Art Quote by Lester Bangs
““Art", "Bop" and "rock and roll" and whatever is all just a joke and a mistake, just a hunka foolishness so stop treating it with any seriousness or respect at all and just recognize the fact that it's nothing but a wham-o toy to bash around as you please in the nursery, it's nothing but a goddam Bonusburger so just gobble the stupid thing and burp and go for the next one tomorrow; and don't worry about the fact that it's a joke and a mistake and a bunch of foolishness as if that's gonna cause people to disregard it and do it in or let it dry up and die, because it is the strogest, most virulent, most invincible Superjoke in history, nothing could ever destroy it ever, and the reason for that is precisely that it is a joke, a mistake, foolishness. The first mistake of art is to assume that it's serious.””
About This Quote
Source Interview: Rolling Stone Magazine, 1971
Art is portrayed as a deliberate joke, suggesting seriousness undermines its power and that its impact lies in its absurdity.
In simple terms: Art is a joke; seriousness weakens it.
Key Takeaway
Embrace humor, reject pretentiousness.
Themes
art
culture
humor
critique
seriousness
Mood
irreverent
provocative
critical
Type
aphilosophical
satirical
When to use this quote
- music criticism
- creative writing
- media analysis
- public discourse
Key Concepts
postmodernism
absurdism
cultural commentary
Questions to Reflect On
- How does humor change our perception of art?
- When is seriousness appropriate in creative work?
A Different Perspective
Treating art seriously can limit its subversive potential.
![“Like almost all of Beefheart's recorded work, [Trout Mask Replica] was not even "ahead" of its time in 1969. Then and now, it stands outside time, trends, fads, hypes, the rise and fall of whole genres eclectic as walking Christmas trees, constituting a genre unto itself: truly, a musical Monolith…” quote by Lester Bangs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/aad/lester-bangs-9750_beatles_like-almost-all-of-beefheart-s-recorded_60270.jpg)
