Reason.com - Free Minds and Free Markets
Reason logo Reason logo
  • Latest
  • Magazine
    • Current Issue
    • Archives
    • Subscribe
    • Crossword
  • Video
  • Podcasts
    • All Shows
    • The Reason Roundtable
    • The Reason Interview With Nick Gillespie
    • The Soho Forum Debates
    • Just Asking Questions
    • The Best of Reason Magazine
    • Why We Can't Have Nice Things
  • Volokh
  • Newsletters
  • Donate
    • Donate Online
    • Donate Crypto
    • Ways To Give To Reason Foundation
    • Torchbearer Society
    • Planned Giving
  • Subscribe
    • Reason Plus Subscription
    • Print Subscription
    • Gift Subscriptions
    • Subscriber Support

Login Form

Create new account
Forgot password

That Barton Fink Feeling

Reason Staff | 6.19.2003 11:14 AM

Share on FacebookShare on XShare on RedditShare by emailPrint friendly versionCopy page URL
Media Contact & Reprint Requests

New at Reason: Finally, somebody has the courage to say what we all secretly realize—the only way to win the war on terrorism is through better public support for the arts. Tom Peyser goes backstage with pampered star of yesteryear Peter Sellars.

Start your day with Reason. Get a daily brief of the most important stories and trends every weekday morning when you subscribe to Reason Roundup.

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

NEXT: Community Standards

Reason Staff
Share on FacebookShare on XShare on RedditShare by emailPrint friendly versionCopy page URL
Media Contact & Reprint Requests

Hide Comments (7)

Editor's Note: As of February 29, 2024, commenting privileges on reason.com posts are limited to Reason Plus subscribers. Past commenters are grandfathered in for a temporary period. Subscribe here to preserve your ability to comment. Your Reason Plus subscription also gives you an ad-free version of reason.com, along with full access to the digital edition and archives of Reason magazine. We request that comments be civil and on-topic. We do not moderate or assume any responsibility for comments, which are owned by the readers who post them. Comments do not represent the views of reason.com or Reason Foundation. We reserve the right to delete any comment and ban commenters for any reason at any time. Comments may only be edited within 5 minutes of posting. Report abuses.

  1. Warren   22 years ago

    "There was some question as to whethur the begger or his minkey was braking the law"
    Inspector Clouseau

  2. Anonymous   22 years ago

    Should've been titled, "That Barfin' Sinking Feeling"

  3. Plutarck   22 years ago

    ...and yet the degree to which I am "cultured" as risen exponentially thanks to things like Dictionaries, cooking shows (Iron Chefs! Alton Brown! Iron Chefs! Alton Brown!), *shock* various fashion media (especially TV shows - I'm as surprised as anyone about that), and books - which I bought through various capitalistic enterprises like Barnes & Nobles and Amazon.com, with my (and my families) own private funds.

    Indeed, what shall become of the arts if not for the government? Well, for one thing, they are getting a whole hell of a lot more popular. And I, for one, think that if you want to hear the egomaniacal head-way-stuffed-up-his-own-ass bastard, then you can pay him. I fail to see the societal benefit of the expenditure of societal funds, seing how as he could just...oh, I don't know, get his own damn money - or not, which would be no grand tragedy.

    I do like how the government harbors art in times when the market might have let them fall away, especially in less and less affluent and cultured times, but the neccessity for such incubation has consistently decreased, and, with the internet and various economic and technological realities in the post^x-modern age, may either be almost totally unneccessary now, or can become so in the future. I am, perhaps conspicuously, in favor of very limited wealth redistribution and subsidies to permit those of piddling means to consume more than they otherwise could, so that they might improve themselves...but I find such targetted "poor people are just too stupid to spend their money properly, and so we must spend it for them...on shit they never use nor want" funding of "you call this art?" to be entirely undesirable.

  4. Rodin   22 years ago

    Pluto, put that bottle down. Sober up. Maybe then we can hear you speak proper English.

    You slurred (uhm, asked), "I fail to see the societal benefit of the expenditure of societal funds [for the arts]"

    Well, don't you think that putting elephant dung all over a religious icon in a New York museum is a societal benefit? Or how about making a statue of nothing but penises and putting them on display ... isn't THAT a societal benefit?

    C'mon, have heart.

  5. Plutarck   22 years ago

    "Well, don't you think that putting elephant dung all over a religious icon in a New York museum is a societal benefit? Or how about making a statue of nothing but penises and putting them on display ... isn't THAT a societal benefit?"

    Well hell, I'd pay to see those sorts of things. I can't imagine they could be so terribly expensive that even a rather small paying audience and an enterprising individual couldn't support them.

    If not...well, perhaps government incubation of unpopular art isn't quite ready for complete extinction. Then again, Usenet does a pretty darn good job...

  6. Cultured Thespian   22 years ago

    That's Sir Peter Sellars to you plebeian bitches. Fo shizzle.

  7. Yaron   22 years ago

    Wait, this isn't the guy who was in Dr. Strangelove and the Pink Panther movies, is it? I think his last name was spelled "Sellers", so I guess not. That guy was a genius, not like this douchebag.

    "Mein Fuhrer, I can walk!"

Please log in to post comments

Mute this user?

  • Mute User
  • Cancel

Ban this user?

  • Ban User
  • Cancel

Un-ban this user?

  • Un-ban User
  • Cancel

Nuke this user?

  • Nuke User
  • Cancel

Un-nuke this user?

  • Un-nuke User
  • Cancel

Flag this comment?

  • Flag Comment
  • Cancel

Un-flag this comment?

  • Un-flag Comment
  • Cancel

Latest

Americans Celebrate Independence Day Less Proud of Their Country Than Ever

J.D. Tuccille | 7.2.2025 7:00 AM

Brickbat: Take a Bite out of Crime

Charles Oliver | 7.2.2025 4:00 AM

Trump's 'Giant Win' Does Not Validate His Unconstitutional Birthright Citizenship Order

Jacob Sullum | 7.2.2025 12:01 AM

Trump Says the Courts Have No Business Questioning His Dubious Definition of 'Alien Enemies'

Jacob Sullum | 7.1.2025 5:40 PM

Medicaid Work Requirements Are a Short-Term Fix to a Long-Term Problem

Tosin Akintola | 7.1.2025 4:18 PM

Recommended

  • About
  • Browse Topics
  • Events
  • Staff
  • Jobs
  • Donate
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe
  • Contact
  • Media
  • Shop
  • Amazon
Reason Facebook@reason on XReason InstagramReason TikTokReason YoutubeApple PodcastsReason on FlipboardReason RSS

© 2024 Reason Foundation | Accessibility | Privacy Policy | Terms Of Use

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

r

Do you care about free minds and free markets? Sign up to get the biggest stories from Reason in your inbox every afternoon.

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

This modal will close in 10

Reason Plus

Special Offer!

  • Full digital edition access
  • No ads
  • Commenting privileges

Just $25 per year

Join Today!