ABSTRACT
The new monoculture has become a monoindustry; advancing under the banner of consumer capitalism, on-line onslaughts, and deregulated grabbing. Many European intellectuals and academics regard culture as a public service and trust—not a chance to make money and entrance the young. Hence the lines between high, low, folk, and pop culture are continually blurred, even eliminated in America. Variety and diversity are so deeply rooted in human life that monoculture, despite temporary triumphs, will always be rejected. Europeans often agree with American critics such as Dwight Macdonald, who detested American vulgarity and kitsch, which, he said, diluted and threatened to eliminate regional cultures, crafts, and class traditions. Today’s take-all technocrats hold that the traditions, pleasures, and lifestyles of the past must be sacrificed for a more productive technological future.
