FWIW, Teachout gets big award from Right-leaning outfit

[Larry Kart]

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/arts/culture/la-et-cm-terry-teachout-250000-conservative-bradley-foundation-prize-20140429,0,5073673.story#axzz30TcSAilF

[paul secor]

It figures.

[mjzee]

Why is it so bad for the right to be giving out awards? The left would probably not give him an award for the same reason. And the left has far more power in the arts than the right. Good for him.

[paul secor]

The point is that a no-talent hack like Teachout doesn't deserve an award from any organiszation - right or left.

[johnblitweiler]

Wow, he got a lot of loot - did any other crit collect as much in one award? And is it too late for me to become a right-wing indignant scold?

[Dan Gould]

Not to turn this into a political discussion - even though our esteemed moderator brought it up in his own initial post - but really, are these goals really that offensive?

The prize is for "contributions of excellence" that dovetail with the Bradley Foundation's mission, which includes promoting "limited, competent government; a dynamic marketplace for economic, intellectual, and cultural activity; and a vigorous defense, at home and abroad, of American ideas and institutions."

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/arts/culture/la-et-cm-terry-teachout-250000-conservative-bradley-foundation-prize-20140429,0,5073673.story#ixzz30U2eMSPt

Lucky he didn't get squat from the Koch brothers. Then Harry Reid would go on the floor of the Senate and call him "un-American".

[medjuck]

I don't care about his politics. His book on Pops was pretty good. His book on Ellington was a piece of shit. (Though his politics might explain some of his inanities about EKE.)

[Larry Kart]

Not to turn this into a political discussion - even though our esteemed moderator brought it up in his own initial post - but really, are these goals really that offensive?

The prize is for "contributions of excellence" that dovetail with the Bradley Foundation's mission, which includes promoting "limited, competent government; a dynamic marketplace for economic, intellectual, and cultural activity; and a vigorous defense, at home and abroad, of American ideas and institutions."

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/arts/culture/la-et-cm-terry-teachout-250000-conservative-bradley-foundation-prize-20140429,0,5073673.story#ixzz30U2eMSPt

Lucky he didn't get squat from the Koch brothers. Then Harry Reid would go on the floor of the Senate and call him "un-American".

The question is, or might be, how does the Bradley Foundation, in practice, define "limited, competent government; a dynamic marketplace for economic, intellectual, and cultural activity; and a vigorous defense, at home and abroad, of American ideas and institutions." One might think that they have chosen goals that sound rather broad-based (although some of their words do sound rather flannel-mouthed to me) and unobjectionable but that in practice they favor policies that are neither that broad-based nor that unobjectionable, a la those of the Koch Brothers. For example, who could be opposed to a mass-transit system that virtually everyone in the city of Memphis and the general area is in favor of? The Koch Brothers, that's who:

http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2014/04/01/3421088/koch-brothers-tennessee/

Mass transit, you see, is creeping socialism. Ideology trumps all.

[mjzee]

So, at heart, this is a political discussion, no?

[Larry Kart]

So, at heart, this is a political discussion, no?

Hoist by my own petard, God wot!

[paul secor]

So, at heart, this is a political discussion, no?

Not for me. It's about Teachout's lack of acumen and critical sensibilities.

[Leeway]

Politics aside, looking at the list of previous winners, (Will, Krauthammer, Ailes) all I can say is that "for those who have much, more will be given."

[Guy Berger]

Yeah, so putting the political affiliation of the organization to the side... why did they give the award to such a hack? I haven't read this guy's books, but judging by the WSJ columns that have been posted here from time to time, he's quite lame.

[medjuck]

I would also claim that there's at least one "American institution" that he has done the opposite of making a vigorous defense" of: Duke Ellington.

[AllenLowe]

better to ask, why is a guy who writes about the arts getting an award from an organization that probably supports the cutting of all public funding for the arts?

[alankin]

Because obviously the arts will thrive in a completely market-based economy.

[paul secor]

Because obviously the arts will thrive in a completely market-based economy.

I guess that the arts will thrive but critics need to be subsidized. Makes sense to me.

[Larry Kart]

On his blog, Terry said that he and his wife will use the award to buy a new toaster.

[AllenLowe]

it will toast the Constitution.

[Leeway]

Offered strictly as a public service, an interview with Terry Teachout on the occasion of Duke Ellington's 115th birthday celebration. First link is the introduction, from the "Capital Bop" blog. The mp3 link is the recorded interview itself:

http://capitalbop.com/2014/04/29/audio-celebrating-duke-ellingtons-115th-birthday-with-terry-teachout-author-of-duke-a-life/

http://capitalbop.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/ellington.mp3

The interview is rather lengthy (53 min) but is interspersed with Ellington recordings. P.S. The word "plagiarism" is uttered along the way.

Edited May 3, 2014 by Leeway