How cultured are you?

[LellsBells]

I’m really into reading, music, history, art, theatre etc. I’ve always got tickets booked for events well in advance and I’ve regularly been referred to as a “culture vulture”

However, the art I’m interested in is not fine art - I like modern stufff like pop art, street art, YBA and neon art!
I love most kinds of music and regularly go to gigs, but I’ve no interest in classical or jazz music.
I love a theatre visit but would prefer a cheesy musical or stand up comedian over the likes of Les Mis.
I’m a keen reader, but I’ve only read a couple of classics.

I’m sure most people wouldn’t consider me cultured but when I compare my interests to my friends’ we’re poles apart.

Do you consider yourself cultured? If so, what are your interests?

 

[TheScarletgirl]

I like arts theatre & History but i also like going to football and going out for drinks.

I personally would not describe most people are cultured but just different interests.

 

[LyraBalaqua]

I liked visiting a gallery pre Covid , love a bit of classical music on my Spotify and adore foreign films and shows but I wouldn’t say I’m cultured.

 

[LellsBells]

Maybe my original post should have said … what do you consider to be cultured?

 

[Warpaint]

Love reading but don't like poetry much. Some classic books are great but a lot I've not bothered with as I know it would be a DNF.

Pretty open to all music except opera.

Can't really get into art

There's some people who you can have really good discussions about 'cultural' topics with then there's those who'll always try 'out culture' you if you get me. Stuff like "How haven't you heard of if you like.." "Well I'm more into 19th century, but that's cool too" (normally in a patronising tone) "Oh, I like some of their stuff, but if you really want to listen to some good music..."

 

[newtoyou]

I’m not really a fan of the word “cultured”, it comes across a bit snobby to me and reminds me of a colleague who told me he had “refined tastes” in music. There are so many different types of “culture” too. Eg I love early 00s pop culture. So yeh I’m definitely not cultured but I like reading (not classics), going to the odd museum and watching occasional history documentaries.

 

[Kim Mild]

This reminds me of the 'name a ' things that do the rounds on Facebook. Most people it's something like ' name a film and change one word for penis' but I know someone who shared a version and it was about naming tube lines ( we live in the North east).
The same person would ask questions like ' what is your favourite foreign language film ' and my answer would be Pan's Labrynth but their 'cultured ' friends had lots of less mainstream answers.

I think being cultured is seeking out different things that require educating yourself about for enjoyment. It's enjoying theatre, literature, music , travel etc and having understanding of the backstory rather than taking things at face value .

If I had more time for leisure, I would like to be more ' cultured ' . I would like to dabble and visit the theatre/ opera etc to see if it did interest/ entertain me.

 

[bunnyboo]

The term 'cultured' is an interesting one.

The general understanding of 'being cultured' is having an interest and/or appreciation for media/artefacts (or experiences) that are not easily accessible or readily available to the masses. By easily accessible, I mean that you need to go out of your way to consume it, by way of being granted an education, having money etc that enables you to appreciate it. And therefore, the stuff we define as being 'high-culture' will have an elitism connected to it as if it requires a person to have a certain amount of knowledge or access to it. Hell, the dictionary defines being cultured as "characterised by refined taste and manners and good education". The concept of culturalism (and the desire for the masses to become 'cultured') goes as far back to the British colonisation of Ireland and India where they were attempting to enforce the English language and acceptance of British cultural standards.

From my current perception (I worked as a research assistant in university), the academic types I was surrounded by would use their knowledge of high-brow culture as a status symbol to differentiate themselves from the poorer, uneducated folks.

Case in point, one day I was speaking to someone on campus who did the same masters degree as me who said "You're a PhD candidate! Why would you even think of watching Love Island!?"

 

[No style rocky]

I’m not cultured but I am an inverted snob, so if anyone told me they were cultured I wouldnt think favourably of them and worry they’re in danger of disappearing up their own ass. I have found in life that if someone is particularly incompetent they’ll big up their competencies, so if someone told me how cultured they are I’d probably think “are you duck ”

 

[Zenchick101]

Does cultured count as watching historical documentaries, keeping up with the news? Because I try to be informed.

 

[MaineCoonMama]

Culture is subjective, I like to read, love music and art. It might not be what someone else would think of as cultured but if it moves me, gives me goosebumps or makes me think then it's doing its job. My playlist is eclectic- everything from most genres of metal to punk and grindcore, hip-hop and rap and blues and a bit of classical if I'm in the mood.

Im pretty fussy with what I read, mainly UK based police procedurals and non-trashy true crime. Art is whatever catches my eye. My best friend is a tattooist and paints as well, she's opened my eyes to a lot of art I wouldn't have even been aware of.

So yeah, I'm a veritable Petri dish

 

[ClockworkDolly]

There is such an amount of snobbery and elitism regarding the term “being cultured” it is all pretty subjective anyway, as what some regard as cultured, others would find less so.

I enjoy classical music, have done my whole life really...but did I admit to that at school? Did I heck! I love reading and have read the classics, but honestly, some of them are really hard going. I couldn‘t stand Pride and Prejudice, well anything written by Jane Austen, yet, I loved reading some of Thomas Hardy’s books. I also enjoyed the saucy Georgian romp of Fanny Hill written by John Cleland.

I am not really into art galleries as such and the only time I have visited The Tate Gallery was when there was a William Hogarth exhibition in 2007. William Hogarth‘s paintings fascinate me, so much detail and he really was the social diarist of his day, depicting the slovenly, the drunks, the high and mighty and everything in between of Georgian society. Funny how some things of human behaviour really have not changed at all.

I enjoy travelling, but have been away from a tourist perspective. I think to absorb some real culture would be to live in a different country for 6 months to a year.

Some people would call me cultured, but I prefer to call it life experience instead.