Stephen Harper: "When ordinary Canadians come home and see a rich gala all subsidized by the taxpayers complaining that their subsidies aren't high enough, when they know that their subsidies have gone up, I'm not sure that's something that resonates in ordinary people."
Um... excuse me? First of all, what's that even supposed to mean? Second of all, rich gala's aren't that only thing that represents the arts! Most "ordinary" artists are also "ordinary" Canadians and most of them wont be going to any rich gala any time soon. So, Mr. Harper, I think that you're generalizing a bit when you say stuff like that.
I recently participated in an event with Edmonton artist Todd Janes at Mile Zero Dance Studio. Todd and all the people who participated and came and saw his performance were probably pretty ordinary too. The arts aren't something for the rich and privileged anymore.
Staying on the topic of "ordinary" Canadians. What about those Canadian autoworkers in Kingston who seem pretty ordinary who wanted to get into that Stephen Harper rally, but couldn't because they weren't invited. Meanwhile, they were being kept out by the RCMP! I'm sure that Stephen Harper wont be getting those Canadian's vote anytime soon. And is that really something that Stephen Harper can be proud of?
2 comments:
Excellent post.
I think this is such a dangerous way of thinking - and not new or unique to Harper - that the arts are somehow exclusive and only for the privileged few.
I see myself as someone who appreciates and supports the arts, yet I have never been to one of the "arts galas" that Harper seems to think are the norm in the art world. The beauty of the arts is that it is reflective of society and therefore takes on many forms - and most of the time it does reflect "ordinary" people.
The irony here is that the overpriced, privileged gala events that Harper derides only happen because the government does not appropriately fund and support arts and culture in Canada - so organizations have to turn to the segment of society that can afford a greater financial input. "Ordinary" Canadians support the arts by going to concerts (free or otherwise), attending galleries, watching movies, reading books, reciting poetry, buying pottery and/or creating all of the above things themselves.
I agree, Heidi! It kills me that "the arts" are seen as monolithic -- just high culture, and not popular culture, or experimental culture...
It's also fascinating that a man who seeks to limit the media who are present at his press conferences, and who has worked in oil industry has a handle on what 'ordinary' Canadians are about. It's like he doesn't think that having lots of money makes you elite, but liking hard-to-understand art (which may be because it's often for the 'educated' or it's experimental) does make you elite.
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