Evidently, Art Has No Value in the U.S.

Stefani Rubino, Managing/Opinions Editor

Issue date: 4/14/09 Section: Opinions

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The Amazon Kindle 2 is the subject of scrutiny amongst book lovers and writers.

In a Wall Street Journal article about a protest at the Author's Guild by the National Federation of the Blind and the American Association of People with Disabilities, the writer went on to talk about other protests regarding the price of books Amazon Kindle owners have to pay to download them.

The article talks about groups of Kindle users who have organized protests and boycotts, on the Web and off, regarding the prices (usually set at about $9.99) of e-books. Shocked and discerned by this, I immediately thought, what is art really worth in our society and why are their frustrations aimed at authors, who make a considerably less amount of money than musicians and filmmakers?

According to Amazon, it is the publishers who suggest the price for the e-books they produce. In this case, a measly $10 is nothing compared to the $30 or more people pay for Blu-ray Discs and television show box sets. To be honest, I was completely appalled by this reaction to the service Amazon and the publishers are providing.

Sure, the Kindle, priced at about $350, is incredibly expensive, but the Kindle itself benefits Amazon, not writers. The money publishers charge for e-books, however, directly affect the amount of money writers make, which is not much compared to how much money different types of artists (i.e. musicians, actors and actresses, filmmakers, Web designers, etc) make.

Besides that, Americans have made it clear that they have no interest in supporting the people who entertain them. Music piracy is at an all-time high and has been rising since the creation and death of Napster. Now, movies and television shows are being ripped off as well. Where does this leave the artists?

There was a brief time in the U.S.'s past when writers could actually make a living from what they create. Obviously, times have changed and people who want to write professionally have to make sure they have another job or something like it on the side, so that they can afford to pay the rent. In this economy and society especially, artists are expected to live their dream, but have a hard time making money doing it.

Not only that, but when the iPod first came out, it was heavy and bulky, and cost upward of 300 bucks. After some time passed and the iPod gained interest, the prices went down and continue to go down. The Kindle itself will lead the same life, but the prices for the e-books are completely reasonable.

In the society we live in, anything enlightening or entertaining has to have a monetary value, because the person behind the creation is depending on it for sustenance. If we continue to cheat writers out of money they clearly deserve, how can we expect any artists to release their work to the masses?

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