ROOTS OF LOW HIGH& CULTURE

Unpacking the origins of our finest art and guiltiest pleasures.

Words by Sophie Davis

Art by Freddy Toglia

“What’s considered classy if you’re rich but trashy if you’re poor?” asks Twitter user Ana Samways in a now-viral thread, prompting responses ranging from “bilingualism” to “recreational drug use.” Conversations like these, as casual as they may seem, help point out the extent to which classism and the racism intertwined with it (‘cause there’s no classism without racism!) can infect everyday life in a pretty arbitrary manner.

High culture is considered esteemed, intellectual art best enjoyed alongside champagne and caviar while wearing Mr. Peanut’s top hat and monocle and muttering words like “erstwhile” and “neo-romantic.” Low culture, on the other hand, calls to mind images of fart jokes, pop-country music, and lazy mindlessness akin to the Axiom humans from Wall-E. However, if we take a second to hold Mr. Peanut’s monocle up to these categories and look at them with a more critical eye, it’s easy to notice the not-so-subtle white supremacy and classism that often separates highbrow “class” and lowbrow “trash.” In fact, the term “highbrow” was popularized in 1902 by reporter Will Irvin, who subscribed to the “notion of more intelligent people having high foreheads,” and therefore being more appreciative of fine culture. One would think that this vomit-inducing display of Social Darwinism is proof enough that these terms should be removed from the way our society thinks about culture. Yet racism and classism still dictate the binary between “high culture,” consisting of music that’s just underground enough to post on our Instagram stories and books that we feel pressure to lie about having read, and “low culture” that forces us to turn off our Spotify social tracking activity and bury celebrity gossip magazines at the bottom of our shopping carts.

A historical approach helps shine a light on just how ridiculous the line between high and low culture can be. For example, the impressionist movement began as a rebellion against traditional conventions of “high art.”

Similarly, William Shakespeare’s sexual innuendos (see Aaron saying “Villain, I have done thy mother,” in Act IV Scene II of Titus Andronicus for evidence of the timelessness of “your mom” jokes) were considered part of “a ‘shared culture’ in theatres attended by diverse audiences,” according to Lawrence Levine, author of Highbrow/Lowbrow: The Emergence of Cultural Hierarchy in America. Most highbrow art wasn’t intended to be highbrow at all.

Today impressionism, Shakespeare, and countless other media have become synonymous with the uptight rigidity they were trying to break away from, only to be enjoyed only by stuffy academics. The economic confines at play are undeniable; tickets to theatres and art museums are far from affordable for everyone, and can often only be found in wealthy cosmopolitan areas. As certain media have become less accessible, they have gained greater prominence as pillars of “high culture.” At the same time, popular culture — which can be accessed, appreciated, and related to more easily — has become conflated with “low culture.” It’s no coincidence that oftentimes this art is created by people of color, who are systemically denied entry to “high culture,” and are far less likely to receive praise for their creative efforts (see: the entire history of hip hop). Levine argues that the structures upholding and rewarding inaccessible art “permit the few to enter while excluding the masses,” leading them to “scorn the forms they have been denied.” Naturally, these barriers to entry have made the general public resentful of this bullshit, leading to a greater divide between what’s considered high and low culture. In reality, the true villain isn’t any singular element of culture, but the racism and classism that dictates how we perceive these elements.

While it’s easier said than done, the best way to walk the tightrope between trashiness and pretentiousness is to destroy the binary (and dismantle the notion that one side is better than another) altogether. It’s time to acknowledge that reality television and French new-wave cinema both have the power to be thought-provoking and eye-roll-inducing. So instead of high or low culture, opt for no culture! This isn’t to say you shouldn’t continue to consume media, but that instead of aspiring to achieve a certain level of morality (which by the way was dictated by a bunch of classist, racist assholes) in the culture that you consume, you should engage in what you like! Whether it’s pretentious garbage or mindless garbage, abstain from or partake in the garbage without guilt.

Separating oneself from the binary of high and low culture and just engaging in the content that you enjoy can invite a whole world of diverse, valuable perspectives. When we remove ourselves from the racist and classist roots of high and low culture, we can find delight in reading William Shakespeare’s crudest jokes accompanied by the genius musical stylings of Jason Derulo.