Sometimes we enjoy a “bad” genre like Hallmark (or Hallmark-esque) movies just for the mindlessness only to discover one that’s a bit above the rest for whatever reason: the actors bring their a-game (more and more Broadway people are making appearances) or the script is actually a bit off-formula, the locations are real, there’s better representation, etc. Same with books; the “easy reads” sometimes are actually well-written or have great characters. Nothing annoys me more than when an author has an interesting story to tell but the editing and proofreading and fact-checking is SO off that I feel the author got cheated!
Good point, and sometimes the "bad" stuff is just fun!
When it comes to writing: I know people who write well in a sense, even beyond just having a good story to tell, but have no grasp of grammar and punctuation. I still consider them good writers, but they need some help, as you note.
It's all so nuanced! Not only is what's good and bad at least somewhat subjective, but each piece has layers of goodness and badness, as you point out. Except, say, Jane Austen, who is perfect. ;-) (For her time, anyway.) But most mere mortals are not.
Who indeed! It may be that the artist gets the final say, or rather the art itself. At Eternity's Gate, starring Willem Dafoe, tackles the "art question" across many scenes. The 3 min trailer is worth anyone's time, and the movie is well worth finding and renting. There's a scene where the hospital clergy/administrator declares some of the work "unpleasant" and ugly. But did that opinion outlast the art?
I've been meaning to write a Medium piece about going to an exhibit in D.C. in 2000 by a German artist named Wolfgang Laib. He did installations like a giant room with three small piles of different-colored pollen in it. I thought it was stupid; my friend Jason thought it was brilliant. But even though I thought it was stupid, I have thought about it ever since, and remember a lot of the pieces in detail. And it taught me that art is about emotional response; it doesn't have to be a positive response.
Even bad art can make an impression! I felt that way about the movie "Everything Everywhere All at Once." It seemed like it was trying to be deep but saying nothing. I know that's an unpopular opinion.
Was your friend able to articulate what he thought was brilliant about that show?
I didn't like "Everything Everywhere" either. I would have preferred a straightforward story about those characters without all the multiverse stuff.
I didn't really ask him why he liked it, but I should. I just remember he bought a very expensive art book of that artist and I made fun of him for it.
I think it is a slippery slope when you classify art as good or bad. Instead, we like to say, "There's no accounting for taste."
Personally, I think the works in the Museum of Bad Art are so bad that they're good (at least when seen together and think of what the artist was trying to accomplish).
I've found that the people who say that the most are the ones who live by it the least, lol. At least, that was true of my family. They'd say "Sobre gustos no hay nada escrito."
😀 Rafael recently found hundreds of episodes (not exaggerating) and it was indeed captivating and even deeply affecting. I hadn’t seen it much as a kid, mostly just heard about it back then. But the production quality was very, very low. Likely true of soap operas in general as they produced one each day. Thanks for reading!!
Sometimes we enjoy a “bad” genre like Hallmark (or Hallmark-esque) movies just for the mindlessness only to discover one that’s a bit above the rest for whatever reason: the actors bring their a-game (more and more Broadway people are making appearances) or the script is actually a bit off-formula, the locations are real, there’s better representation, etc. Same with books; the “easy reads” sometimes are actually well-written or have great characters. Nothing annoys me more than when an author has an interesting story to tell but the editing and proofreading and fact-checking is SO off that I feel the author got cheated!
Good point, and sometimes the "bad" stuff is just fun!
When it comes to writing: I know people who write well in a sense, even beyond just having a good story to tell, but have no grasp of grammar and punctuation. I still consider them good writers, but they need some help, as you note.
It's all so nuanced! Not only is what's good and bad at least somewhat subjective, but each piece has layers of goodness and badness, as you point out. Except, say, Jane Austen, who is perfect. ;-) (For her time, anyway.) But most mere mortals are not.
Who indeed! It may be that the artist gets the final say, or rather the art itself. At Eternity's Gate, starring Willem Dafoe, tackles the "art question" across many scenes. The 3 min trailer is worth anyone's time, and the movie is well worth finding and renting. There's a scene where the hospital clergy/administrator declares some of the work "unpleasant" and ugly. But did that opinion outlast the art?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYjBXyJu-ME
Looks like a good one!
Har! Thanks for the cameo, the laugh, and another great blog!
Thanks for the story that keeps on giving!
I've been meaning to write a Medium piece about going to an exhibit in D.C. in 2000 by a German artist named Wolfgang Laib. He did installations like a giant room with three small piles of different-colored pollen in it. I thought it was stupid; my friend Jason thought it was brilliant. But even though I thought it was stupid, I have thought about it ever since, and remember a lot of the pieces in detail. And it taught me that art is about emotional response; it doesn't have to be a positive response.
Even bad art can make an impression! I felt that way about the movie "Everything Everywhere All at Once." It seemed like it was trying to be deep but saying nothing. I know that's an unpopular opinion.
Was your friend able to articulate what he thought was brilliant about that show?
I didn't like "Everything Everywhere" either. I would have preferred a straightforward story about those characters without all the multiverse stuff.
I didn't really ask him why he liked it, but I should. I just remember he bought a very expensive art book of that artist and I made fun of him for it.
Glad I'm not alone! Let me know if you hear back from your friend on that exhibit.
I think it is a slippery slope when you classify art as good or bad. Instead, we like to say, "There's no accounting for taste."
Personally, I think the works in the Museum of Bad Art are so bad that they're good (at least when seen together and think of what the artist was trying to accomplish).
Thanks for the clip from "North by Northwest."
I think the photo by Tina Modotti, "Roses, Mexico," is a wonderful photo. I hope you were able to find a print of it.
This was before internet shopping, so I gave up on finding it!
I've found that the people who say that the most are the ones who live by it the least, lol. At least, that was true of my family. They'd say "Sobre gustos no hay nada escrito."
As usual, I agree with 99% of what you write. HOWEVER, Dark Shadows was sophisticated and profound. The 11-year old me will die on this hill.
😀 Rafael recently found hundreds of episodes (not exaggerating) and it was indeed captivating and even deeply affecting. I hadn’t seen it much as a kid, mostly just heard about it back then. But the production quality was very, very low. Likely true of soap operas in general as they produced one each day. Thanks for reading!!