speaking of a waste of money

nobody · Post by **nobody** » February 15, 2005, 1:24 pm

http://washingtontimes.com/national/200 ... -4839r.htm

Chidoro · Post by **Chidoro** » February 15, 2005, 1:29 pm

I saw it on Sunday and I have to say that it was pretty damn impressive.

Deward · Post by **Deward** » February 15, 2005, 1:35 pm

Supposedly this cost 20 million dollars. Anyone know if it was tax payer funded? If it was then I would be pretty pissed off.

Fash · Post by **Fash** » February 15, 2005, 1:54 pm

I read somewhere that it was paid for by the artists...

Voronwë · Post by **Voronwë** » February 15, 2005, 1:57 pm

on the Daily Show they said the artist paid for it.

watch the replay of last nights show if you are interested in this. It replays at 11:30pm (eastern) for sure, and i htink they used to do the replay at 7pm also of the previous night.

Steven Colbert is the "art correspondant" and is fucking hilarious in this insanely string of pretentious sentences he rattles off. stuff like "the whatness of our whereness".

it is funny as hell.

Aslanna · Post by **Aslanna** » February 15, 2005, 2:25 pm

Deward wrote:Supposedly this cost 20 million dollars. Anyone know if it was tax payer funded? If it was then I would be pretty pissed off.

For those who are to busy (lazy) to actually read the link provided:

The artists said they are paying for the project, which could be as much as $21 million, themselves.

I wouldn't mind seeing it. Christo is sorta freaky (anyone remember the florida islands with the pink plastic around them?) but this looks interesting. Too bad it's only 16 days though.

Aruman · Post by **Aruman** » February 15, 2005, 2:34 pm

Fash wrote:I read somewhere that it was paid for by the artists...

Maybe it was in the article that was linked!

*EDIT*
Aslanna beat me to it!

Fash · Post by **Fash** » February 15, 2005, 2:57 pm

well VV isn't my source for news... so i had already read it elsewhere 2+ days ago.

nobody · Post by **nobody** » February 15, 2005, 3:17 pm

the daily show is my source. i think it's a waste mostly b/c it's temporary.

Brotha · Post by **Brotha** » February 15, 2005, 4:10 pm

"OMFG I CAN'T BELIEVE THEY'RE SPENDING 20 MILLION DOLLARS ON AN ART PROJECT WHEN THE TSUNAMI VICTIMS STILL NEED AID AND THERE ARE TROOPS IN IRAQ WITH NO BODY ARMOR!!1111!!!!1"

Voronwë · Post by **Voronwë** » February 15, 2005, 5:01 pm

yeah at first i was diappointed each "gate" didnt have a top of the line flak jacket attached to it.

Fash · Post by **Fash** » February 15, 2005, 5:30 pm

I want to know how the fuck they take a simple idea...

and spend $20,000,000 on it.

wooo... saffron....

they call me mellow yellow...

Sueven · Post by **Sueven** » February 15, 2005, 6:46 pm

Wait. So there is a man who's willing to spend twenty million dollars of his own money to make the urban environment more beautiful and the urban dwellers lives more interesting.

And all you guys can think of to say is "what a waste of money?"

nobody · Post by **nobody** » February 15, 2005, 6:50 pm

more beautiful would be helping people with that money but it's his money, he can wipe his ass with it if he wants. my biggest problem is that it's a temporary pice of art that is not even going to stay up permanantly. there are OMGIAMRETARDEDCAUSEALOTISTWOWORDS better ways to make 20 mil last. but i am sure he does other good things with his money as well.

Zaelath · Post by **Zaelath** » February 15, 2005, 8:26 pm

Sueven wrote:Wait. So there is a man who's willing to spend twenty million dollars of his own money to make the urban environment more beautiful and the urban dwellers lives more interesting.

And all you guys can think of to say is "what a waste of money?"

Hrmm, but what will it last? Like, a month?

Aslanna · Post by **Aslanna** » February 15, 2005, 8:28 pm

Zaelath wrote:
Sueven wrote:Wait. So there is a man who's willing to spend twenty million dollars of his own money to make the urban environment more beautiful and the urban dwellers lives more interesting.

And all you guys can think of to say is "what a waste of money?"
Hrmm, but what will it last? Like, a month?

OMG read the article!

16 days.

Zaelath · Post by **Zaelath** » February 15, 2005, 8:40 pm

I can't see the link to read the article

So 16 days of "beauty" then... $21 million? Hrmm... imagine the long term urban beautification projects you could do w/ $21M

I think it's fair to call it a waste..

Sueven · Post by **Sueven** » February 15, 2005, 11:33 pm

There are certainly "more valuable" things that could be done with the money. There's also far worse things that could be done.

The money came from artists. Not the government or taxes or politicians or philanthropists or philosophers. Artists. Doesn't it make sense that they would want to spend their money on something, you know, art related?

No one calls on Bono to build low income housing in the Bronx or to negotiate truces in the Congo. They call on him to make shitty songs and play shitty benefit concerts and speak out and provide a celebrity face for various issues because he's a musician and he deals in music. Artists deal in art.

