Popularist or Literati? - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

Lush · 10-22-2004, 03:12 PM

There is something weird about the very dichotomy of "popularist" and "literati," because dichotomies usually suck. They muddle the debate.

I have a professor this semester, now there is a die-hard, dry-as-the-Arabian-desert, boring-as-my-grandma's-underpants literati fan. He can't stand a single joke or casual phrase in a student paper. He laughs at anyone that dares to disagree with his all-mighty godliness in class. He keeps blabbering about his work, and how bloody "important" it is. I HATE HIM. HE'S RUINING MY GPA. NOT TO MENTION MY LIFE.

Haha, right, well I actually think that this whole highbrow vs. lowbrow stuff was invented by people that sit and read Danielle Steele under their blankets at night with a flashlight, jumping at every sound, and then they get up for work, put on a pretentious tie, and talk about how the Pantopticon relates to A Journal of a Plague Year with a smug look on their face.

Now, there is definitely good taste and bad taste, and I will glad chuck Steele in the latter category (or trash bin), but the point is, certain books have their time and place. When I'm bored on a freaking 8-hour trans-Atlantic flight, Steele just might become my best friend for the duration of the trip. And I am not going to apologize for it.

And then there are books that tend to defy such categorizing. I would name The Lord of the Rings as one. Nowhere is it written in that a book that is admired by a great number of people is automatically a conveyor-belt produced piece of trash.

I had a thread about this here.

10-22-2004, 03:12 PM	#11
Lush Fair and Cold Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: the big onion Posts: 1,770	There is something weird about the very dichotomy of "popularist" and "literati," because dichotomies usually suck. They muddle the debate. I have a professor this semester, now there is a die-hard, dry-as-the-Arabian-desert, boring-as-my-grandma's-underpants literati fan. He can't stand a single joke or casual phrase in a student paper. He laughs at anyone that dares to disagree with his all-mighty godliness in class. He keeps blabbering about his work, and how bloody "important" it is. I HATE HIM. HE'S RUINING MY GPA. NOT TO MENTION MY LIFE. Haha, right, well I actually think that this whole highbrow vs. lowbrow stuff was invented by people that sit and read Danielle Steele under their blankets at night with a flashlight, jumping at every sound, and then they get up for work, put on a pretentious tie, and talk about how the Pantopticon relates to A Journal of a Plague Year with a smug look on their face. Now, there is definitely good taste and bad taste, and I will glad chuck Steele in the latter category (or trash bin), but the point is, certain books have their time and place. When I'm bored on a freaking 8-hour trans-Atlantic flight, Steele just might become my best friend for the duration of the trip. And I am not going to apologize for it. And then there are books that tend to defy such categorizing. I would name The Lord of the Rings as one. Nowhere is it written in that a book that is admired by a great number of people is automatically a conveyor-belt produced piece of trash. I had a thread about this here. __________________ ~The beginning is the word and the end is silence. And in between are all the stories. This is one of mine~ Last edited by Lush; 10-22-2004 at 08:36 PM.