The Critics: Exegete of Britney

[dirac]

I’m sorry, this was too good to pass up. Scroll down to the last few paragraphs of this Associated Press item by Michelle Smith, where the Times' exec. editor, Howell Raines, explains the reasoning behind the Times' new regard for pop culture, and has good words for a recent front page story on Britney Spears:

 

 

 

http://www.bayarea.com/mld/bayarea/4558083.htm

[Alexandra]

These changes will be ``additive,'' and won't detract from coverage of other subjects, Raines said.

 

Yeah. And prices won't rise in the next 25 years, either.

[dirac]

"Additive" is interesting -- sort of like MSG?

 

 

I don't mean to be a fuddy duddy and say there shouldn't be any coverage of pop culture, or less of it. But when I saw that story on the front page, I thought, this is too much.

[Alexandra]

I agree. I also thought it interesting that the justification of editorial interest is that pop culture is big business. Well, yes. So are Barbie dolls. Do we have articles every day on what Barbie had for breakfast?

 

The problem, of course, is that it will not be additive. They will do readers surveys, and more people will read about Britney than about opera or ballet or classical music. And so they will get more articles about Britney, or whoever is hot that month, because, after all, it's a business.

[Guest Calliope]

Joni Mitchell recently in an interview said that Madonna has basically "taken the need for talent" out of the music industry.

Pop culture is now "art" for some generations, which is why we see ballet companies advertising dancers on rooftops now

[dirac]

Well, it wasn't so long ago that many people in this country would have been at some pains to tell you what ballet was, exactly. So we shouldn't be too gloomy, perhaps.

 

Parenthetically, I think Mitchell is being a wee bit unfair to Madonna. There's always been room for the untalented in rock music, but Madonna didn't start that (and even if you don't like her, she does have some talent). I'm not sure I wouldn't prefer "La Isla Bonita" to one of those Sensitive ditties that Joni used to favor us with about her awful ex-husband, et cetera.....

[Hans]

Actually, I've heard that before she became a music star, Madonna was a ballet dancer. Either way, she's still more of an artist than Britney Spears if only because she does what she wants and doesn't pander to the public nearly as much (not to mention that she does have some singing ability). It is unfortunate that ballet companies have to "dumb down" their art in order to fill seats, but I guess if one doesn't enjoy the patronage of a czar, one does what one must.

[Farrell Fan]

Does anyone know if this NYCB dancer is related to Madonna? Just idle curiosity on my part.

[Guest Calliope]

I missed the NYCB/Madonna connection.

 

But NYCB has sent dancers to Sally Jessy and now this year it's the Angelina Ballerina float in the Macy's parade.

Maybe next year they'll have the Peter Martins balloon , being that he's a NY landmark and all.

[dirac]

A movie bio of Martha Graham with Madonna as the star was mentioned on and off for years. I was torn between feelings of dread and hope -- dread of how awful it might be, hope that it would be a major campfest, with visions in my head of Madonna pawing some big hunky number playing Erick Hawkins.

[Juliet]

"Does anyone know if this NYCB dancer is related to Madonna? Just idle curiosity on my part."

 

No. she's not. She is lovely on her own, talented and highly intelligent.....

 

I say Brava to Angelina Ballerina....she is quite fun, and certainly an improvement on Barbie's Nutcracker of last year.....

 

 

 

 

[Paul Parish]

I'm no great fan of Madonna -- though I loved Desperately Seeking Susan --

 

BUT she gets the credit for discovering voguing and making the rest of us know about that fascinating undergrouand dance form.... For those of you who haven't heard of it, the documentary film "Paris is Burning" is a good source.....

[Mme. Hermine]

no indeed, martine ciccone trained at the boston ballet school and then moved to new york with her mother and sister to go to sab. in addition i think madonna's last name is spelled a little differently; isn't is cicconi? anyway they aren't related.