Have you ever enjoyed going to a theatre, opera, ballet, classical orchestra or museums?

[noname223]

I read a German scientifical text about cultural participation. And they differentiated between different forms of culture.

I am not sure how to translate it. There is trivial culture. I think for example stuff you watch on the TV. Then there is culture that should give you a thrill. Like many movies or TV series.

And then they had the category high-cultural events. Culturally sophisticated forms to participate in or to consume passively.

They name theatres (not to watch a movie though), operas and classical orchestras. Honestly, I give on all of that a shit. I think (and this is very sad and pathetic) I define myself a little bit too much about knowledge and I am not really that good at it. And education can give you status. And a part of me thinks that status is important to me. But I will never belong to a "Bildungsbürger". That's quite a German term. It is hard to translate. Maybe cultivated middle class/educated elite/educated burgeoisie.

I will never learn all the codes with which elites signal to each other that they are part of it. Honestly, I will be poor in the future and my fraudulence with intelligence won't help. I am a really try hard somewhat intelligent guy. Self-aware enough to realize what a mess I am.

I was raised in a completely wrong way. And the way education works was taught to me in a completely skewed way. My mom often pressured me when doing homework and insulted me for being dumb. The TV raised me as a teenager and child. I started to educate myself with 15.

Besides I don't have good genes I think the environment I was raised in makes me highly unqualified for higher education. For me its more about status. And this isn't what education should be about. It's about power for me. And personally I think the quantum physics professor thought I just became a bully myself because people mocked me for being dumb.

I struggle to enjoy many things. I am reading a lot about politics and I consider most other things a waste of time. But I think reading these texts about politics is worth pretty much nothing. I try to see more the whole spectrum of activities to enjoy. From time to time I started to watch movies again. Or I want to read some David Foster Wallace stories again.

I think going to a theater, opera, ballet or classical orchestra would bore the shit out of me. I cannot understand why people actually like that. But I think this might be asperger related. And theory of mind related. I also don't understand why people actually play board games or why people enjoy exercising.

I am certainly not part of the club. And never will be. I would be interested how many people on here are interested high-cultural events. And whether you enjoyed it organically or whether the way you were raised contributed to it?

I enjoy posting on Sanctioned Suicide though.

 

[Seneca65AD]

I am willing to bet large that at least 1/3 of the people who attend "high-culture" events do so strictly for the status. High culture does not translate to "high-intelligence". Hell, I'm not even sure what high-culture actually means. I like theatre based on Shakespeare, but then I also went to "exotic" clubs when single. Culturally, I got way more out of helping Trixie through med school $1 at a time than I did watching Twelfth Night.

Also, environments have little to do with intelligence or being suited for education. They can put up roadblocks to effective learning but those roadblocks can be removed or minimized with awareness and therapy. Hobbes said "Life is short, nasty and brutish", so forget about trying to fit in; try to have fun and if you are not into things you consider to be "high-culture", good on you. Find what you enjoy and keep doing it.....

 

[weallhaveourghosts]

I love going to museums, galleries, plays. operas, etc. I don't always know what I'm looking at or listening to but I still enjoy it, especially if I'm with other people. I think going alone makes me sad but there's something about going with even just one other person to see how they react to things is fun and enjoyable.

 

[tonicer]

I enjoy going to classical concerts and museums and the occasional theatre play and i saw a couple operas live and in person. I prefer museums and concerts since theatre can be weird (i saw one that normally takes place in 1600 but it was a modernized version without the old timey clothing and the language was modern which was a complete disappointment for me) and operas are always so tragic (my life is already tragic enough). I feel like i get more out of them.

The sound of analog instruments is amazingly clear and at the same time strong and soft. Analog instruments seem to me like they amplify the musicians soul into sound, at least that's the closest i can come to explain how it feels to me. Sure it's not for everyone and not every concert i went to was that good.

I come from a musical background and learned to play a couple instruments myself so i guess i am somewhat predisposed when it comes to classical music. I can appreciate the effort it takes to play those instruments to such a high degree of precision.

