Why Are So Many Artists Liberals?

[dr_mabeuse]

Inspired by Amicus' rant about the liberal bias of the entertainment industry.

I believe there is a leftward bias, but it's because most writers and artists in general are liberal. I have my own ideas on why this is true, but I'd like to hear others.

 

[yui]

Inspired by Amicus' rant about the liberal bias of the entertainment industry.

I believe there is a leftward bias, but it's because most writers and artists in general are liberal. I have my own ideas on why this is true, but I'd like to hear others.

Artists tend to be creative, passionate thinkers. Not always true, but often enough for a bias. JMHO.

 

[impressive]

Rigid conservatism and vivid imagination: water and oil.

 

[cantdog]

It's certainly true in theater. I hang out increasingly with theater people these days, and there is no dissent among them from a liberal stance. If I worked in one (unless fundraising) I don't think I'd even meet a conservative, let alone a radical religionist like the ones we got in the executive branch now.

 

[eric shawn listo]

Plus there's the fact that a certain group of Bushmen want to take all government funding away from the Arts and send it to Iraq. It's been so for decades. (not Iraq)

At the same time local righters can't figure out why they have to start Arts programs in schools and resent what Mr. B's "no child left behind act" is doing to their football money.

And Yui is looking very cool today.

 

[Colleen Thomas]

Art is a liberal exercise. You gain success by challenging assumptions, pushing the envelope and following your vision. these are not traits most conservatives have or aspire to.

 

[rgraham666]

Imagination, and its attendant trait, empathy.

Artist can imagine pain, unhappiness, suffering. We need it for our creations.

I don't know if 'left' is the correct term though. Your standard Marxist is just as hidebound as your standard Nazi.

 

[ABSTRUSE]

It's because we are right brained and don't know any better.

 

[cantdog]

Passionate Leftists have no time for art. Propaganda, yes, but not art. The human condition is not the same as the political condition. Right-wing novels are a bit didactic, too. Right wingers do satires, sometimes.

But the question is liberals. Empathy I think is the key to this. One has to imagine forth the emotional life of another being to write dialogue. Good dialogue, anyhow. And that's a slippery slope. Once you begin empathizing you end by giving a shit about people, and you can't be stern and strict and stingy any longer.

 

[Alex756]

Because not being liberal is a dirty secret in the arts.

As this thread shows, if you are not liberal, you have no imagination and no empathy, you are incapable of producing art.

If that is the preconceived notion, one with conservative tendencies would quickly learn to STFU and just smile and nod in all the appropriate places.

By default that would leave the most vocal of the left speaking while the most vocal of the right would be shunned or quieted.

~Alex

 

[Recidiva]

Well, artists want to change the world. Liberals want to change the world.

Conservatives don't want to change it, just want a bigger cut.

We need both, really.

Conservatives just do it more quietly. They don't want to teach you much, you're on your own.

 

[cantdog]

I'm now imagining conservatives in power suits doing it. Very quietly.

 

[cantdog]

Because not being liberal is a dirty secret in the arts.

As this thread shows, if you are not liberal, you have no imagination and no empathy, you are incapable of producing art.

If that is the preconceived notion, one with conservative tendencies would quickly learn to STFU and just smile and nod in all the appropriate places.

By default that would leave the most vocal of the left speaking while the most vocal of the right would be shunned or quieted.

~Alex

I didn't preconceive the notion, I derived it. Didn't I just tell you the theater was full of 'em? They ain't shutting up, son, they're bitchin about the government and beating their breasts like liberals everywhere.

 

[impressive]

As this thread shows, if you are not liberal, you have no imagination and no empathy, you are incapable of producing art.

I don't believe THAT.

 

[Recidiva]

I'm now imagining conservatives in power suits doing it. Very quietly.

It'll be pretty loud unless there are gags involved. Oh baby...gag rule me. You're my little supreme court justice.

 

[Alex756]

I didn't preconceive the notion, I derived it. Didn't I just tell you the theater was full of 'em? They ain't shutting up, son, they're bitchin about the government and beating their breasts like liberals everywhere.

Wow, no one has called me son in a long time....

Actually in my experience in theater, I know of conservatives, an know what. No one talks about it, hell some even walk the walk of acting like they aren't.

I work with a sculpture society. I say its about a 50/50 mix since I know about 80% of the membership, but if you were at a gathering you'd think it was 90/10 liberal, the conservative part is just hanging out looking over the latest sculpture contest fliers and talking about the latest escapades flying with a wax sculpture.

