ABSTRACT
For every medium there is a scale; we may call it an “aesthetic scale.” On one end are the serious artists and producers, careful about the integrity of their craft and insistent that their labors give audiences a better insight into meaningful human life. On the other end are writers and producers who want to provide the most popular product possible. They care little if lofty artistic visions are part of their work; theirs is the task of attracting the largest possible share of the audience-because if they do not, competitors will. Success is measured by best-seller lists and Nielsen ratings.