I don't however like ballet one bit. I think it looks dumb and after i saw ballet dancers feet once i nearly puked. So screw ballet.

 

[Binderz]

I like going to museums, especially modern art ones. I always try to figure out what the artist's meaning or interpretation is. Sometimes modern art doesn't make sense at all at least to the general public. It's fun to try and get into the head of the artist -- I'm sure my guesses of what the art means are usually off the mark but it's a way to amuse myself.

 

[WhatCouldHaveBeen32]

Hell no, GET THOSE AWAY FROM ME. Staying so many hours in one place? And can't even be jittery or move left to right or bounce around? What is this, school?

They'd better have the red carpet ready and it being held by the bare minimum of 5000 people and after I take my seat, all shall clap every once in a while and my own theme song shall be devised at the end of the opera. It shall be the new national anthem of every single country.
Bare minimum if they want me to come. It's a lifetime offer, almost impossible to refuse. I won't go either way, who the fuck do they think they are? thinking they can buy me with cheap mortal offerings? Hmph. The gall of them to even make this offer thinking they can just buy my presence like that.

 

[thankyouforthis]

I used to do some of these things, but I can't afford any of them anymore. Some museums are free. Sometimes there's free music outside. That's about it for me.

 

[Pluto]

 

[Forever Sleep]

I've been lucky in that my God parents were extremely generous and took me to see a number of shows. From more popular musicals- like Andrew Lloyd Webber productions and pantomimes- not considered high brow to Operas and Ballets- that are.

I've been to Classical music concerts but weirdly, no Pop concerts. I used to visit museums, galleries and exhibitions regularly- as an art student. I also used to go to the cinema quite a bit pre covid. Now, I just wait for stuff to stream. But- I love culture of all levels.

As to which I enjoyed most. It depended really. One of the sets for Madame Butterfly was stunning. The music was the main draw for some of the operas and ballets I saw. I'm not really all that in to dance or pretentious actors.

But- I tend to enjoy stuff on its own merit. I've been longing for the end on more high brow productions before and loved the experience of a low budget exhibition or pop up art event. I definitely don't value stuff according to how 'high' it is considered.

Also, working in an area that isn't classed anywhere near as 'high', it really annoys me that there is this snobbishness around Art. That so much is money driven I suppose too. It feels like a perversion to me if I'm honest.

But- I think you're right. When we saw Madame Butterfly, there was this impecably dressed couple near the front. The guy was confidently lounged across the seats, with his arm around a stunning Japanese lady. I couldn't help but wonder if he themed his girlfriends according to what he was watching! There again- that could well have just been my cruel prejudice. Maybe they were in fact a couple. Maybe they were just friends. Who knows? I found the thought amusing though. He did seem pretty full of himself. I suspect some people do go to be seen. There again, some people genuinely love it. So, it's hard to know really.

I think it's worth trying it- if it's affordable that is- to at least find out. But, I wouldn't pretend to like something I didn't- beyond a level of politeness. I've occassionally even left in the interval if I really wasn't enjoying something!

For me more now- I'm so scruffy. I truly don't enjoy dressing smartly so- that would be massively off putting. Very little would seem worth that effort now for me. I'm glad and grateful I got to experience those things but, I have little desire to seek them out now. Plus, the cost is horrendous. Some exhibitions still catch my eye though.

Overall though, I'm a far bigger fan of the lessor appreciated art forms- film, games and craftsmanship- rather than high art. I love seeing work by people who are experts in their field- glass blowing, carpentry, textiles- whatever really. I really appreaciate skilled workers.

 

[avalon_]

I went to the egyptian museum in Berlin once or twice and it was really fascinating. We're never giving that shit back lol.

 

[Macedonian1987]

Before my chronic pain appeared and ruined my life I loved going to the museums and theatre. Now that has became too painful and I can't go anymore. The sad thing is, I would go if i wasn't in pain