On the dumbing down of modern culture

[adrian]

Recently a French journalist sent a manuscript to 20 publishing companies, to see if the manuscript could be accepted. But, it was not his own manuscript, instead he sent 15 pages of a book written by the Nobel prize winner Claude Simon, well known for a difficult and controversial style in writing. 16 publishers did not accept the manuscript, the others didn´t even answer. The journalist took the result as a sign that publishers don´t want anything that looks difficult anymore, a general cultural dumbing down in society, due to stronger commercial interests in everything produced.
IMHO: This is also something that can be seen in music, as soon people hear something strange and unfamiliar, they tend to turn it off, which in the long run must mean that nothing new will ever be recorded.
That is a very sad development, and therefore I post a clip from my band GuitCussion, where I play a Godin Artisan, and the other guitarist plays a Ovation Breadwinner into a digital unit. We have two drummers, the clip is called Black Market, and has a strange "Indian" avantgarde vibe, that probably will sound strange to most people.

Black Market:
http://fandalism.com/stefanthorpenberg/dZEN

 

[Demanic]

Re: On the dumbing down of modern culture

Given the fact that digital recording makes it possible for a home studio to record and produce, anyone with the gumption to can make anything, regardless of it's commercial value.

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[kingsnake]

Re: On the dumbing down of modern culture

Perhaps people now just see through pompous and pretentious prose that disguises itself as being something greater than it really is?

Like Demanic said, access to tools to create studio quality recordings is easier today than ever. Anyone is free to create art. If society was truly being "dumbed down" technology would not be advancing at the rate that it is.

But yes, if you are looking to make a buck off of it and you are not young and/or have a marketable image, you aren't getting very far. But that was true in any other era. It is human nature. Sex sells the most tickets. It is convenient to simply use every bad musician's excuse throughout history: "people are stupid, that's why they don't like my music.... they just don't undertand, mannnn, they don't get it"...

 

[Gtrjunior]

Re: On the dumbing down of modern culture

Maybe the publishing companies rejected the manuscript because they recognized that it was plagiarized. . .

 

[adrian]

Re: On the dumbing down of modern culture

No, it was an unknown novel, and no publisher mentioned that it looked like it was plagiarized.
Demanic and Kingsnake: Yes, your´re right that it is much easier today to record your own stuff. But no one will listen to it, it never comes to the radio or TV. When I was young they often played Hendrix on radio, and Laurie Anderson even had a hit in the UK with the strange tune O Superman. Impossible today.
But I´m not talking about music only, but about culture in general. Publishers release tons of criminal stories and cook books. But not difficult literature. I mean seriously: Claude Simon was published in the 1960s, but not now. What happened? We are supposed to be more advanced today.

 

[Mincer]

Re: On the dumbing down of modern culture

I am surprised that authors need publishers anymore. It is so easy to self-publish. This is archaic as bands sending demos to record companies. That world doesn't exist (or is quickly dying).

 

[LLL]

Re: On the dumbing down of modern culture

You can do anything yourself... but, well, it really comes down to one question:

Do you want your book/music/whatever to be done by a professional or not?

...

And oh yeah, speaking of pompous - authors are some of the worst primadonnas in the world.

I would assume the manuscript was rejected (OPs first post) because it was assumed it wouldn't sell well.

 

[adrian]

Re: On the dumbing down of modern culture

Mincer: The world of publishers for books do exist. I have three books out, and they can be found in book shops only because they´re are published by a publishing company. Otherwize book stores don´t take them in.
LLL: well, that´s my point, there´s no place today for controversial music, literature or culture along the official lines. Everything that is not very commercial is done in private, we have the technology at home, but big business still have total control of all the money.

 

[Demanic]

Re: On the dumbing down of modern culture

There is a reason the underground exists, and will always exist. It's there for anyone willing to look for it. And it's even bigger now than ever. And if you're complaining that "big money" doesn't listen and isn't fair etc, well, that and five bucks will get you a Starbucks.

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[Ben1962]

Re: On the dumbing down of modern culture

We are currently in Idiocracy stage 1. The world is being dumbed down, and we know it. Many reasons for it, 1st and foremost is reliance on digital equipment 24/7. Just watch people these days. People with their noses in their phones while they walk. I almost hit a guy the other day who was walking and texting and walked into the street! I wont even discuss politics, but thats part of it as well. We are too focused on feelings IMO. Now they want to start schools later because kids dont function so well in the morning? Lunacy. Yep, society is dumber overall, no doubt.

