Culture
Culture wars
Shadow arts minister Dan Jarvis set chins wagging today by suggesting that ‘well-placed sources in Whitehall’ had told him that the Department for Culture Media and Sport could be scrapped… Continue reading
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This Britain: Maria Miller confuses economics with pleasure and beauty.
Is it possible for a government minister to give a speech that is not a “keynote address”? That was my first thought upon reading Maria Miller’s speech at the British… Continue reading
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Roy Lichtenstein: comic genius?
Tate Modern promises that its forthcoming retrospective will showcase ‘the full scope of Roy Lichtenstein’s artistic explorations’, to which Spectator art critic Andrew Lambirth responded acidly: ‘I look forward to… Continue reading
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In defence of Suzanne Moore
Tell me if you have heard this already but it appears that Suzanne Moore has offended the trans-gender lobby. She did this by writing an essay about women’s anger for… Continue reading
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Which words would you ban?
Which words in current use would you ban? Lake Superior State University answers this question each year, with its famous ‘List of Words to be Banished from the Queen’s English… Continue reading
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The Atlantic, the ocean that made the modern world
Just as the classical world was built around the Mediterranean, the modern world was built around the Atlantic. The Romans called the Med ‘Mare Nostrum’ – Our Sea. The Atlantic,… Continue reading
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Robert Hughes – The novelty of the shock
The real shock of the new came in 1991. It was sobering, and it was reverent, which aren’t exactly the first words one would associate with The Shock of the… Continue reading
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Spicing up my life
I do not necessarily wish to imply I have the gift of prophecy. But this is either uncanny or part of some cosmic plan to aggravate me. Three years ago… Continue reading
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Compromised by not compromising
‘In a relationship, when does the art of compromise become compromising?’ Thus spoke Carrie Bradshaw. Such knowledge suggests that I have passed her tipping point; my compromises have compromised me.… Continue reading
0 CommentsRiots and responsibilities
The riots are fast in danger of becoming the forgotten issue in our politics. The social and cultural problems that they laid bare have been knocked out of the news… Continue reading
21 CommentsWhat it is to be British
What is it about the British and flag waving? I ask after watching last night’s superlative BBC Proms, a brilliant end to the best season for years. On HD and… Continue reading
99 CommentsThe role of libraries
New government statistics show that libraries are less popular than ever, with a drop over 5 years of nearly one-third in the number who visit them. Over 60 percent of… Continue reading
41 CommentsNever again should so much be wasted by so few
If you tire quickly of the tediously lengthy build up to Christmas, which starts about now, then heaven help you in dealing with two years of hyperbole about the 2012… Continue reading
82 CommentsWords fail me…
…when it comes to the Lib Dem’s offical election song, performed by the Liberal Democrat Community Choir: You can, er, buy it on iTunes if you like. Hat-tip: Guido
16 CommentsWhy we should give the Elgin Marbles back to Greece
While we’re talking about countries on the brink, it’s worth taking a look at Greece – which has probably passed beyond it. The government has published its package of austerity… Continue reading
71 CommentsSatire is dead
I laughed more at the Antiques Roadshow than I did at The Thick of It. In fact, finding the louche Eric Knowles delivers more cutting gags per minute than Malcolm… Continue reading
14 CommentsBig Brother and the limits of television
Big Brother is dead. This is terrific news – particularly if you’re one of those morbid hacks who specialise in articles lamenting ‘the excessive trivialisation of our culture’. Even now… Continue reading
25 CommentsAmis at 60
Martin Amis says that when a man turns 40 he stops saying "hi" and starts saying "bye". So, as a 41-year-old, I now stand unequivocally on the farewell side of… Continue reading
18 CommentsBreast is barred
Truth is indeed often stranger than fiction. It appears Big Brother is not just watching our every move but has also infiltrated our bodies. Speaking to a cranial surgeon over… Continue reading
10 CommentsIntroducing Cappuccino Culture
Just to introduce The Spectator’s new team blog on arts and cultural affairs – Cappuccino Culture. Spectator writers will be posting all day, every day on what’s new and what… Continue reading
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