(3) Algorithms Didn't Kill Hipsters; Poptimism Did - 0 views
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optimism taste omnivores art hipster nerd algorithm
shared by Javier E on 30 Apr 23
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I don’t think it is algorithms per se that have killed hipsters so much as the all-encompassing imperative of poptimism.
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At its core, poptimism is the idea that because a thing is popular, that means that it is good and should be celebrated.
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Poptimism has spread beyond music and is at least part of the reason why, for instance, you see constant demands that comic book movies get best picture nominations.
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poptimism has intertwined with a variety of cultural omnivorism that encourages people to embrace the most popular fare from all genres. And this is where the algorithm comes in: it feeds people a steady drip of the most popular things and assures you you’re good for enjoying a diverse array of sameness.
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But, and this is important, taste distinctions still matter. Social rank demands fealty to certain ideals of taste, even if artistry isn’t the taste that matters. “Omnivorism, for all of its rejections of ‘taste,’ still presupposes that cultural choice can change society,” Marx writes. “Consumerism can support allies, shame enemies, and deny prestige and financial support to oppressors.”
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In the modern cultural landscape, “the hipster” has been replaced by what might be called “der kommisar,” and der kommisar has a few general rules for how to appreciate culture:
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1. Artists should create content that promotes progressive political views and reveals unconscious biases against oppressed groups.2. Gatekeepers should work to represent minority voices by elevating minority artists.3. Consumers should only buy artworks and goods with progressive values that are created by upright individuals.4. Majority groups should never profit on styles or stories that originate within minority groups.5. Critics should decanonize antiprogressive artists and their works, and question aesthetics associated with high-status distinction.*
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“art should avoid being for art’s sake when social equity is at stake.” The quality of artistry matters less than supporting artists who think the right things and say the right things
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I don’t think you can really understand much of the last decade or so of cultural writing—or, for that matter, cultural production—if you don’t understand this dynamic and how poptimism, omnivorism, and identity politics have all spun together to change, at the very least, how people talk publicly about the art they consume