Polluting for pleasure ?

Teens and Culture
What do British teenagers think about culture? Horizon magazine* talked to some English sixth-formers to find out their views
Talking about "culture" ...
Simplified from a discussion among teenagers

Theatre"Theatre" is definitely culture; but what about cinema, or pop music?

HORIZON: What does the word "culture" mean to you?

SIMON: Culture?

HORIZON: Yes, culture!

ERIC: Don't ask him, he doesn't know what the word means!

SIMON: Shut up, you! Of course I do. I know quite a lot about culture....

ERIC: O.K. then, what?

SIMON: Well it's reading, and music, and the arts, and so on. Cinema.....

ERIC: Yes, it's anything like that.

HORIZON: Right. And do either of you take part in any cultural activities?

SIMON: Yes.... I watch quite a few cultural programmes on telly. And I like drawing too.

ERIC: Well I watch quite a lot of films, mainly on the box. That's cultural, isn't it ?

SIMON: It depends on the film really, doesn't it? I mean, some films are cultural, but there's plenty that aren't. I mean, you couldn't call Jurassic Park culture, could you?

ERIC: Why not ? Of course it's culture.

HORIZON: What about Titanic? Was that culture?

ERIC Oh absolutely! It was really cool!

SIMON: Yeah, I agree. I mean it was a story really, wasn't it? And it was history. It made you think about things. It wasn't just action.

HORIZON: And what about other forms of culture? Do you ever go to the theatre, or to a concert?

ERIC: I've only ever been to the theatre once, and that was with school; I thought it was a waste of time.

HORIZON: Your parents don't go to the theatre?

ERIC: No, they never go out.... except to the pub.

SIMON: We usually go to the panto at Christmas; but I've only been to the theatre once apart from that, as far as I can remember. That was to see the Mousetrap **. It was great!

CLARE: I love going to the theatre. I wish I could go more often, but I really have to push my mum sometimes. What I like best are musicals.... I saw Evita in London a couple of years ago. It was fabulous; and I've seen Phantom of the Opera too. That was absolutely fantastic.

HORIZON: So you enjoy music, then; do you play an instrument or anything?

CLARE: No. Sometimes I wish I did. I played the recorder when I was little, but that's all. But I love music, very much. I like all kinds of music.... well most kinds. I can't say I'm really into jazz all that much.

HORIZON: What about pop music? Is that culture? What d'you think, Rebecca?

REBECCA: Yeah, of course ....... Most of it, anyway. I'm not sure if you can call some kinds of rap "culture"; but most of the time, pop's a sort of culture, isn't it?

SIMON: Oh definitely. It's just different.

REBECCA: Yes, I suppose so; I mean something can be cultural for one person, but awful for someone else, can't it?.

ERIC: Like rap....

REBECCA: Well yes.... if you look at it like that.

HORIZON: And reading? Do any of you read books, for your own pleasure?

CLARE: Oh yes, I read lots. I love reading.

HORIZON: Eric ?

ERIC: Not much. I read Harry Potter, but not normally. I prefer video games. Books are too slow, normally.

HORIZON: And d'you think you get enough culture?

CLARE: Not really....

ERIC: It depends what you mean by culture, doesn't it? I think it'd be better if they made it more interesting at school. But they make it boring, so you just switch off.

CLARE: Don't be ridiculous! It's you that think it's boring, that's all. It isn't really! You just don't try to enjoy it.

* Horizon magazine: Original Linguapress printed magazine for low intermediate learners. No longer published.
** The Mousetrap - A very famous detective thriller by Agatha Christie

Word guideWORDS

the box - television - plenty: quite a lot - panto: pantomime, a traditional comedy - enjoy : appreciate, like - recorder: a simple type of flute - be into : be interested in, like - switch off: stop paying attention -