Fran Lebowitz on Artists and Nostalgia

[@hollyhock100]

I can listen to Fran all day.

[@arvod1603]

Ye she could rant about pretty much anything and i would happily listen to it

[@proppanuts]

Nostalgia is killing are creativity and making us shallow and lazy but she's right you don't know this until you reach a certain age. The notion that I had been duped or betrayed has never left me, never been able to verblise this feeling ; thanks Fran.

[@dustywaxhead]

STILL TRUE

[@pikebishop8516]

@@dustywaxhead post modernism, after retro vintage or derivatives trends, it is difficult to imagine a new world.

[@johancarlberg1530]

The idea of a new world, will most of the time, instill fear in people, because the idea of ”the new world” is always and always will be about the unknown. However, I think that the collective notion of a new world can be positive if the old/current world was or is truly awful, at least for most people (written from a western perspective). A lot of the 1960’s youth had a postive view of the future. An importens reason why that was could be that the 1950’s were so stiff and restrictive, not to mention the horrors of human history that happened during the first half of the 20th century, also the hard work, filth and misery of the beginning of the industrial revolution. All of this failing and wretchedness boiled up, to later become an optimistic and idealistic revolution. Dustin off our uglyness as a species. Nowdays, we may be to comfortable and sedated to become truly upset, and therefore not starting anew to create a postive new world. But perhaps, and probably maybe, that too will face a revolution from dissatisfied human beings in the future.

[@estellamoore9207]

She is brilliant and a gift to us all.Hope you can handle her generosity.

[@johnireland6301]

I luv Fran.

[@bahhumbug9824]

People her age may have caused the nostalgia craze but younger people like Seth MacFarland too that ball, ran with it and drove it into the ground to the point where nostalgia is EVERYWHERE. It's no accident Cobra Kai is the hit that it is right now and all these old shows are being rebooted. "Simpler times" keeps people in arrested development and who wants a mature, educated populace so his ilk are paid a fortune to dummy down America even further.

[@guymichel101]

My mom, Eve Merriam, among many other works wrote kids books regularly, and I realized it was tough to walk the tightrope between writing kids' books that are just "kids' books", caricatures in their own write (only super simple dumbed-down-cheerful & that's all folks)-and teaching kids new things with them, a few non-standard things too, but making sure the challenge of them was attractive and interesting to the kids no matter how simple or weird (as in unexpected, which kids love) it seemed to adults. E.g., she wrote, "There is no rhyme for silver, but if you go up a hill-ver y very slowly, you can almost make it go, see?" This inspired them to try poetry at a very early age.

[@jacksoncowsert6964]

My mother used to read me her book “The Inner City Mother Goose” when I was a child.

[@JJMHigner]

I take this view here simply as a cue to start something that may even be old, because if you do it artistically chances are it will be new anyways because its new to you and because you are the one doing it. I do what I do and it happens to be new, or simply, different.

[@philipdraper7284]

Somewhat contradicts her logic though as she said people always pine for an earlier age. Her monologue on a hypothetical person in 1970 saying “Wasnt New York better in 1940?” And one in 1940 saying “wasnt New York better in 1870?”….human civilizations always pine for the past and with that, derivations on old trends repackaged in a new way. Her surrealism example is one….but today’s nostalgia isn’t really “nostalgia” as much as it’s laziness and striking while the iron is still hot. Like the endless Disney remakes….1970s and 1980s had an explosion of 50s culture-Peggy Sue got married, American graffiti, back to the future….the 90s somewhat had a 60s and 70s renaissance…..00s had a TOTAL 80s obsession, and now we are living in a postmodern hellscape that worships the 90s and 00s again.

[@seanpages__]

Totally agree Fran! But she also fails to realize that art is controlled/manipulated so heavily in the US for $$$$ that the new stuff has a hard time to make it to the surface and be seen. You have to be pro active now in seeking new and exciting music,film, etc...

[@bahhumbug9824]

She brings that up in another interview. She's on record saying that in the Renaissance it was the rich who paid for art and a particular style of art (which is true) but that the art being created today is no renaissance because there are more rich people than ever and too many have no taste. Also, too many people are calling themselves artists when all they've done is splatter some junk around.

