Ugly aesthetics

Author: Shao Yanxiang
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-01-01
Features: As the saying goes in folk philosophy, "Time proves everything." Bai Hua once remarked at the National Writers' Congress held after the overthrow of the "Gang of Four" that among all literary theory articles published since the founding of the country, only a few could be reprinted unchanged. Many authors had to feel ashamed, and any posthumous revisions could only be seen as attempts to cover up. Though somewhat harsh, this applies to works of all literary genres. Currently, there seems to be an unwritten "procedure" or "conditioned reflex": "Three days after entering the kitchen, one washes hands and prepares soup. Unfamiliar with the grandmother's taste, one sends the younger sister to try first." The younger sister has become the authority over all culinary matters. When an article is published, it is not first examined for its practicality or relevance. Instead, it is not whether it is morally sound or not, but whether, after some time, it still stands as true insight or nonsense. The first consideration is the current marketability—whether it can gain the approval of both the "younger sister" and the "grandmother."