Hans Christian Andersen wrote a fairy tale that holds a general truth about all cultures and their vulnerability to brainwashing by those who would profit from a lie. Although he wrote this story for children, he was making a broader, transcendent statement about the effect brainwashing can have on a culture, especially when those who don't go along with the program are told they are stupid, are marginalized, and intimidated into capitulating with the dominant cultural dogma. In the following story, I have defined (in parenthesis) who each of the characters could represent in our current art culture. Watch the following commentary about modern art from professor and artist, Robert Florczak, who explains what happens when personal expression replaces standards:
Why is Modern Art so Bad?