littlebitca (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
littlebitca) wrote2004-07-09 02:09 pm
littlebitca) wrote2004-07-09 02:09 pm
Entry tags:
I got culture, just don't make me choose!
I did the parts of the curren culture meme, omitting those choices where I had no real opinion, usually because I would have had to just put "Huh?"
The Culture Meme (ganked from buffyannotater, among many others)
1. Fred Astaire or Gene Kelly? Right. Start with the 'easy' ones. If forced to choose, I'd end up going with Fred in the long run because he had, overall, a greater dance range than Gene did, but truly both are absolutely outstanding and had styles different enough from each other that there really isn't a comparison, in my opinion. But if I must chooose, I'll pick Fred, because that's where I learned to dance.
3. Count Basie or Duke Ellington? Another one where comparison and choice is difficult. Basie may have more of the songs that I personally like, but Ellington was in some ways more of a composer and musician than Basie. Being a lover of the music of the big bands, I'm on a nice comfy fence here.
4. Cats or Dogs? Heh. Both, really. And horses.
5. Matisse or Picasso? Overall, probably Matisse, although Picasso does have one that is in my top favorites (and actually the only Picasso I like) "The Old Guitarist." Neither is an artist whose works I seek out, though.
7. Buster Keaton or Charlie Chaplin? Chaplin, because I prefer the storytellers in this world.
9. To Have and Have Not or Casablanca? Heh. According to the "Which Classic Movie Are You?" quiz, I am Casablanca. Which is fine, because I really do like the movie, more for the overall themes than for the ostensible love story, though.
10. Jackson Pollock or Willem de Kooning? Ummm… neither? At least, not in two-dimensional representations of their work.
11. The Who or the Stones ? The Who. I like pinball, and I don't particularly care for Jagger. Even though I remember when the Stones first came to America and my (now) sister-in-law went to see them in Cincinnati and caught Jagger's jacket when he threw it into the audience. (Yes, she gave it back later).
14. Billie Holiday or Ella Fitzgerald? Gosh, this is just filled with easy ones, isn't it? I don't think I want to make a choice here, really. Both had extraordinary vocal talent, and very different styles. Billie brought the pathos and Ella has that classy strength.
17. George Balanchine or Martha Graham? Hmmm. In terms of performances of the work choreographed, I tend to prefer Balanchine. But for influence on dance? Much harder to make that choice. Balanchine has had tremendous influence in ballet, but Martha Graham may well have the broader, longer-lasting influence in terms of modern dance. While she wasn't the 'inventor' of it, she was most certainly the one who brought it to prominence and who directly influenced many of the 'names' in the field today.
18. Hot dogs or hamburgers? Hamburgers in general, although there are some occasions where hamburgers just seem 'wrong' like ball games.
19. Letterman or Leno? Neither, really.
21. Verdi or Wagner? Hmmm. I note Rob mentions a preference for the big, epic, mythic melodrama. I, on the other hand prefer the fifteen hours of "The Ring of the Nibelungen" in the more condensed "What's Opera, Doc." Verdi (or as Victor Borge used to say, "Joe Green, to us") has a number of operas of which I have not only heard but am actually familiar: "Rigoletto", "La Traviata" and "Aida."
22. Grace Kelly or Marilyn Monroe? Marilyn, because I prefer the approachable and funny.
23. Bill Monroe or Johnny Cash? The Man in Black.
25. Robert Mitchum or Marlon Brando? Brando. Mitchum is generally quite good but not particularly outstanding in his roles, where Brando isn't nearly as consistent but when he nails it, he's outstanding,
27. Vermeer or Rembrandt? Of the two, Vermeer. I like the overall warmer tones of his work. Really, I would have to say Renoir.
28. Tchaikovsky or Chopin? Tchaikovsky, because I love his ballets. And the rest of his work isn't bad, either. I mean, cannons? In a crowded music hall? Kewl.
32. Shostakovich or Prokofiev? Peter and the Wolf.
33. Mikhail Baryshnikov or Rudolf Nureyev? Yikes. Another tough one. Nureyev was a primary mover in revitalizing ballet in America, and bringing it to those who weren't in a position to attend performances of the top dancers through television and film. Baryshnikov followed in those steps and was, in my opinion, the one who helped to popularize ballet here, and to erode away some of the eliteness that was attached. Technical ability is pretty even; the ability to bring their roles across to the audience is about the same. Both branched away from classical ballet into more contemporary forms. Baryshnikov went a bit further than Nureyev with that, I think. But I give the nod to Baryshnikov because I actually got to see him perform Swan Lake with Natalia Makarova when I lived in Chicago.
