If we’re going to rage against cultural atrocities, let’s make sure we target the right ones

9 January 2010

James Delingpole says You Know It Makes Sense

But you see my general point. If we conservatives were to spend our lives vetoing works of art on the grounds that we disagreed with their creators’ ludicrously misguided politics, then we’d scarcely be able to look at a painting or read a poem, let alone listen to a pop record. Luckily, thanks to our constitutional pragmatism, we are generally able to rise above such annoying distractions. It’s a bit like having tinnitus. When you’re enjoying a Radiohead album, say, you learn to filter out that part of the message which says ‘capitalism is wrong; man is evil; we must make amends by giving all our money to Al Gore and Third World kleptocrat dictators’, and simply go: ‘Gosh, what a pretty voice. I expect it has something to do with the fact that Abingdon gave the boy such a marvellous public-school education.’

Not that I’m arguing we should abandon our critical faculties altogether. We just need to choose where to fight our battles. When a big dumb blockbuster from incorrigibly libtard Hollywood presumes to lecture us on class, race or the environment, we should treat it with the same respect we would accord a young student in his first year at Berkeley holding forth on ‘climate change’ or George W. Bush: ‘Yeah, yeah, yadda, yadda. Whatever. Dork.’

Where, on the other hand, I believe we should get angry and combative is over works of art which our intellectual classes take seriously. A good example would be Alan Bennett’s The History Boys, which really ought to have been torn to shreds by conservatives for its poisonous disingenuousness. Sure, it’s funny and charming in places, but it is also an inexcusable apologia for the ravages which have been inflicted on our education system by generations of left-liberal agitators.

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A. MacAulay

January 9th, 2010 8:50pm Report this comment

The Pandora film reflects all those computer games wherein a world, planet, continent, etc. is invaded ny marines who fight and massacre the natives and steal their resources. The winner has the most resources = points. The connection to the aimed at audience with Iraq, etc. is not so strong as to the play world they've grown up with.

In this sense the film is an ethical breakthrough in that it places the interests of the invaded on the emotional menu.

A. MacAulay

January 10th, 2010 1:18pm Report this comment

I also take it as given that you mean Browning the poet as opposed to Browning the pistol.

Vernon Goddard

October 27th, 2010 5:47pm Report this comment

Loved the review but you were terribly nasty towards poor lovable AB who is not in a position to defend himself given that he never boxed for Warrington or any other Northern city, never played Rugby league for Warrington,. You see what I mean..........

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