Wednesday, 17 July 2019

Grayson Perry at Guildhall for City Lit Bursary Fund

Disclaimer from GP - some self-righteous know-alls may be upset by the content of this lecture (too right!!)

Divided Britain.

He learned all his important things at adult education.  Key theme for tonight - 'its all your fault!'  Looking at left and right wing politics.

Culture is upstream from Politics.  (Briebart US rightwing website).
Narcissism of small differences.  Whole lives her on the trivial.  Culture is the mythical glue that binds us together in large numbers.

Working class:
Net curtains; Fiat 500; books (left wing); iPhone

Middle class:
Stuff!  de classe! ; reusable water bottle; yoga mat; reusable tote bag.

Bowls of pebbles to show class - flash stones - hairdresser; minimalist - show home; old school - middle class; in loo - hipster; sea glass - upper class.

Value clans  - Paula Surridge.  Roots in culture, not politics.

Inverted triangle of culture

Homo sapiens
Sex
Modern western culture
National culture
Social class
Tribe
Family
Upbringing
Education.

Culture changes over time.  In 19th century, pink was for boys.  Mame Eisenhower brought in pink for girls by wearing her favourite colour a lot.

Twitter emphasises divides.  Diaphobia - fear of people who disagree with them.

The biggest divide in modern UK society is whether or not a person attended university.  Its closest correlation with the Brexit vote.  Those who attended uni, voted stay; those who did not, voted leave.

Education has been over-sold as a panacea.

GP directs 'it's all your fault' at top 20% of earners, not top 1%.  But in the Occupy protests in NY, many of the protesters were brokers, therefore in the top 20% of earners - but they were protesting against the top 1%. Metropolitan liberal elite need to be the ones to make concessions.  Adjust their view of the world. Focus on commonality.

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