35. The Searchers or Rio Bravo? The Searchers because of the content of the movie. Although it was fun to see John Wayne parody himself in Rio Bravo.
36. Comedy or Tragedy? Depends entirely on my mood at any given moment. Or maybe something really funny even though the end is technically tragic.
37. Fall or Spring? Fall, because 'sweater weather' is the best, and Winter is on its way. Truly though, I want four real seasons. And I don't want a three-day Spring or Fall.
38. Manet or Monet? Monet. Lilies.
40. Rodgers and Hart or Gershwin and Gershwin? Tough call, again. R&Hart had some excellent work, "My Funny Valentine", "Isn't It Romantic?", "The Lady is a Tramp" and "Blue Moon" come to mind. But the Gershwin brothers (who shouldn't be considered separately for this purpose) win hands down here for sheer volume of memorable works. Besides, Ira Gershwin was, in his lifetime, both a carny manager and the first songwriter to win the Pulitzer Prize for drama (but not for a collaboration with George).
42. Sunset or sunrise? Sunset. Sunrise should be seen only when one hasn't yet been to bed. [grin]
43. Johnny Mercer or Cole Porter? How the heck does one choose between these two? In my little world, one simply doesn't. I love them both.
44. Mac or PC? Ummm… I have PCs. Not that I have anything against Mac, I just happen to have PCs.
45. New York or Los Angeles? Split the difference and put me in Chicago.
48. Van Gogh or Gauguin? Van Gogh. Especially "Starry Night."
50. Reading a blog or reading a magazine? Blog = free [grin]
51. John Gielgud or Laurence Olivier? Heathcliff. [sigh]
53. Chinatown or Bonnie and Clyde? Chinatown because of the huge surprises at the end. I was 'spoiled' for Bonnie & Clyde. [grin]
56. Daffy Duck or Bugs Bunny? Hmmm… how does one compare them? Or choose? "Rabbit of Seville" vs. "The Scarlet Pumpernickle"? "Duck Tracy" vs. "Knightly Knight Bugs"? Duck Dodgers in the 24th and a Half Century" vs. "Bully For Bugs"? Or perhaps they're best when they're together as in "Rabbit Fire", "Ali Baba Bunny" and "Duck Amuck"? That's it! I must have them both!
58. Batman or Spiderman? Tough choice, since I grew up reading them both. Well, reading them all really. But I give Spiderman the very slight edge because I actually owned "Amazing Fantasy #15" in which he was introduced (in which the events of the first Spiderman movie occur, at least as relate to the wresting and the murder of Uncle Ben). If it's favorite comic-book character, then that has to be the Phantom Stranger, the only guy who turned down an invitation to join the Justice League twice (so they made him an honorary member). And was in a short series by Neil Gaiman.
61. Jane Austen or Virginia Woolf? Jane Austen, definitely. I like reading about living in times I have finally decided I'd like to visit but not live in (which has much to do with the routine use of indoor plumbing).
62. The Honeymooners or The Dick Van Dyke Show? Dick Van Dyke, because I’d rather the star of the show be someone I can like.
65. The Marriage of Figaro or Don Giovanni? Easy. When did Don Giovanni show up as the final scene in an animated short with Elmer Fudd as the bride marrying Bugs Bunny as the groom?
66. Blue or green? Purple! Okay, fine. Blue. No, green. Wait…blue. Can it just be 'cool colors' and/or 'jewel tones'?
68. Ballet or opera? Visual musical presentation. I want them both.
69. Film or live theater? Another one where 'both' is the only answer. Especially when one likes live theater very much but lives in an area where film is much more obtainable.
70. Acoustic or electric? Acoustic. But with microphones and amplifiers, please, so we can hear in the back.
74. The Music Man or Oklahoma? Right. Sure. Give me two musicals to which I know all the words to all the songs and tell me to choose. "Marian the Librarian" or "I Cain't Say No"? "Ya Got Trouble" or "Poor Jud is Daid"? "Seventy Six Tromones" or the dream ballet? "Goodnight My Someone" or "People Will Say We're In Love"? Can't choose.
