The Challenge of "Culture"

[€uroMeinke]

A few posts caught my eye this morning - one dismissing opera as an otherwise unpleasent experience, another mentioning how boring ballet is - and my mind started drifting. I've heard similar things said about art and "classical" music. A lot of these things get lumped into this thing called "culture" that you reognize is supposed to be good for you, but is never enjoyable.

I'm reminded of literature classes where we were made to read Steinbeck - to be sure a great writter, but that "supposed to be good" title and coercive nature of the class took away any joy I would have had in the experience.

That said, I have a great love for all forms of creative expression - including opera and ballet. Of course, my preference is for more contemporary works. I have to wonder though, if the communities that surround these modes of expression foster the sort of environment that kills the enjoyment of these modes of expression.

The Art community is often accused of being elitist, and deliberately obscure as a way of keeping out the "less cultured" - I wonder if that's true.

I also wonder, for those of you that dislike certain "cultural" things, what it is that bores or annoys you - as well as what it is that excites you?