Advanced Genius Theory

Advanced Genius Theory
The Advanced Genius Theory  
Advanced Genius Theory.jpg
Author(s) Jason Hartley
Cover artist Carla Jane Jones
Country USA
Language English
Subject(s) Music journalism
Publisher Scribner
Publication date 2010
Media type Print
Pages 288
ISBN 9781439102367

The Advanced Genius Theory: are they out of their minds or ahead of their time? is a 2010 U.S. nonfiction book by journalist Jason Hartley. It posits an explanation ("Advanced Theory") as to why well-established musicians in the past are now perceived as terrible or have "lost it".[1][2][3] Merely, these artists or celebrities have "Advanced" past our understanding, because they are true geniuses. The book also mentions athletes, actors, writers and even sportscasters as possibly being Advanced.

Contents

Background

The Theory, developed by Jason Hartley and Britt Bergman, maintains that seemingly bad and confusing artists are actually still producing excellent works today, despite critic and fan belief. The hypothesis is based around a few key musicians (only individuals), namely Bob Dylan, Sting, David Bowie, and (most-critically) Lou Reed.[4] At one time, these musicians wore sunglasses, leather jackets and mullets when it was un-ironic to do so. Musical artists must at least have a self-portrait on one of their album covers, displaying their sunglasses or hairstyle (e.g. Street Hassle, Infidels, Aladdin Sane). The basic tenets are:[5]

  1. You must have done great work for more than 15 years.
  2. You must have alienated your original fans.
  3. You must be completely unironic.
  4. You must be unpredictable.
  5. You must "lose it". Spectacularly.

Many other rules exist, but constantly evolve. For instance, there is a correlation between the Advanced and comic book's Batman (e.g. "Batdance", Val Kilmer, Orson Welles' cape), but it has not been fully proven.

The term "Overt" is used to describe those quasi-Advanced (or approaching Advancement), but those too outlandish or ironic to be considered Advanced. Examples including Brian Wilson's "beached whale" era, Bono's MacPhisto character, and Kurt Cobain's collaboration with William S. Burroughs.

"If a band is overt, they appear Advanced. However, they are actually the opposite of Advanced, because their seemingly inexplicable decisions are driven by guile."[6]

Critical reception

Response to the Theory has been mixed. Rob Sheffield of Rolling Stone states the debate is "...just a way for Advancement proponents to appreciate shitty music by people they consider to be nonshitty. It allows you to engage with Lou Reed's music from the 1980s, but not the Hooters or the Outfield. This entire theory is shackled by a Heisenbergian principle of self-consciousness."[7] However, Sheffield himself participated in a Brooklyn Panel discussing the book, where it was evident that his position was not so clear-cut. And, as Chuck Klosterman states in the book's intro: "Part of what makes Advancement Theory so entertaining (at least to me) is the way it outrages so many uncreative music critics, almost all of whom (a) begin by dismissing it completely before (b) spending the next twenty minutes manically fixating on why no one should ever talk about it, even in jest." The book's review in Publisher's Weekly states that, "though it [the theory] should ignite many debates over whether your current favorite is Overt or Advanced, it also shows that in either case, there's more pleasure to be found when one keeps an open mind."[8]

References

  1. ^ Garcia, Catherine. "'The Advanced Genius Theory': Author Jason Hartley explains which artists are on a whole different level | EW.com". Shelf-life.ew.com. http://shelf-life.ew.com/2010/06/11/the-author-of-the-advanced-genius-theory-explains-which-artists-are-on-a-whole-different-level. Retrieved 2010-06-13. 
  2. ^ New, The (2010-05-26). "Living With Music: Jason Hartley - Paper Cuts Blog - NYTimes.com". Papercuts.blogs.nytimes.com. http://papercuts.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/05/26/living-with-music-jason-hartley. Retrieved 2010-06-13. 
  3. ^ "The Advanced Genius Theory | Book by Jason Hartley, Chuck Klosterman - Simon & Schuster". Books.simonandschuster.com. http://books.simonandschuster.com/Advanced-Genius-Theory/Jason-Hartley/9781439102367. Retrieved 2010-06-13. 
  4. ^ Tuck, Tammy (2007-07-18). "Schmadvancement - Arts Desk". Washington City Paper. http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/artsdesk/music/2007/07/18/schmadvancement. Retrieved 2010-06-13. 
  5. ^ . ISBN 978-1-4391-0236-7. 
  6. ^ Chuck Klosterman IV: A Decade of Curious People and Dangerous Ideas
  7. ^ "The Advanced Genius Theory | Book by Jason Hartley, Chuck Klosterman - Simon & Schuster". Books.simonandschuster.com. http://books.simonandschuster.com/Advanced-Genius-Theory/Jason-Hartley/9781439102367. Retrieved 2010-06-13. 
  8. ^ "Web-Exclusive Reviews". PWxyz, LLC.. Publishersweekly.com. Week of 2010-05-24. http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/publisher-news/article/43352-web-exclusive-reviews-week-of-5-24-10.html%20. Retrieved 2010-06-13. 

External links


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно сделать НИР?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Group theory — is a mathematical discipline, the part of abstract algebra that studies the algebraic structures known as groups. The development of group theory sprang from three main sources: number theory, theory of algebraic equations, and geometry. The… …   Wikipedia

  • Unitary executive theory — In American political and legal discourse, the unitary executive theory is a theory or doctrine of Constitutional interpretation that holds it is unconstitutional for Congress to create independent agencies, authorities, or other entities that… …   Wikipedia

  • Constructal theory — Design in nature is flow. The two sides of the constructal law: we predict the occurrence of design in nature, and we design devices for human use. The constructal law puts forth the idea that the generation of design (configuration, pattern,… …   Wikipedia

  • Chuck Klosterman IV: A Decade of Curious People and Dangerous Ideas —   Country United States …   Wikipedia

  • History of Physics —     History of Physics     † Catholic Encyclopedia ► History of Physics     The subject will be treated under the following heads: I. A Glance at Ancient Physics; II. Science and Early Christian Scholars; III. A Glance at Arabian Physics; IV.… …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • evolution — evolutional, adj. evolutionally, adv. /ev euh looh sheuhn/ or, esp. Brit., /ee veuh /, n. 1. any process of formation or growth; development: the evolution of a language; the evolution of the airplane. 2. a product of such development; something… …   Universalium

  • John Forbes Nash, Jr. — Infobox Scientist name = John Forbes Nash, Jr. image size = 180px caption = John Nash at a symposium of game theory at the University of Cologne, Germany (2006) birth date = birth date and age|mf=yes|1928|6|13 birth place = Bluefield, West… …   Wikipedia

  • Islamic arts — Visual, literary, and performing arts of the populations that adopted Islam from the 7th century. Islamic visual arts are decorative, colourful, and, in religious art, nonrepresentational; the characteristic Islamic decoration is the arabesque.… …   Universalium

  • Epistemology — (from Greek επιστήμη episteme , knowledge + λόγος , logos ) or theory of knowledge is a branch of philosophy concerned with the nature and scope (limitations) of knowledge. [Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Volume 3, 1967, Macmillan, Inc.] The term… …   Wikipedia

  • Antikythera mechanism — The Antikythera mechanism (main fragment) The Antikythera mechanism (  / …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”