Prejudice Against Art: “Seeking Answers After Youth’s Death in Police Stop” – NYTimes.com

Seeking Answers After Youth’s Death in Police Stop – NYTimes.com.

There is family tragedy and allegations of police abuse here. That must be first and foremost.

There is also a subtext relevant to the inquiry of this course, whether real in this particular case or simply a symbolic meaning we choose to read in. That is the prejudice against art and creativity, and particularly new forms of art and creativity. For a less violent and all too civil example of how that prejudice manifests see the case of Atari v. Oman where the U.S. Register of Copyright refused to recognize the game “Breakout”.

But why? What are the roots of the prejudice against art – or is it just a prejudice against new forms? Even if only the latter, the question remains, why?

jon