The Entartete Kunst exhibit

I was very much inspired by the LACMA’s exhibition regarding Degenerate Art. We also got the chance to see the documentary film regarding Degenerate Art. It was an exhibition mounted by Nazis in Munich in 1937. The exhibition consisted of modernist artworks that were considered “degenerated” according to Nazis, and were accompanied with text labels of what “bad art” are. While prohibited modern style of art, Nazis promoted the art that celebrate the values of racial purity and militarism. What surprised me the most is the propaganda of “2000 Years of German Culture.” It’s basic isn’t ‘German Culture,’ but the combination of Greek and Roman. It shows the powerful narrative of the government. Back than, government may play a role in arts, in term of support artists or banning the unflavored subjects. How about 21st century? Does government still have some kind of control in arts? What about the media we see everyday? We are living in such a mass media culture that we need to be award of what it is and how it works. Just like the title of the movie, Wag the Dog, "Why does a dog wag its tail? Because a dog is smarter than its tail. If the tail was smarter, the tail would wag the dog." This makes me think if the dog is the public and the tail is the media; and the dog is the media and tail is the politician. In either case, tail is smarter than the dog so it can influence the dog.