The fact that it could be better does not mean that it is not good. Individual people have no obligation to obtain maximum efficiency.

nobody · Post by **nobody** » February 15, 2005, 11:59 pm

when you create art you willingly open yourself to criticism. more power to him to blow his money away. but imo he is just publicly showing what an ass he is.

Sueven · Post by **Sueven** » February 16, 2005, 1:22 am

Certainly. However, I would like to think that people would criticize the art itself, not the general concept of it's production.

Fash · Post by **Fash** » February 16, 2005, 1:31 am

i could put up a pretty spiffy saffron homeless shelter in central park with a box and some paint. could i call it art?

Sueven · Post by **Sueven** » February 16, 2005, 1:40 am

I'm certainly not an expert on aesthetic philosophy so I can't really answer that question. But ask yourself whether "tens of thousands" of people would come see it, and whether fans would throw parties themed after your work.

Also you'd probably have to deal with some zoning issues.

Fash · Post by **Fash** » February 16, 2005, 1:50 am

oh, so that's where the 21 million dollars went...

j/k.. but a good portion..

I'm just mad about saffron.

nobody · Post by **nobody** » February 16, 2005, 1:56 am

Sueven wrote:Certainly. However, I would like to think that people would criticize the art itself, not the general concept of it's production.

and i would like to think people would spend 20 mil on something more constructive. (i can hear those ABM rants coming, heh)

Voronwë · Post by **Voronwë** » February 16, 2005, 11:30 am

well considering only 1 person here has actually seen the installation and thought it was really cool, i guess that says it all.

i mean with $21 million you could pay Jim Carey to be in a movie. You could pay for ARod to play almost a full season of baseball. You could pay for 10 Tyco executive's wives birthday parties

there are "better" ways most of the people in the country could spend their money. But they are private citizens, and it is their money that they earned themselves, so they do not answer to any of us as to the quality of expenditure that they choose to make with it.

nobody · Post by **nobody** » February 16, 2005, 1:17 pm

you are totally right voronwe. but i think jim carey gets paid 21 mil too much. i think it sucks that the people who produce the most (laborers) get paid the least while those who produce nothing of real substance (movie stars and athletes) get paid so much to be spoiled brats. but then the laborers are the ones paying their salary. kind of sad and ironic isn't it.

Voronwë · Post by **Voronwë** » February 16, 2005, 1:20 pm

i thought you were a conservative?

nobody · Post by **nobody** » February 16, 2005, 2:10 pm

thess is slowly convincing me over to the dark side. i'm not a neo-con by anymeans. just a jackass. i would've voted democratic in this election had kerry not been the other choice.

Rekaar. · Post by **Rekaar.** » February 16, 2005, 3:46 pm

Don't be tempted to judge entertainers for making money. They provide a service like any other and are paid based on the level of perceived value they add to a certain number of people. Just like you.

If he didn't add that amount of value to people's lives he wouldn't be paid that sum. Be thankful our system is based on adding value rather than spending time because someday you too could do the same.

nobody · Post by **nobody** » February 16, 2005, 4:23 pm

at the same time though, who is more valuable? micheal jackson, kobe bryant, etc? or teachers, poilicemen, etc? i do value many of their services, ie johnny carson, and like to see them well compensated but i really believe it reveals what we as a society really value the most.

Voronwë · Post by **Voronwë** » February 16, 2005, 4:29 pm

what it really reveals is the marketplace.

Enough people are willing to pay $90 to go to a Lakers game, enough people are willing to pay $140 for a No. 8 jersey, and so forth to make it a good business decision for the Lakers to pay Kobe 10, 15, 20(?) million dollars.

As for movie stars, millions of people go to the movies or rent them for entertainment.

Relative to most other societies, just about everybody in the US is in good shape - meaning the vast majority of us have some amount of disposable income to spend on entertainment. most of us dont have to rub every penny together to survive.

so there is a tremendous entertainment industry to help us fill the time that we breath air, and to the extent that individuals (stars for example) contribute to that industry making money, they have a financial value which is often very substantial.

Zaelath · Post by **Zaelath** » February 16, 2005, 7:09 pm

Voronwë wrote:well considering only 1 person here has actually seen the installation and thought it was really cool, i guess that says it all.

i mean with $21 million you could pay Jim Carey to be in a movie. You could pay for ARod to play almost a full season of baseball. You could pay for 10 Tyco executive's wives birthday parties

there are "better" ways most of the people in the country could spend their money. But they are private citizens, and it is their money that they earned themselves, so they do not answer to any of us as to the quality of expenditure that they choose to make with it.

Yes, all that is true, but it doesn't negate the central point that the rest of us think it's a "waste of money".

Waste itself is a subjective concept, so you can't really argue against it. However, If I want to buy a 3 litre bottle of milk, make a single cup of coffee with it, then pour the rest down the sink, I don't have to answer to anyone for it either. But it's a waste.

Of course, that's just an opinion =)

Voronwë · Post by **Voronwë** » February 18, 2005, 6:28 pm

by the way,

Mayor Bloomberg estimates that revenue from people coming to the city to see the exhibit over the 16 days as well as merchandising will net the city $80 million.

Doesnt sound like a waste of money anymore