AN UNCONTENTIOUS cultural page in a socialist newspaper would be hard to imagine. even a dearth of controversial material, little debate, and a distinct lack of imagination would lead to a fair amount of contention!
Under Review comes in for fewer brickbats than it did in its first six months. Hopefully this reflects the fact that the Board has responded to some of the criticisms and suggestions made in the early days, and not that people felt their criticisms fell on stony ground.
As a result of all that debate in the early months, what is the current thinking behind the page?
If we take a broad view of culture to include social aspects of life under capitalism as well Interature and the arts there are two aspects of culture which socialists particularly need to examine.
dominant one is that stemming from the bourgeoisie's ideological - Hollywood movies, television, much of sport, and the rest.
Then there is what might be termed cultural resist• all. in such forms alternative theatre, leftwing and feminist films, ANL-Rock. Against carnivals, wave music, worker writters' groups, photography workshops the grows all the time.
Our approach to the first was expressed by Terry Eagleton in issue No 3 of Socialist Challenge, when he wrote: 'Art quite often provides us with an insight into the way ideologies actually work which is available to us in no other form'.
To the resistance
take a different approach: to examine it critically and do everything we can to defend and encourage it.
Herein lie the feelers towards culture socialism (it would be to put MOIC strongly than that).
Although as yet on a tiny scale, it is these activities which provide part of the challenge to the bourgeoisie's domination of the cultural terrain — a stranglehold that will not broken without Defense of these activities, especially those which receive state funding, will sary the present government and its chums in the shires.
Here wered several notable criticisms about Under Review in its early days. The language of a number contributions, we were told, was inaccessible have made efforts to correct this.
Another criticism was that too many of the events . reviewed were performed or presented only London.
We have tried to change this, but London does have a monopoly of much cultural activity this country, and some is too important to ignore.
A useful addition to the coverage would be regular round-up fringe theatre plays, many of which tour nationally.
inadequacy has clearly been satisfactorily dealt with - the lack of television cover1 nere is a practica. problem about previewing programmes, namely that we don't as vet have the resources to attend the screenings for the press held at the TV companies. But we badly need reviews of TV programmes readers.
This goes for all other review material. We hope that the kind of articles that we ave published show that you do not have to be an expert to put forward your views and comments!
coverage Socialist Challenge is not restricted to Under Re view. Recently, the •Ti strike, the question of a TUC-Labour Party daily paper, and so on, have all been discussed the home news pages.
But since Terry Eagleton's full-page article on 'Art and Revolution' 'have not carried a lengthy article of this kind. That would not go amiss We also need to main tain our coverage debate on contributions that feminists and others are making to left-wing cultural analysis.
In this context we might immodestly mention Media, Politics, and Cul ture a Socialist View, JUST published by Macmillans at £3.95.
Edited by Carl Gardner, the book is based on a series of forums organised by media workers in the Marxist Group, and includes articles by several Socialist Challenge journalists and contributors (to be reviewby ed shortly).
Lastly, your views on Under Review we would like to hear from Without your comYUL. ments and criticism cannot hope the page, which is now to be edited by (Martin in Meteyard and Valerie Coultas. premature death of an individual, but because someone else will be upset.
Prostitutes in many ways express the epitome of male sexual exploitation of women. forced to sell themselves as objects to gratify male sexual society, having degraded women to and Eleven GRIN GALLE S4TH OF DE TEAR YBUR TY?
CAN LIL e 13 September 1979 Page 15
Socialist Challenge THE BOSSES of British Industry have added a new, macabre twist to their much vaunted 'competition'. Now they are competing as to who can sack the most principle of no loss of pay.
And it has been the bosses failures which has led to the crisis at Leyland. Even the Financial Times says the root of the problem is 'the lack of a But Duffy and friends cannot be relied upon to lead a fight. Already the demand for one hour off the working day has been dropped to one hour off the working week. Attempts