segregation in the arts

i nearly fell of my chair recently when the late review programme on bbc2 reviewed the new r.e.m album. from my memory the only time the irish equivalent the view has reviewed a recording by someone trading in that new fangled rock music, is when they discussed the suitably wizened johnny cash & bob dylan. meanwhile the irish times friday entertainment section the ticket never deign to lower itself by including theatre reviews. this are stored naturally in a more sober section of the newspaper.

so here's a suggestion to try and get more people interested in the arts. end this bizarre exercise in reverse snobbery, and stop pretending that that when it comes to shakespeare & radiohead; never the twain shall meet ( try baz lurmann's romeo & juliet for a start )

this might be a small step, but its a start. however it wont make much of a dent in the phenomenon fintan o'toole recently alluded to. the fact that men don't attend arts events in anything like the numbers as women, and also don't read fiction. whatever about the latter, for some reason men are not disposed to go out in a group to anywhere bar the pub. you notice this not only at your local theatre, but also at speed dating events, where the women are there with their friends, and the men are supping alone at the bar.