Don't Dumb Me Down

String or Nothing has a very outspoken post about publishers dumbing down knitting and other crafts to exploit the make-it-fast-easy-trendy wave. She sounds suspiciously like a Slow Cloth-Authentic Cloth person, but her comments are closed on the post so I can't share this blog with her. String or Nothing, wherever you are, I'm with you. But as mentioned here, I've been through this with so many of the things I care about. On the one hand, you have to meet people where they are and bring them along if they're willing. On the other hand, I do understand the frustration at the condescending tone of many new books, magazines and articles out there. Sadly, that tone appears everywhere, the instant marketers realize that their target audience is female. It's so widespread and pervasive and insidious that it's become perfectly acceptable.

No more rants today. Back to work. Fiber Artists for Obama, are you out there voting? Has anyone found other textile connections to our candidates?

Comments

[Paula Hewitt]

Hi Elaine - I cant link onto the original string or nothing post. I am in two minds about the dumbed down projects. On one hand you have to learn somewhere, and if you don't have someone to teach you then there is a market for those 'knitting for idiots' type books (I have been in this boat). On the other hand, you go to the craft section in a major bookshop like Borders, and their range is pathetic (or it may just be their Brisbane store) if you want something other than the quick and easy/make it in two hours/beginners stuff then you have to look else where. I am not saying the shelves should be stocked with esoteric numbers on obscure crafts and nothing else- but there must be a balance. Before Xmas, I was writing a huge rant on the corporatisation of craft, unfortunatley my computer died, so I never did post it in its entirety, but this 'day time TV media personality' from Australia, has started a website 'living creatively' and to me it embodies everything that is wrong with the current craft culture....and the trouble is she makes it sound so 'authentic/slow'. it makes me sick. Speaking of books - In Stitch magazine there is a review for a book called ' Minority Textile Techniques: Costumes from South West China' edited by Ruth Smith. Sounds lovely and I thought of you when I saw the review!

[Margaret Henderson]

You do have to meet people halfway and hope to bring them with you - no matter how frustrated you are. But you do need to be careful. Comic books were seen as a start to literacy, but I haven't seen any reports about programs that give students comics producing serious readers. And zoos provide people with a chance to really care about animals so they are more concerned with saving animals in the wild - and the jury is still out on that one as well.
I will keep all the discussion on slow or authentic cloth in mind when I teach a high school art club next week. I hope I can meet them halfway with something that is not dumbed down. Thanks.