A vast left-wing conspiracy?

Tim Young argues that there is a tendency for artists to skew toward the liberal side. I think that this hypothesis probably isn't that far off the mark---and probably can be extended quite a bit further. Personally, I think most of the "great" thinkers in our culture---the great artists, scientists, philosophers, and so on---seem to have shared a left-wing philosophy.

Most bands for whom music---not profit---is the primary concern tend to skew left. Actually, to a greater degree, I think that most people who are pursuing careers in the arts---whether they be off-Broadway actors, opera singers, or sculptors---tend to be liberal, I think in part because they realize that under a truly right-wing society, their work would be considered "less important" because it is not economically self-sustaining.

I remember that during the last election cycle, most of the musicians I knew were definitely skewed to the left. Very few had right-wing sensibilities, unless they had "mitigating factors"---an "Army brat," or someone from a well-heeled conservative family, for example. I think that's part of the reason why there are so few right-wing artists. Besides, a right-wing artist is going to have a hard time working those values into their work: it's too much of a challenge to believe that right-wing ideals can be successfully translated into the media. [For example, a movie about someone becoming rich through years of hard work and industry will usually sink under the weight of its own saccharine nature.]

Moreover, the rather commercial and "holier-than-thou" skew of the right wing generally has a negative impact on the quality of the work it produces, especially as one continues to veer to the right. ["Omega Code" and "Left Behind" spring immediately to mind.] An even worse problem are the jingoist artists, who attempt to convert wrongheaded beliefs into popularity and profits, without a shred of sincere conviction (and, generally, artistic merit).