Are writers even valued anymore thses days? - Writers Forum

Sunny Rabbiera · 06-09-2008, 11:18 PM

In todays visual culture, the writer has lost out it seems.
Reality TV has taken over while decently written shows have been rubbed out in favor of them.
Todays movies are of low key too, the majority of the movies made today are low brow and badly written.
The writers strike did nothing to help thats for sure.
Independent film is a mish mash too, the mainstream seems rotted by bad writing.
Books are not the same either, neither is music.

Is creativity even appreciated anymore?
Must everything be badly written to appease low IQ morons?
I have noted a terrible pattern, and its only getting worse.

Mystery · 06-10-2008, 09:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by burnitdown

Everything must be done to appease low IQ morons -- they're the future.

This is what equality, tolerance, multiculturalism are about -- dumbing down the populace so we have more perfect proles.

Writers haven't lost out, but writers-as-artists have

I want to make love to you.

Non Serviam · 06-10-2008, 09:20 AM

Some writers are valued, and others aren't. Some aren't "discovered" during their lifetimes, and live in poverty-ridden obscurity for a few decades before dying--and then get picked up and hailed as geniuses, whose work echoes through the centuries after their death. Some are "discovered" very early on, get rich and appear on chat-shows, then suddenly vanish from the public eye as people wake up to the fact that they're writing utter crap. It's all completely unfair.

Is this somehow new?

lin · 06-10-2008, 10:28 AM

One bright spot... writers are the hardest to replace. Or to shove out with no-talent crap.

You can clean off a diaper on a canvas and somebody might pay for it. You can empty a dumpster in a public square and nobody is qualified to tell you it isn't art.

But there's really no such thing as "abstract" writing.

And it's proving pretty impossible to generate with software, unlike music and graphics.

Straylight · 06-10-2008, 01:46 PM

The choice, I think, it between the adoring adulation of hordes of mediocrity, or the respect and admiration of a treasured and valuable few. A good writer will never be as valued as someone who creates simple, basic, "soundbyte" style entertainment, because that's what the masses want, and all they can mentally handle in a world of overstimulation.

A poptart may have armies of fans, though, but nothing like the connection that a writer has with his (statistically fewer) fans. So our quantitative value is less, but qualitatively, I feel, it's more.

I may just be BSing myself so as not to sink into a morass of despair, however

.

AA · 06-10-2008, 01:47 PM

I value writers. And that's what really matters, isn't it?

Ghost.X · 06-10-2008, 03:26 PM

Just remember why you write.

Edgewise · 06-10-2008, 03:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lin

One bright spot... writers are the hardest to replace. Or to shove out with no-talent crap.

You can clean off a diaper on a canvas and somebody might pay for it. You can empty a dumpster in a public square and nobody is qualified to tell you it isn't art.

But there's really no such thing as "abstract" writing.

And it's proving pretty impossible to generate with software, unlike music and graphics.

Where did you get that idea?

Ghost.X · 06-10-2008, 04:09 PM

Even if crappy writing sells to the masses. If it is good enough to keep the viewers entrhalled that writer has done a good job. It's a different story if you look at about 75% of the would be writers who really don't have a firm grasp on the concept of good writing. Good writing and good reading are two different things. Besides, if the work was just meant to entertain, it's not going to have any particular impact on anybody, even with an audience of millions.

Good writing has been a part of us for a long time and theres an infinate amount of good writing to come. What make's the majority of it seem small is that truly great writing is rare to begin with. The great works span years from each other but we still remember them. They'll come around.

06-10-2008, 04:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sunny Rabbiera

movies are of low key too, the majority of the movies made today are low brow and badly written.
The writers strike did nothing to help thats for sure.
Independent film is a mish mash too, the mainstream seems rotted by bad writing.
Books are not the same either, neither is music.

Is creativity even appreciated anymore?
Must everything be badly written to appease low IQ morons?
I have noted a terrible pattern, and its only getting worse.

Cipher2 · 06-10-2008, 04:28 PM

It seems like society is going backwards. I was going to say that reading and writing used to be for the privileged few of the upper classes, but it seems also to be the future in a downward trend of laziness. 5 minutes reading Youtube comments and I find myself running to my ivory tower for cover.

Mystery · 06-10-2008, 06:16 PM

Edgewise, abstract art, in all forms and senses, is either dead or dying. What you see today isn't art, it isn't abstract, it isn't experimental. All of those started out looking for something, changing the normal and established in search of a specific objective(like my friend who has added reinforced steel balls hanging from some of his piano string to change the sound and sustain), not what you see today, people randomly thrashing and 'creating'.

Quote:

Even if crappy writing sells to the masses. If it is good enough to keep the viewers entrhalled that writer has done a good job. It's a different story if you look at about 75% of the would be writers who really don't have a firm grasp on the concept of good writing. Good writing and good reading are two different things. Besides, if the work was just meant to entertain, it's not going to have any particular impact on anybody, even with an audience of millions.

You know I hate to play the Godwin card, but Hitler also enthralled masses, and if you've ever read Mein Kampf, you'll realize nothing about his message is enthralling or 'good' or anything as such on the artistic, philosophical or even logical thought level. Why did Hitler Enthrall masses? Same reason J.K Rowling sells, presentation, marketing, stunts like releasing the new book on midnight. A lot of 'art' nowadays sells because of a talented marketing team, not a talented artist.

Furthermore, no saying has ever been truer than "the masses do not know what they want, for the larger a mass, the dumber it is". Let me give you an example. Five of your friends hear some music, they like it, therefor so you do. Get where I'm going? Don't really feel like typing out massive explanations so work with me here. Bottom line is 'enthralling" masses doesn't make your writing good or your art good, I've enthralled masses with music I(ME THE ARTIST) knew was shit, but knew how to sell it and who to sell it to.

Furthermore, look at art such as Jazz, if you are going to tell me Jazz's quality as art is represented by it's fandom and commercial success, I just might track you down and kill you as you sleep tonight.

lin · 06-10-2008, 09:16 PM

Quote:

Where did you get that idea?

If you don't understand the question, try exploring it. Or showing something to indicate the contrary. This is a pretty lame comment.

Christ, Mystery. Do you know how many decades I've been sick of listening to half-assed painters and musicians screaming at the skies because they suck and it's somebody else's fault for not being cool enough to pick up on them?

It's like listening to "99 Bottles of Beer On The Wall"

lin · 06-10-2008, 09:19 PM

I wanna say something here. And beleive it or not, not to piss people off but to try to offer something that might be helpful.

You get around really top pros in writing or sports or music or whatever and you just don't hear them talking about how everything is shit.

You get around untried wannabes who are insecure about it and all you hear is the dreadful mob running down the true quality of Art and how it can't co-exist with Money and what crap the arts are these days or around here or whatever.

Just something to think about.

(Like THAT'S gonna happen)

Edgewise · 06-10-2008, 10:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lin

If you don't understand the question, try exploring it. Or showing something to indicate the contrary. This is a pretty lame comment.

Christ, Mystery. Do you know how many decades I've been sick of listening to half-assed painters and musicians screaming at the skies because they suck and it's somebody else's fault for not being cool enough to pick up on them?

It's like listening to "99 Bottles of Beer On The Wall"

Sorry lin, but I am not here to astound you, or anyone else, with my posting acumen. It was a simple question which could/should have been answered simply. I was wondering where you got that idea. Did you shit it out? Did you find it under a rock when you were wandering the forest, tripping on shrooms? Was it derived from experience?

I ask because your comment does not seem well thought out.