Animal Mother says:

Art must be free! Therefore, it must be unencumbered by government funding.

the haunted sheep says:

I work in the arts and I find funding absolutely ridiculous. most modern art is worthless shit.

chuck says:

“The arts generate vastly more revenue for the economy than they cost to fund.”

Based on this logic, the government should borrow $10 trillion, then “invest” it all in support for the arts. The resulting boost to the economy will easily pay back the $10 trillion borrowed.

I didn’t realize how easy it is to fix the economy.

deowll says:

So people working for the government are free thinkers and innovators?

I’m afraid I have to admit that I’m completely unappreciative of an awful lot of what the self styled elite call art.

Interestingly the word doesn’t even exist in some languages yet the locals produce what many people consider to be beautiful works of art.

Dallas says:

Weird video yes but it is of course British.

I agree funding for “the Arts” is a negligible part of spending, I mean hardly measurable. The return on investment is huge in so many ways.

But then again, explain that to penny wise, pound foolish simpletons that think Arts funding is merely throwing money at spray painting a pile of scrap iron.

Yankinwaoz says:

Jeeze.

Over in Oz, I was watching this Aussie director demanding, not pleading, demanding government grants for film makers. His tag line “We need Australian stories for Australians by Australians”. He was lambasting Hollywood and how evil they are.

Watching him, I couldn’t help but think “Yes. But at the end of the day, what you are demanding is that us tax payers pay for your hobby. Hollywood doesn’t get its funding for films from the government. They get it from investors. They are able to convince investors that they will make a product that will make money. So if you are as good as you claim, why can’t you do the same?”

He came off, at least to me, as a pompous asshole who was worse than the Hollywood slimeballs he was claiming he was better than. Seriously mate, I have no problem paying my hard earned money once in a while for a good Aussie film. And God knows where have been some really good ones. But don’t take my money from me at gun point.

Bob says:

#12, pretty much summed up my feelings. I am sick of paying for someones hobby. If someone truly is a good painter then someone will hire them to paint stuff for them. If all someone can do is throw crap against a wall, and beg for government funding, then that person should starve.