Okay, this movie came out two years ago.  And it runs about an hour & a half, primarily of Fran Lebowitz talking – just giving her opinions on life.  It’s insightful and sometimes hilarious and some of the points she makes are indeed debatable.  But why am I bringing this up now?  How, exactly, does it connect to the theme of this blog?  She talks about history – her personal history in the culture of NYC.  And as you know, she came up through the ranks via Interview magazine and Andy Warhol.   So yeah, she was deep in “out” culture when AIDS hit.  And she takes a moment to remember what happened.  You should make a point of seeing this little HBO gem (which is easily available on video – even at the library) because, well, there are lots of reasons.  Primarily, of course, because it’s dang entertaining.  But also, although it is only for a few minutes, she gives a nice little insight into the cultural losses taken by AIDS.  To quote her:  “Everyone talks about the effect that AIDS had on the culture in the sense…that they talked about what artists were lost, but they never talk about this audience that was lost.”  In reference to the audience, she expands thus:  ” There was such a high level of connoisseurship of everything…that made the culture better….A very discerning audience, an audience with a high level of connoisseurship, is as important to the culture as artists.  It’s exactly as important.”  She goes deeper into this, and I don’t fully agree with her, but her points are interesting.  She firmly believes that when AIDS initially struck – and struck hard, taking down so many so quickly – it left an artistic wake across the creative disciplines that was filled in by those of lesser talents.  Yeah, I buy that.  But her conclusion that “the loss of that audience had a terrible effect because everything has to be broader…everything has to be more blatant, more on the nose…because obviously they’re not going to pick up little subtleties” makes me wonder.  Sure, the top tier talent went first.  (Her reasoning:  they were getting laid more.  Perfectly plausible.)  But talent does develop with time and many great, surviving artists were able to hone their craft to top form in the coming decade.  Still, Fran Lebowitz has a point.  AIDS took a heavy toll not only on creativity, but also on taste.  Her theory that democracy should not exist within culture has its merit.  She claims that democracy should exist in society, but in culture, there should be an aristocracy.  That way the very best talent rises to the top.  I hate to think of what we’d be missing out on if this theory could actually be implemented.  But then again, I’d love to live in a world where the brows could raise just a little bit higher.  Duly noted, Fran!

(note:  all photo credits to HBO)