75. Sushi, yes or no? No. Opinion based on no actual experience of it whatsoever.
76. The New Yorker under Ross or Shawn? Ross, most definitely. Even the cartoons were better back in the olden days. [goes into reverie]
80. Frank Lloyd Wright or Mies van der Rohe? Frank Lloyd Wright. I don't always like his work, but I like the bulk of it, and appreciate his principles in design. I've come to dislike very much the steel and glass skyscraper that van der Rohe brought to us. (At what seems to be the detriment of architecture with individual character and need for craftsmanship). And yes, I know he did other work, I just haven’t 'forgiven' him for that.
83. Bus or subway? If it comes to where I am, and gets me where I need to go, I'll take them both. Train, taxi, limo...all good, too.
84. Stravinsky or Schoenberg? Stravinsky. Even though "Rite of Spring" is now firmly associated with the age of dinosaurs and "Firebird" with a Sprite representing Spring/rebirth and an elk who represents 'life' along with a positively magnificent firebird (destructive nature).
85. Crunchy or smooth peanut butter? Smooth, although crunchy is okay. As long as the peanut butter isn't ruined with too much sugar.
87. Schubert or Mozart? Mozart.
88. The Fifties or the Twenties? Oh man. Both eras have their appeal. I love the wild sophistication of the 20s and the rebelliousness of the 50s. Poodle skirts and Spauldings or fringe and ropes of beads? I think I need to visit them both before I choose (even though technically I did live through about half of the 50s).
93. Abraham Lincoln or Winston Churchill? Lincoln, I believe. In the long run I think he had a greater impact on history than Churchill did.
95. Italian or French cooking? Italian because I love anything pasta, and I generally don't care that much for sauces on my food.
96. Bach on piano or harpsichord? Harpsichord because it just sounds so neat.
97. Anchovies, yes or no? No,
98. Short novels or long ones?. Good ones. Long or short matters not if they're good.
99. Swing or bebop? Swing…still a huge fan of the big bands.
100. The Last Judgment or The Last Supper? Hmmm. Well, even though I don't think they all sat on one side of the table, I'll take The Last Supper. Also less strain on the neck.
The Culture Meme (ganked from buffyannotater, among many others)
1. Fred Astaire or Gene Kelly? Right. Start with the 'easy' ones. If forced to choose, I'd end up going with Fred in the long run because he had, overall, a greater dance range than Gene did, but truly both are absolutely outstanding and had styles different enough from each other that there really isn't a comparison, in my opinion. But if I must chooose, I'll pick Fred, because that's where I learned to dance.
3. Count Basie or Duke Ellington? Another one where comparison and choice is difficult. Basie may have more of the songs that I personally like, but Ellington was in some ways more of a composer and musician than Basie. Being a lover of the music of the big bands, I'm on a nice comfy fence here.
4. Cats or Dogs? Heh. Both, really. And horses.
5. Matisse or Picasso? Overall, probably Matisse, although Picasso does have one that is in my top favorites (and actually the only Picasso I like) "The Old Guitarist." Neither is an artist whose works I seek out, though.
7. Buster Keaton or Charlie Chaplin? Chaplin, because I prefer the storytellers in this world.
9. To Have and Have Not or Casablanca? Heh. According to the "Which Classic Movie Are You?" quiz, I am Casablanca. Which is fine, because I really do like the movie, more for the overall themes than for the ostensible love story, though.
10. Jackson Pollock or Willem de Kooning? Ummm… neither? At least, not in two-dimensional representations of their work.
11. The Who or the Stones ? The Who. I like pinball, and I don't particularly care for Jagger. Even though I remember when the Stones first came to America and my (now) sister-in-law went to see them in Cincinnati and caught Jagger's jacket when he threw it into the audience. (Yes, she gave it back later).
14. Billie Holiday or Ella Fitzgerald? Gosh, this is just filled with easy ones, isn't it? I don't think I want to make a choice here, really. Both had extraordinary vocal talent, and very different styles. Billie brought the pathos and Ella has that classy strength.
