The Left Coast
Don't know if I agree with them, but I gotta admit it's fascinating to see Richard Posner and Gary Becker take on my town, and try to explain why Hollywood is so full of liberals.
posted by LAGuy @ 12:50 AM
Pajama Guy
"You couldn’t have a starker contrast between the multiple layers of checks and balances [at ‘60 Minutes’] and a guy sitting in his living room in his pajamas writing.”
-Jonathan Klein, former CBS Executive
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4 Comments:
While Posner's and Becker's comments have some interesting points, in general, they seem to have it backwards. They argue that the lifestyles and interests of the Hollywood creative class lead them away from Republicans and towards liberalism. (E.g., if you have had 5 divorces, children out-of-wedlock and/or are openly gay, it is hard to stomach the Republican party.) It seems to me that it is an anti-authoritarian and anti-bourgeouis mindset that leads people into artistic endeavors in the first place.
I think some of the stuff is pretty nutty, but I find it interesting to hear a couple major economists going for it, even without a lot of data to work with. They come up with the sort of unconventional explanations you wouldn't hear otherwise.
It's actually fairly ironic that Posner mentions his book on Public Intellectuals, since part of the thesis of that book, if I recall, is that the trouble with public intellectuals is they regularly go on record about stuff beyond their area of expertise.
I don't know that they have any basis for separating Hollywood from the arts more broadly. CG and I have discussed (here? maybe) the relative lack of conservative painters, sculptors, poets and -- to a lesser extent -- fiction authors. Whether folks of a more liberal bent are drawn to art or vice versa is a bit of a chicken and egg problem, as anon. points out.
Back from being of the grid in Pittsburgh (unintentionally- tried to gt my mother an internet connection- there's a lot of material there for other postings)
Any way, I see the problem with the false dichotomy of labelling people as linberal or left or Democrat or right, consevative and republican. These are arbitrary categories made up by those in power and often mean nothing. People tend to gravitate toward political movements/trends/parties which a) contain other people like them and b) seems to support their preferred current lifestyle. The current noms de guerre of the factions vying for power seem secondary. More later. NE Guy
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