Also, there is the distinct possibility your locality could change your perception of who is and is not in theater. It really is not a new england / california thing only.

~Alex (of the missy variety if you are looking for a name to use)

 

[minsue]

Because art tends to embrace humanity, in all its ugliness and beauty. I don't think of artists as liberal as much as I do humanist.

 

[eric shawn listo]

Sorry, I confused right and left with liberal and conservative.

Sorry, I think the difference is negligible.

Sorry, I'm correct about the money.

Sorry, most conservatives don't support or become artists because of a fear of being labeled useless, non-working, shiftless, pick your unfit word insert here____.

(On a side note, I have worked with many conservatives in theatre and art circles and they are just as talented and driven toward their artform as any liberal artist. It's not the conservatives who are artists that are the problem. It's the one's that are not and generalize a group of people whose values they don't agree with.)

 

[elsol]

a) Socialization -- Consider the AH, a lot of hippie liberal opinions; these are the ideas that you hear so these are the ideas that you mimic.

b) It's in our best interest -- if you consider being an artist like being a minority, why would we volunteer for schackling

c) Cause we got stepped on kids for being 'faggy', we didn't like it and now we fight for the little guy.

d) Exploring the center of the social structure has no adventure... therefore we live on the edges.

f) And finally and most importantly, because we are FLAMING FUCKING EGOTISTICAL BASTARDS... for the most part, we can't be bothered with the little shit and a lot of things are little shit when held up against our art.

"You wanna suck another dude's cock! Who gives a shit! I'm in the middle of a crisis here... I need a word that means drunk but isn't drunk... sloshed... ugh fucking too pedestrian... buzzed... too college... Suck cock on your time, I need help here! What kind of friend are you?"

Sincerely,
ElSol

 

[Recidiva]

"You wanna suck another dude's cock! Who gives a shit! I'm in the middle of a crisis here... I need a word that means drunk but isn't drunk... sloshed... ugh fucking too pedestrian... buzzed... too college... Suck cock on your time, I need help here! What kind of friend are you?"

Sincerely,
ElSol

LOL! Oh GoD. Can't breathe.

 

[Ferawyn]

"You wanna suck another dude's cock! Who gives a shit! I'm in the middle of a crisis here... I need a word that means drunk but isn't drunk... sloshed... ugh fucking too pedestrian... buzzed... too college... Suck cock on your time, I need help here! What kind of friend are you?"

Sincerely,
ElSol

If I wasn't at work I would be laughing out loud!
(Even now people are already looking at me funny...)

 

[cuninglinguist61]

Artists, whether they are painters, actors, or musicians, tend to be more open-minded, in order to expand their art.
Liberals tend to be more open-minded in their views of the rest of the world.
Conservatives tend to be more set in their ways, and want to keep things the way they are (hence, the root word "conserve").
There are quite a few conservative artists (Hemingway, Wagner, etc.), but they are the exception.

 

[Guest]

I have a great deal of experience in this area. I'm a grad school student in music, have studied extensively, I've done theater from all aspects - set, pit, stage, and director, and am now currently directing a production of middle and high school students.

Many people drawn to the theater are talented and are excellent singers, actors and musicians. But many are not.

The "conservative" actors, musicians, set builders, etc. actually need less direction than others once we're into the production. But at the beginning of it all they cannot function without a blueprint. They need specific instructions, how, why, when, which color, where do I want this, etc. Once parts are learned, they're usually solid, but it's often like a Suzuki violinist. Yes, they can play the part, but it's a carbon copy. There usually isn't a great deal of departure from the example set for them. If there's a problem on stage, dropped lines, scenery disaster, they may or not be able to recover.

The more "relaxed" for lack of a better word (liberal? doesn't sound right) actors, musicians, set builders, etc. seem disorganized and they often are. They often need a few extra kicks in the butt to focus. But they can wing it, if necessary. And they will eventually get their scripts memorized, even though the director may be pulling her hair out by that date. They can add more to their part on their own, they can bring more of themselves into their characters, their set design, their music. I don't have to give them that instruction. And if a disaster occurs on stage they can more easily find their way out.

Answers? Don't have 'em. But I do see all sorts of people in production. And it's a good thing.

 

[Stella_Omega]

I'm liberal because I'm so co-dependent.
I can't separate myself from the rest of the world.

 

[Recidiva]

I'm liberal because I'm so co-dependent.
I can't separate myself from the rest of the world.

I think the major separation is this:

When you see someone get kicked in the balls, do you laugh or do you wince?

Are you the person kicking or the person receiving?

Empathy can be a bitch.