I agree completely with Cheerskep's point. The choices offered by the question, to choose political activism or entertainment are falsely defined. The opposite of political activism is not necessarily entertainment and the opposite of entertainment is not necessarily political activism. As a matter of fact, quite often the two are conjoined as in political satire, lampooning, and the like.
It's really too bad that such specious and banal thinking -- like the rhetorical questions from one lister -- come to the list camouflaged as serious inquiry. wc ----- Original Message ---- From: "[email protected]" <[email protected]> To: [email protected] Sent: Fri, February 18, 2011 1:16:08 PM Subject: Re: "What is the role of artists in times of political upheaval? Is it their job to be relentless campaigners for truth and freedom? Or is the production of escapist entertainment just as important for an audience living in fear?" In a message dated 2/4/11 5:29:45 PM, [email protected] writes: > "What is the role of artists in times of political upheaval? Is it their > job > to be relentless campaigners for truth and freedom? Or is the production > of > escapist entertainment just as important for an audience living in fear?" > This imposition of a totally arbitrary and effectively totalitarian "role" on artists is hideous. It calls to mind "art" under Stalin and Hitler. Not to mention that a "role" in this sense of "responsibility" is not a "category entity" in the "real world". Behind the facade word is solely a fictional entity, a stipulation by a mind, and it has no more non-mental reality than a dragon.
