Jane Austen, Monet and Phantom of the Opera – middlebrow culture today – The Conversation AU

Culture has long been stratified as high or low, or perhaps high and popular to soften the blow. But what about the in-between?
The word middlebrow emerged into English in the 1920s as an insult. It described works that mistook mere good taste for serious art – and consumers who couldnt tell the difference.
We asked almost 1500 Australians about their cultural preferences and participation, and mapped their responses on a spectrum. There is a clear divide between those who dont regularly enga…

Click here to view the original article.