[@spb7883]

The only new thing in the last 30 years is the technology that’s made us nostalgic for a time when things were new.

[@parsnipmcgee329]

I agree. I listen to young people all the time who are discovering the basics of human relationships, or the social cons that impact their lives. How their bosses are screwing them, how their lovers or friends are bailing out. It happens over and over and the only thing that seems to change is the shape of the latest piece of plastic and the insidious ways they are convinced that they need to buy into this garbage.

[@MrPhotodoc]

Not only does this have Fran, but there's Conan and the WTC in the background.

[@GMeyohas]

She is an idol. Where can I watch the full movie?

[@aisforapple2494]

The last segment is 100% spot-on truth! Popular culture is ridiculously boring or incredibly psychotic anymore. What passes for art, fashion, and entertainment is simply pathetic.

[@nancywysemen7196]

always content. thanks.

[@motherfinestudios]

There's levels of old in the new and levels of new in the old, deep down everybody knows that. Discernment, perhaps, is what's lacking the most. With it the hability to navigate contradictions. And patience; amenity.

[@someonesomeone25]

What if there's no new stuff to do? Maybe its all been done by now.

[@motherfinestudios]

@@someonesomeone25 You have a point, you know, because maybe there really isn't. What still gives me a little hope, though, is that this question has been hanging around as a part of the culture for I-don't-even-know-how-long now, and, even with its heavy presence, actually new stuff kept appearing from time to time, so maybe... Who knows what's next? (There's also this thing that the painter Francis Bacon once said that I think can be of some insight in that matter: "Why, after the great artists, do people ever try to do anything again? Only because, from generation to generation, through what the great artists have done, the instincts change.")

[@someonesomeone25]

@@motherfinestudios Well, maybe the creative folk will come with something. Like you say, they have so far :)

[@linorf]

What book is Fran Lebowitz referencing by Toni Morison? "her best book"

[@nem0763]

She says Morrison is 76 at the time, so it would probably be _A Mercy._ Which is a very good one for sure!

[@linorf]

@@nem0763 Thank you very much

[@tracylf5409]

Fran's right. Again. xx

[@VanoArts]

which book from Toni marrison is she talking about?

[@anastasiatruman5324]

Fran💋

[@BP-yj5iq]

Off topic maybe, but seeing the original World Trade Center behind Conan (in the first clip) is cool. Eerie and nostalgic, but cool.

[@jimmmmy41]

Fran rightly observes that we are at the end of a culture. Something will come in place of it; that particular something doesn't interest me. Universities turn out self-loathing humanities students who have been taught how to apply modern, prefabricated political ideology to 500 years ago. Fine art has been stuck in postmodernism for a century. In pop culture, everything is a reboot of some previous mediocrity. Look into some talks from Prof. Camille Paglia on the subject.

[@sw9618]

I agree. But when original creators want to produce something new, the people in charge don’t pay attention. The windows for a new culture are small and difficult intentionally done by the people who profit off of the constant recycling of this nostalgia culture.

[@TheSpiritOfTheTimes]

LMAO, this is such nonsense lol. America is definitely extremely fucked up, but it's least fucked up part are the universities lol.

[@jimmmmy41]

@@TheSpiritOfTheTimes The universities still turn out fine scientists and engineers. Liberal Arts programs are awash in poststructuralist thought that produces people with little ability to objectively analyse history or literature, poor writing skills, and uninsightful, one dimensional thinking. Having their bourgeois, navel-gazing feelings tended to is all that seems to matter. They are going into deep debt and getting academic malpractice in exchange, unless they are in the hard sciences.

[@bahhumbug9824]

@@jimmmmy41 "Liberal Arts programs are awash in poststructuralist thought that produces people with little ability to objectively analyse history or literature, poor writing skills, and uninsightful, one dimensional thinking." Have you ever read a doctor's note or spoken to one at length? Your comment is foolish if you're planning on joining the populist liberal arts bashing brigade because all fields are filled with professionals who can't analyse history, write well or think critically.

