:: Wog Blog ::

:: WHAT AM I THINKING ABOUT? ::

:: Wednesday 16 April 2008 ::

Luvvie Still Full of Shit

Cate Blanchett has blathered her blather in the Sydney Morning herald on top of her lousy turn in the Daily Tele.

Here she goes:

Creativity is at the heart of every successful nation. It finds expression in great visual art, wonderful music, fabulous performances, stunning writing, gritty new productions and countless other mediums.

Not that kind of "arts" creativity, it isn't.

The lasting value and evidence of a civilisation are its artistic output and the ingenuity that comes from applying creativity to the whole range of human endeavour. Yet all too often the arts are pushed into a box that says entertainment, icing on the cake, when they are a key ingredient.

Arts is peripheral. It is. It just is. Get over it, Cate. If you and everyone else stopped acting it would not matter a shit.

The 2020 Summit is an opportunity to put creativity and the arts back into the centre of Australian life both here and abroad. This is how a middle power can exercise its soft power in a positive and stimulating way - that shows the world that we are much more than the cliched images that come readily to mind.

Oh fuck off. It was never in the centre. And the 2020 summit is a talkfest of wankers and money down the the arts wankers attending will argue for more funding for arts. Nothing new, not a creative synapse among them - just more money.

An Australia Council survey in 2000 found this is something most people want. Australians love music, drama, dance, books, television dramas, edgy digital installations and exhibitions, just as they love sport.

Link please. There is no way anyone in their right mind would say Australians "love...edgy digital installations and exhibitions" at all, let alone "just as (much) as sport". And if there is a report to that effect it is obviously fucked.

They want it to be a part of their lives and are proud when Australian creativity is recognised internationally. At the same time we know that grassroots arts and culture can create neighbourhoods, build social connections and provide people with an interest and passion that can last a lifetime.

Wha'? these two sentences do not go together. And it is utter bullshit to argue that grassroots art creates neighbourhoods. Neighbours create fucking neighbourhoods, all over Australia, with nary an artist among them.

The centrality of creativity to living full and rich lives is what will define the deliberations of the creative stream this weekend.

You get that? The deliberations will be based on the utterly false premise that arts is central, even though it is peripheral and the nation will not grind to a halt if every theatre shuts and the children stop tumbling at Circus Oz.

The fact that we have economists, business leaders, educators, researchers as well as actors, directors, musicians, writers and many others in the group will put flesh on the bones of this truth.

Hmmmm. Beginning to get it now. The conference is based on the lie that arts in Oz matter and is stacked with like minds from arts and other sectors to perpetuate the lie, or as Cate tells it "this truth".

And if there is any doubt that this will not be about new ideas here is cate's kicker:

By drawing this diverse group of people together, and the submissions from many others who were unable to be included, we hope we will be able to tap into the considerable knowledge and expertise that has been built up over time. The great opportunity of the summit will be to mix this with the perspectives that come from unexpected directions, or from people whose voices have not previously had a national audience. Artists are not just entertainers or courtesans, but highly skilled people able to give expression to many of the pressing issues that trouble us.

Run for your frickin' lives. The artists are going to tell us about "pressing issues".

Cate Blanchett has not got even a scintilla of creativity in her lovely frame. Not a single new idea will perforate that bunker mentality. She's all about the more money and the listen to the artists cos they really roolly matter.

Gi. Fa.

UPDATE: Here is another who wishes arts luvvies would give up on the demand for funding.

:: WB 3:34 am [link+] ::