 

[Chistopher]

Re: On the dumbing down of modern culture

Recently a French journalist sent a manuscript to 20 publishing companies, to see if the manuscript could be accepted. But, it was not his own manuscript, instead he sent 15 pages of a book written by the Nobel prize winner Claude Simon, well known for a difficult and controversial style in writing. 16 publishers did not accept the manuscript, the others didn´t even answer. The journalist took the result as a sign that publishers don´t want anything that looks difficult anymore, a general cultural dumbing down in society, due to stronger commercial interests in everything produced.

You could also argue that nobody finds interest in the lesser works of an author that's verbisms and ideas aren't relevant to society any more, especially because his name isn't attached to it.

For example, let's say you did the same thing with George Orwell's "Coming Up For Air". It's clearly very intellectual and loaded with allegory, but it's really boring. Attach some no-names name to it and it won't sell. It's boring and the time the meaning behind the book is pointless if it were published in 2018. It doesn't matter how sophisticated it is, the book won't sell.

 

[Securb]

Re: On the dumbing down of modern culture

A lot of publishers reject anything unsolicited automatically to avoid plagiarism lawsuits down the road.

 

[Mincer]

Re: On the dumbing down of modern culture

I bet you can send in some classical music that is actually some obscure Mozart (but sent as your own) to a classical record company and have it rejected.

Self publishing works for all but the most successful modern authors, because people aren't buying books in a book store anymore- they download them, or buy them on Amazon, which does take self-published books. See how many bookstores there are now vs 30 years ago. Just because books appear in a book store doesn't actually mean they are sold.

 

[Clint 55]

Re: On the dumbing down of modern culture

reliance on digital equipment 24/7.

I would think having access to instant information would make people smarter.

 

[El Dunco]

Re: On the dumbing down of modern culture

You have to dig deeper than the surface. If you want to find good music, you will.

 

[Jacew]

Re: On the dumbing down of modern culture

You have to dig deeper than the surface. If you want to find good music, you will.

Yes, but if you want it on record...

It's too easy to go completely over with todays equipment. If band doesn't end up mushing out their sound with all the fancy gear, studio almost certainly will. You end up with glassy smoothness that's just completely boring. Added up with too much "dirt" (that doesn't really sound dirty at all) in the worst case, and a bass and drums that don't sound like a real instrument. It's just not good.


There aren't many, but Iron Maidens Book of Souls is great example of really good sound on a modern album. Battle Beasts Bringer of Pain was rather good as well that came out last year.

 

[greekdude]

Re: On the dumbing down of modern culture

Mincer: The world of publishers for books do exist. I have three books out, and they can be found in book shops only because they´re are published by a publishing company. Otherwize book stores don´t take them in.
LLL: well, that´s my point, there´s no place today for controversial music, literature or culture along the official lines. Everything that is not very commercial is done in private, we have the technology at home, but big business still have total control of all the money.

Control is stronger today than ever.

 

[Sirion]

Re: On the dumbing down of modern culture

I bet you can send in some classical music that is actually some obscure Mozart (but sent as your own) to a classical record company and have it rejected.

As somebody who works in this business, let me tell you that anything that sounds Viennese classic, but without the names Mozart or Haydn on them, is incredibly difficult to create any interest in. Names are incredibly important, and if you are working with music by a Dittersdorf, a Hofmann, a Myslivecek, a Wanhal or a Wranitzky, it is going to be an uphill battle each and every step on the way. (I should, for the record, say that each and every one of those composers are excellent and worthy of notice in their own right. There is a reason why Haydn and Mozart are the famous ones, but Dittersdorf's symphonies are better than those Mozart wrote on a bad day, etc.)

This isn't a new thing, though: Mozart's 37th symphony is really a symphony by Michael Haydn (Joseph Haydn's brother), where Mozart added a slow introduction. Let us just say that few people doubted that it was a Mozart work before this became known, and almost nobody has played it since.

 

[Ben1962]

Re: On the dumbing down of modern culture

"I would think having access to instant information would make people smarter."
You just verified my point

 

[Demanic]

Re: On the dumbing down of modern culture

Information is only part of knowledge. Without healthy cognitive ability, it's worthless.

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