[@dustywaxhead]

​@@bahhumbug9824 im a writer of literary fiction and I find the academic environment to be quite stifling. Even Nietzsche touched on how universities would make sure to make students feel special while the real progress happens outside academia

[@Chronophonic81]

Awesome.

[@JorgeCenturionPlayProduce]

i adore this speech about first rows, and aids: brava!

[@neogeoriffic]

Wow, she's incredibly plugged in!

[@victoriap1561]

People who are young nowadays : Let's copy the 90s

[@istvanpraha]

And circa 2005: let's redo the cool parts of the 80s. Which I am not complaining about!

[@bahhumbug9824]

People in middle age: Let's make a movie and do it in a 70s style or set it in the 80s.

[@Idol2Idol]

As long as it's the good 90s stuff I don't mind

[@scottmasson3039]

I’d love to have a conversation with her.

[@angelicaacosta8496]

Conan O'Brien seems to have always existed to me

[@Starwheel6]

@marcolopolis555 Well said & with clarity. I agree that finding your own voice is key. My point concerns wisdom & the metaphor of building on past established wisdom. For instance the creators of the English language understood that being miserable is derived from -able to be a miser. That's wisdom w/out an iota of religion. Thoreau was radical for his time, eventually influenced people like Gandhi, MLK even OWS, & his newness was built upon a deep wisdom. The edible shrooms are established.

[@erikandrus4387]

But Melrose Place was a really good show ;)

[@istvanpraha]

Don't mess with my favorite show! I remember thinking that that was what adult life would be like. How wrong! I rewatched some a couple years ago and was laughing at how unrealistic it was. For example, Billy was supposed to be the young (broke) entry level worker, circa 1993, then all of a sudden he had $10K to lend to his girlfriend Samantha..which would be worth $18K today. Yeah, a 24 year old living in LA working in advertising has $20K to hand out! Gimme a break

[@erikandrus4387]

@@istvanpraha Hey, we're all friends here. I watched MELROSE first run, and LOVED it then. AND MODELS INC! ;)

[@istvanpraha]

@@erikandrus4387 Models Inc. And remember Linda Grey from Models Inc was supposedly Amanda's mom and had a young hot blond guy living in her house, who of course, was stealing the mom's money:-). Oh, the drama, I miss it

[@sammavacaist]

She was right about nostalgia then. Now a younger generation has finally moved on and the Boomers HATE it!

[@peepindis]

Nobody likes to be told something they enjoy and understand is wrong-headed or harmful. That's true for everybody.

[@sammavacaist]

@@FriendofDorothy Dude, read the comments sections on youtube. Its tons of Boomers shitting on young people and the world now and crying that they can't go back to the 50s and 60s or 70s. I mean I'm 40 and I get nostalgic for the 90s and I'm old enough that I didn't grow up constantly looking at my phone, but I don't understand taking it out on young people. Whatever they like and their world is valid. Who cares what us older people think?

[@DaleRobby]

Conan fakes laugh well. If only the audience could follow suite.

[@lolitis01]

Björk

[@RkristinaTay]

Doing something 'new' for the sake of being new leads to a lot of shit art we have today. Too many people must have taken her advice.

[@sorrowfulsatchel679]

She reminds me of Ben Shapiro

[@Starwheel6]

Although Fran is refreshing on many points my one criticism of her is this nebulous, post-modern worship of the new. As if just being new is the only criteria. It's not necessary to begin over trying to figure out which mushrooms are poisonous and which are edible for the sake of newness. Plain stupid. Integrating wisdom of the dance of phenomena is in play. Building on this creates a majestic renaissance. Newness for the sake of newness with no depth creates a lot of tacky tattoos.

[@jackanaples]

Starwheel6 I don’t think you understood what she was getting at.

[@FriendofDorothy]

Why do you perceive her as worshiping "the new"? I always get the impression she would dial back the clock to 1966 if she could. The woman doesn't even have a cell phone fer godssake! (or so she says, LOL!)

[@robinm.beaulieu248]

:Conan: "that's why there are no Pandas"??! Thought you where college educated. Your laugh is disingenuous.

[@selfhelpdropout]

It’s a late night talk show and he’s a comedian.

[@37Dionysos]

Conan needs work on his fake laugh