Failing to perceive this, and thus performatively (and middlebrowly) spurning the middlebrow, is the real "middlebrow trap"
In conclusion, it is actually highbrow to appreciate the middlebrow, and it is painfully middlebrow to pretend not to.
Succession is not Shakespeare, but it is good and interesting television, and to pretend otherwise is more revealing of Janan's own need to culturally distinguish himself from other "educated liberals" than it is of anything else. It is, in fact, the act of a middlebrow poseur.
(also while we are at it, I'm not sure anything could better embody middlebrow content than Janan's own journalistic output, which, as per Dwight MacDonald's characterisation of "Midcult", "pretends to respect the standards of High Culture while in fact it waters them down and vulgarizes them")
Not to get lured into Janan G*nesh discourse, but a balanced cultural diet should imo include a mixture of lowbrow, middlebow, and highbrow. It's obviously important not to confuse middlebrow for highbrow, but the idea that it is uniquely valueless is stupid - the mid has its place!
Imagine having lived through the last decade in British politics and yet still thinking you can make confident predictions about an election more than four years away.
I was so proud to raise Amazon’s disgraceful unionbusting in the Commons today. You can see my question - and the minister’s helpful response here x.com/GMBMidlands/...
Looking forward to speaking alongside such a distinguished panel!
I've just signed up for this excellent-looking virtual panel on histories of the British political left with @colm-m.bsky.social @fieryparticle.bsky.social Andrew Thorpe and Lyndsey Jenkins www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/histories-...
Panel Discussion: Wednesday 23 October 2024, at 2.00 pm via Zoom
1. Twitter is going downhill fast 2. It’s disappointingly dull here 3. All the compelling freaks
The Grenfell report is published tomorrow. Thinking of the families and community tonight, and hoping for justice, at last 💚