17. George Balanchine or Martha Graham? Hmmm. In terms of performances of the work choreographed, I tend to prefer Balanchine. But for influence on dance? Much harder to make that choice. Balanchine has had tremendous influence in ballet, but Martha Graham may well have the broader, longer-lasting influence in terms of modern dance. While she wasn't the 'inventor' of it, she was most certainly the one who brought it to prominence and who directly influenced many of the 'names' in the field today.
18. Hot dogs or hamburgers? Hamburgers in general, although there are some occasions where hamburgers just seem 'wrong' like ball games.
19. Letterman or Leno? Neither, really.
21. Verdi or Wagner? Hmmm. I note Rob mentions a preference for the big, epic, mythic melodrama. I, on the other hand prefer the fifteen hours of "The Ring of the Nibelungen" in the more condensed "What's Opera, Doc." Verdi (or as Victor Borge used to say, "Joe Green, to us") has a number of operas of which I have not only heard but am actually familiar: "Rigoletto", "La Traviata" and "Aida."
22. Grace Kelly or Marilyn Monroe? Marilyn, because I prefer the approachable and funny.
23. Bill Monroe or Johnny Cash? The Man in Black.
25. Robert Mitchum or Marlon Brando? Brando. Mitchum is generally quite good but not particularly outstanding in his roles, where Brando isn't nearly as consistent but when he nails it, he's outstanding,
27. Vermeer or Rembrandt? Of the two, Vermeer. I like the overall warmer tones of his work. Really, I would have to say Renoir.
28. Tchaikovsky or Chopin? Tchaikovsky, because I love his ballets. And the rest of his work isn't bad, either. I mean, cannons? In a crowded music hall? Kewl.
32. Shostakovich or Prokofiev? Peter and the Wolf.
33. Mikhail Baryshnikov or Rudolf Nureyev? Yikes. Another tough one. Nureyev was a primary mover in revitalizing ballet in America, and bringing it to those who weren't in a position to attend performances of the top dancers through television and film. Baryshnikov followed in those steps and was, in my opinion, the one who helped to popularize ballet here, and to erode away some of the eliteness that was attached. Technical ability is pretty even; the ability to bring their roles across to the audience is about the same. Both branched away from classical ballet into more contemporary forms. Baryshnikov went a bit further than Nureyev with that, I think. But I give the nod to Baryshnikov because I actually got to see him perform Swan Lake with Natalia Makarova when I lived in Chicago.
35. The Searchers or Rio Bravo? The Searchers because of the content of the movie. Although it was fun to see John Wayne parody himself in Rio Bravo.
36. Comedy or Tragedy? Depends entirely on my mood at any given moment. Or maybe something really funny even though the end is technically tragic.
37. Fall or Spring? Fall, because 'sweater weather' is the best, and Winter is on its way. Truly though, I want four real seasons. And I don't want a three-day Spring or Fall.
38. Manet or Monet? Monet. Lilies.
40. Rodgers and Hart or Gershwin and Gershwin? Tough call, again. R&Hart had some excellent work, "My Funny Valentine", "Isn't It Romantic?", "The Lady is a Tramp" and "Blue Moon" come to mind. But the Gershwin brothers (who shouldn't be considered separately for this purpose) win hands down here for sheer volume of memorable works. Besides, Ira Gershwin was, in his lifetime, both a carny manager and the first songwriter to win the Pulitzer Prize for drama (but not for a collaboration with George).
42. Sunset or sunrise? Sunset. Sunrise should be seen only when one hasn't yet been to bed. [grin]
43. Johnny Mercer or Cole Porter? How the heck does one choose between these two? In my little world, one simply doesn't. I love them both.
44. Mac or PC? Ummm… I have PCs. Not that I have anything against Mac, I just happen to have PCs.
45. New York or Los Angeles? Split the difference and put me in Chicago.
48. Van Gogh or Gauguin? Van Gogh. Especially "Starry Night."
50. Reading a blog or reading a magazine? Blog = free [grin]
51. John Gielgud or Laurence Olivier? Heathcliff. [sigh]
53. Chinatown or Bonnie and Clyde? Chinatown because of the huge surprises at the end. I was 'spoiled' for Bonnie & Clyde. [grin]
56. Daffy Duck or Bugs Bunny? Hmmm… how does one compare them? Or choose? "Rabbit of Seville" vs. "The Scarlet Pumpernickle"? "Duck Tracy" vs. "Knightly Knight Bugs"? Duck Dodgers in the 24th and a Half Century" vs. "Bully For Bugs"? Or perhaps they're best when they're together as in "Rabbit Fire", "Ali Baba Bunny" and "Duck Amuck"? That's it! I must have them both!
