Journal of Other Forum Analysis (Volume II, Issue 2)

[Besticus Maximus]

This, based on my experience, is absolutely spot-on. The utterly instantaneous transition from mockery in pursuing the humanities because it's fruitless to mockery for being successful in humanities because it's easy is a microcosm of everything that's wrong with society's assignment of value based on money and money only.

What the fuck are these people talking about?  I've never seen anyone being mocked for being successful in humanities.  Sure, I've seen people mock liberal arts students or whatever...but mock people who are successful at it?  What does that even look like?  "Lol!  You make a living writing books about the literary themes in Dostoevsky's work?  Wow, fuck you for that!"  Nobody does that.

  

My wife and I have several local art pieces in our home - canvas prints and some photography, etc.

"Oh, cool artwork... where did you buy it?"
"Thanks! It's from a local artist we always enjoyed during the art fair, so we asked if we could commission a piece with our family room's colors."
"How much was that?"
"A little less than two grand."
"WHAT? It's canvas and acrylic paint - you could have done it yourself for fifty bucks."
"That is literally not the point at all."


I've had this conversation a dozen times. Or, the absolute mouth gape I get when I tell someone I bought another person's photography. "But you have all those nice cameras - why didn't you just take the picture?"

Who cares that you have a dumb friend that doesn't appreciate the things you appreciate.  Who fucking cares.  That extends to everything beyond art.  You can buy a nice car and someone will say, "But you could have bought a Kia and it's the same thing."  

People think art should be cheap as hell, and it's like "How the fuck am I supposed to eat if I charge you $5 for a 50 hour job?"

It's always been tough to make a living doing art - the "starving artist" trope exists for a reason.  There are good artists that get paid a shitload and have their work appreciated by many and have the ability to pick and choose what commissions they want to do because there's a line out the door waiting on them.  But many do work a ton of hours to produce works that don't sell for that much.  What exactly do you want out of the world?  To force people to buy art at higher prices from people they don't appreciate the work of?  There's nothing you can do about this.  You either try to become one of the lucky few that can dazzle people with amazing art and become a high-demand artist and charge a lot of money for it, or you don't?  Is this like a general complaint against humanity or something?  What does she want solved here?  An economic system where the government pays artists to make art nobody wants?  I don't understand.   

I think jealousy plays a role. They hate their jobs/life and secretly wish they would have artistic talent or craft.

They.... they can have that by just, like.... drawing.
 
Like, it really is that simple.

People can just...like... not be poor by like...studying hard and practicing things like...math.  For the life of me, I don't understand why she doesn't accept that argument?  It's the same exact fucking thing?

"You're so lucky to be able to draw like that."

Also another sentiment that I hate. Like, thanks for erasing the thousands of hours I spent practicing and wrestling with insecurity and imposter syndrome!

"You're lucky to be able to go to get a good job."  Like thanks for erasing the thousands of hours of work?

Again, same exact shit.  But no, it's different. Nepenthe's entirely worldview and philosophy is "Me, me, me"

Holy fuck dude, I'm starting to think you're more pathetic than Benji. Did you seriously have a giant ass conversation by yourself with her?

What kind of mental illness forces you to browse era and do this?

Him, chudlord