Personally, I think works of art, all 'high culture' is as open to re-use and re-working and re-interpretation as anything else.

Personally, I think works of art, all 'high culture' is as open to re-use and re-working and re-interpretation as anything else.

======= Date Modified 17 Nov 2009 18:47:18 =======
Bug: Yeah, that's fine, all well and good. However, re-use does not mean nicking a famous and glamorous sounding name in order to promote the idea that you are sophisticated, while turning the entire point of the text (which is extremely relevant, important, and otherwis little discussed) on its head.

Oh and also, I don't think in terms of high or low art; I'm passionate about lots of culture and life is far too short to worry about classifications. I'm especially passionate about Bunuel's Belle de Jour (which by the way has not always been classified as high art - by those who spend their time on such things), it's an incredible film with a message that I, personally, think the world should know about, and I, personally, don't like to see it b*st***ised. Just because somebody is a sex worker, that doesn't make them out of bound for criticismI'm treating her the way I would treat anyone else; she's chosen to put herself in the public eye (years ago with the blog, and now with the outing - she could have just told close family and friend if maintianing the secrecy was that diffiult)and she'll make a lot of money out of this, even more than she has already - and good on her, but I am still allowed my opinion about a beloved and socially important film. Yes, I would be appalled if she were sacked for this, but she's not above criticism.

======= Date Modified 17 Nov 2009 18:36:39 =======
Talking of art and high culture ... Never mind all this Belle de Jour stuff, come and join Walminskipeasucker's story thread! Guaranteed no (dare I say it) moral degradation there. :-)

Hi Moonblue, I'd really like to that, but it seems like such hard work to read the whole thing and know what's going on. I need shallow, non taxing diversions while working; so, yes, I choose to debate about highly emotive topics instead!!! hmmmm...

Eska, we strongly differ on this and I do not think we can resolve this. No interpretation, whether alterative of the text or not, is in my eyes, an irregular, or problematic interpretation. The act of interpretation can be creative, silent, can leave traces, or not, can be acceptable to some or not, whatver the case.

I have spent the first yr of my PhD seeing young people re-create Facebook, in any medium and any mode of their choice. Some have represented it as a spider's web, some as the Polis.

There is a fundamental difference in our views here I think, and that too, is fine :-)

I don't think it's necessarily related to a job really... I teach fashion students for a living and know what's 'officially' dated or tacky, more or less. I just wouldn't want to criticise someone's appearance (male or female) unless it was requested, as it's such a personal thing and any unsolicited criticism seems to be veering off into Trinny and Susannah 'we know best' territory.

Still, I'm sure BdJ can sort out adverse criticism perfectly well herself by now and might have a seriously avant-garde fashionista alter ego for all we know! It would be a good disguise for popping down to the supermarket after all that publicity!

Lipstick on a pig comes to mind.

======= Date Modified 17 Nov 2009 20:25:14 =======
Bug: this goes way beyond theory; I have a personal connection to Bunuel's Belle de Jour, it has been very important to me. It is one of the few texts which speaks fluently about an issue which gets very little air time (even less than the realitites of prostituion), and good on her if she wants to get on in life and make some money, but I can be p'd off about what she's done to the idea of Belle de Jour if i want. yes, we differ, but that's ok.



RubyW: I dresed people in the media eye every day of my working life for several years; that is an entirely different situation to teaching contextual studies to fashion students: the mind is trained to critique and find ways to flatter different individuals, rather like correcting grammar does when you become a teacher. Sometimes, when I am on the bus I alternate between involuntary responses to misplaced apostrophes and tetchy, yes to my shame, trinny and Susanah like responses to ill-advised sartotial combinations. I have an instinctive desire to correct both, and the latter is one of hte reasons I changed career: I, personally, feel apostrophes are far more important than shoes.

Awwr, thanks! I have to say, for a non-native speaker, this goes straight my heart
:-x
You've made my day :)