58. Batman or Spiderman? Tough choice, since I grew up reading them both. Well, reading them all really. But I give Spiderman the very slight edge because I actually owned "Amazing Fantasy #15" in which he was introduced (in which the events of the first Spiderman movie occur, at least as relate to the wresting and the murder of Uncle Ben). If it's favorite comic-book character, then that has to be the Phantom Stranger, the only guy who turned down an invitation to join the Justice League twice (so they made him an honorary member). And was in a short series by Neil Gaiman.
61. Jane Austen or Virginia Woolf? Jane Austen, definitely. I like reading about living in times I have finally decided I'd like to visit but not live in (which has much to do with the routine use of indoor plumbing).
62. The Honeymooners or The Dick Van Dyke Show? Dick Van Dyke, because I’d rather the star of the show be someone I can like.
65. The Marriage of Figaro or Don Giovanni? Easy. When did Don Giovanni show up as the final scene in an animated short with Elmer Fudd as the bride marrying Bugs Bunny as the groom?
66. Blue or green? Purple! Okay, fine. Blue. No, green. Wait…blue. Can it just be 'cool colors' and/or 'jewel tones'?
68. Ballet or opera? Visual musical presentation. I want them both.
69. Film or live theater? Another one where 'both' is the only answer. Especially when one likes live theater very much but lives in an area where film is much more obtainable.
70. Acoustic or electric? Acoustic. But with microphones and amplifiers, please, so we can hear in the back.
74. The Music Man or Oklahoma? Right. Sure. Give me two musicals to which I know all the words to all the songs and tell me to choose. "Marian the Librarian" or "I Cain't Say No"? "Ya Got Trouble" or "Poor Jud is Daid"? "Seventy Six Tromones" or the dream ballet? "Goodnight My Someone" or "People Will Say We're In Love"? Can't choose.
75. Sushi, yes or no? No. Opinion based on no actual experience of it whatsoever.
76. The New Yorker under Ross or Shawn? Ross, most definitely. Even the cartoons were better back in the olden days. [goes into reverie]
80. Frank Lloyd Wright or Mies van der Rohe? Frank Lloyd Wright. I don't always like his work, but I like the bulk of it, and appreciate his principles in design. I've come to dislike very much the steel and glass skyscraper that van der Rohe brought to us. (At what seems to be the detriment of architecture with individual character and need for craftsmanship). And yes, I know he did other work, I just haven’t 'forgiven' him for that.
83. Bus or subway? If it comes to where I am, and gets me where I need to go, I'll take them both. Train, taxi, limo...all good, too.
84. Stravinsky or Schoenberg? Stravinsky. Even though "Rite of Spring" is now firmly associated with the age of dinosaurs and "Firebird" with a Sprite representing Spring/rebirth and an elk who represents 'life' along with a positively magnificent firebird (destructive nature).
85. Crunchy or smooth peanut butter? Smooth, although crunchy is okay. As long as the peanut butter isn't ruined with too much sugar.
87. Schubert or Mozart? Mozart.
88. The Fifties or the Twenties? Oh man. Both eras have their appeal. I love the wild sophistication of the 20s and the rebelliousness of the 50s. Poodle skirts and Spauldings or fringe and ropes of beads? I think I need to visit them both before I choose (even though technically I did live through about half of the 50s).
93. Abraham Lincoln or Winston Churchill? Lincoln, I believe. In the long run I think he had a greater impact on history than Churchill did.
95. Italian or French cooking? Italian because I love anything pasta, and I generally don't care that much for sauces on my food.
96. Bach on piano or harpsichord? Harpsichord because it just sounds so neat.
97. Anchovies, yes or no? No,
98. Short novels or long ones?. Good ones. Long or short matters not if they're good.
99. Swing or bebop? Swing…still a huge fan of the big bands.
100. The Last Judgment or The Last Supper? Hmmm. Well, even though I don't think they all sat on one side of the table, I'll take The Last Supper. Also less strain on the neck.