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Tuesday 29 June 2021

Make Proles Fund Luvvies Say Luvvies



COVID-19: Stars including Olivia Colman call for 'gadget tax' to fund the arts

Those behind the proposal say up to £300m a year could be raised from payments of between 1% and 3% of the sales value of gadgets.

Olivia Coleman and Imelda Staunton are among dozens of high-profile artists calling for a levy on tech devices to help boost the creative industries battling to recover from the effects of the pandemic.

7 comments:

Bill Sticker said...

If the Luvvies can't put out content the population want to see, or adapt to new technology, then why should they be paid from the public purse?

Have these people never heard of Patreon or YouTube?

Ed P said...

Gadgets? I'm struggling to see a link between luvvies and mobiles. Although live performances have suffered greatly during 'year zero', it seems rather desperate to propose taxing some unrelated items to support the arts.

DiscoveredJoys said...

I've argued elsewhere that we should defund the Arts Council (because it mostly supports the luvvies rather than 'art for all') so I cannot support adding to the subsidy insult by a stealth tax on 'ordinary' purchases.

To be honest it would be no great loss to defund the arts. People already consume the art (theatre, ballet etc) they want, and if this is too commercial for the luvvies, tough. Art has historically flourished through the church, patrons, or the public. Or people doing it for the love of doing it (artists and Am Dram for instance).

Sam Vega said...

If accountants or dog-groomers knew how to switch on a microphone, had training in how to emote convincingly, and had contacts in the media, we would hear a lot more about the covid troubles experienced in the accountancy and dog-grooming sectors.

And it would probably be a bloody sight more convincing.

Doonhamer said...

We already pay a gadget tax..
The TV Receiver tax.
300 million? A bagatelle.

djc said...

There is plenty of content on YouTube created by amateurs (n the true sense) that is far better than anything provided by MSM or the outlets of the Luvvy Lobby. Some of it makes the creator something (or even quite a lot) from YouTube ads or sponsorship, some more a labour of love.

A K Haart said...

Bill - they have probably heard of Patreon and YouTube and are running after protection from them.

Ed - that struck me as their big weakness, it sounds so random. Why not breakfast cereal or takeaway coffee?

DJ - I agree, we should defund the Arts Council and encourage art which is actually popular enough to survive in one way or another.

Sam - and hairdressers. They must have had a genuinely tough time and their stories would be convincing too.

Doonhamer - good point, they should agitate for a nice fat slice of the BBC tax.

djc - yes much YouTube material created by amateurs is very good indeed. Even many shoestring videos created at home can be very watchable because they come from enthusiasts who can put across their enthusiasm.