ABSTRACT
Most of American culture sees art as a variety of entertainment, and “serious” art as a not very successful variety of high-class amusement. Note the adjective: an interest in serious art is seen as a credential for identification with a higher social class. The government, and the majority of the people, thinks that art should support itself like any other commercial enterprise, and that if a minority wants to indulge in aristocratic pretensions it should pay for these without subsidy.
