Milli mála - 26.04.2009, Page 271

degree courses51 with the result of reducing funds and time for
‘classic’ humanities courses. In this apparently disassociated condi-
tion, academia might do well to focus on the fact that the culture
of reading is still alive and well. The fundamental difference
between these two cultures (which has not been properly investi-
gated by specialists yet) is that although audio-visual culture cer-
tainly can create works of genius, by its very nature it cannot
replace the book-based ‘classic culture’. In fact, the peculiarity of
audio-visual culture is high speed. While a song or a movie can be
thought-provoking, the fact that they have to be ‘consumed’ in a
short time discourages reflection. In other words, audio-visual cul-
ture is not able to stimulate those ideas, moral principles, deep
reflections on facts, events, characters, ideals, justice, sufferings and
disparities brought on by reading. In conclusion, the reaction of
humanities faculties and departments to the culture of entertain-
ment should start from the premise that high speed and easy con-
sumption, which are the main reasons for the success of the new
dominant culture, constitute also its neuralgic limit. The matter
does not concern adherence to a literary canon or the foundation of
a new one. After almost a hundred years of ‘scientific’ discussions
about texts, it is perhaps time for a turning point, for a different
approach to texts. It is a question of treating them not only as texts
which refer to themselves or to other texts (see the aforementioned
abstruse ‘scientific’ scholars’ jargon), but – in a more ‘humanistic’
way – as texts that can change one’s life.
STEFANO ROSATTI
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51 The degree course in Communication Sciences at the University of Cagliari includes courses
such as Language of Cinema, Television, Advertising and New Media or Semantics of the Web,
but it does not include any courses of literature. See http://www.unisofia.it/corsi/comuni
cazione/piano/ (accessed June 26, 2009). The same degree course at Alma Mater Studiorum
Universitá di Bologna includes courses in Analysis of Advertising Texts and Analysis of Musical
Youth Language but, again, no compulsory courses on literature. See http://www.comuni
cazione. dsc.unibo.it/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=5&Itemid=46 (accessed
June 26, 2009). University of Rome, La Sapienza, offers a degree course in Science of Fashion
and Costume. See http://lettere.uniroma1.it/ (accessed June 26, 2009). University of Venice
IUAV offers a degree course in Fashion Design. See http://www.iuav.it/Facolta/facolt—di1/
lauree- tri/claDEM/index.htm (accessed June 26, 2009).
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