective here or there because you need one or Comp Sci 201 was filled, is fine, but who wants to hire a history major without an advanced degree?
Our society talks a great deal about, "thinking outside the box," "innovating," "new paradigms," "thinking globally," yet doesn't emphasize the very facets of education that create people who can do just these things. Look at the state of English education. It's considered essential but really it's the red-headed stepchild of education. So long as you can manage a high school vocabulary and know how to use SpellCheck, it doesn't matter. Read corporate documents like memos or newsletters. The quality of expression is dreadful.
To be well-rounded, to understand how the world works, to think intellectually, requires a liberal arts education. We should be teaching art, philosophy, history, language, and music to all our students so they can take part in the world as independent and yes, intellectual thinkers rather than narrow, over-specialized cogs who cease to function outside their professional environment.
Our high school just pumped $8 million into a new athletic field complete with new stands, field house, didgital big screen scoreboard, and other improvements. The only music is for a band that, yes, performs at sports functions. The only semblance of dance is, yes, gymnastic cheerleading. Art consists of supplies like banner paper and tempra paint for, yes, fan signs at sports events. They do put on a school play every year but the total budge is less than $5,000 and the auditorium hasn't been rennovated since the school was built in the early 60s.
That's likely representational of most schools in this country. If it's not math, science, or sports, we really don't care. The parents are happy with it, the kids get into good schools for getting gainful employment, but are the students really familiar with how the world works or how various social systems integrate? Can they think orginally?
As test scores show, not much. Each year the US slides a little further in primary and secondary education. The parents decry such rankings but then think the answer is to continue doing what they are doing only with MORE of it because they themselves have been raised in such a system. I went to private schools from third grade on and I can say with much assurance that my education, what little of it I absorbed, was light years ahead of what public schools are churning out.
Sometimes I think we are all brain dead myself included. Maybe we are all afraid of what happened in the 60's to stand up rally, together and march on Washington. Everyone seems to be complaining about the war just as in the 60's but we're not doing anything about it. The blacks tried with the Million Man March, but fell short, the Mexicans are putting it together, but have yet to take their peace to the Capitol.
I can't say I blame the people for not being willing and able to rally around a cause. I wouldn't want to give all this up and lose everything I've worked for my entire life. For me, my issue is mainly with the local government. And this is a fairly recent development.
Washington hasn't done enough to upset me at this point. I don't mind them keeping tabs or having may fingerprints in a file room. It's a waste of time, but I can see how this my somehow protect me. I don't like the war, but there was a time when I was for it. 9/11 was a bad thing, but I can't say I didn't like what I have seen, including all the contradicting information that can be found on the subject.
I remember when the communists were our biggest concern. It was to the point and still is that there my be one living right next door, waiting for instructions. Now it's Al Queada, and just the sound of it kind of makes me feel stupid. I guess my biggest issue is with textbook education, which includes so many thing mostly political, followed by scientific, including the Moon landing.
I may be dumbed down, but I'm paying a lot more attention then I used to.
Red states have the highest out of marriage birth rates and the highest divorce rates' -seems rather silly to have red state conservatives here preaching 'abstinence'
So, red state = dumb people, blue state = smart people.
Give the fact that 70% of black births are out of wedlock how does that factor into the blue good/ red bad theory (assuming it's a theory and not a proven fact)?
the more stupid people around that easily manipulate, the easier the men in power controlled them....the more control they have the more wealth power they will received. One way to fight this, improved our education and not solely depends on the men in power to make judgement for you what to study and learn.
Then again if we have too much smart ass around, who going to clean my driveway LOL
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I love it!
