[ceenda]

"I love you, you're such a good sportsman"
"I envy you, you're so good with words"
"I'm impressed, you're such a smart guy/gal"
...
"I hate you, you're such a good artist."

Why is this expression always being used everywhere? It happens to nearly every artist I know who does a fine piece of work only to have people use that expression. I know people don't mean it to be offensive, but why is that a remark reserved purely for artists? It sucks. I've noticed people using it here as well.

[Awetopsy]

dunno.. but it doesnt seem to be only in the art world....

Im a fairly well off guy.. I have a good job and nice stuff.. and everytime I get something new... some of my friends say I hate you... I guess its a sign of jealousy

[Rat]

Yep, I think it is a sign of jealousy. I've said "I hate you" to a lot of people I envy, immediately followed by something like "I can't _______ that good". Hasn't everyone?

[Steelwind]

I think it's related to the 'fact' that 'anyone can do art'. People love athletes because they think that athlete has something they don't, so they aren't threatened by the athlete's ability. But since everyone feels they are creative and have talent (even if they tell you they can't draw a stick figure) they believe, deep down, that they can do just as well as you can; they just 'don't have the time, or the patientce, to get into it that much'. About half the time the person involved will at this point give the general impression that art (for art's sake) is a waste of time, and anyone that spends enough time on it to do something that good is wasting air by doing it.

That's what I think, anyway.

[ March 26, 2002: Message edited by: Steelwind ]

[Jezebel]

Its definitely not just an art thing... its used for anything that someone can be good (or better) at than someone else. Even things like physical features - "You're so thin, I hate you!" Its just sarcasm.

[edible snowman]

yeah, "i hate you" is definately used for all of those. It's because people think any kind of sarcasm is funny. They can't think of anything really witty to say, and they don't feel like being straightfoward.

[Pat]

Maybe it's for the same reason that there's so much violent death imagery associated some phrases for getting fired:

"He got the axe."
"They were terminated."

Euphemisms, sarcasm and round-about language can only thinly mask our true meaning. Curiously, when carefully considered, they often times reveal more than they hide.

-Pat

[Molako_Plus]

I must disagree with Steelwind.
Not everyone was born with the ability to create art.

but then depends on what you call art. Cuz i piss on modern paintings of a green circle on a field of red and purple squares. If that gets peoples attention then why wasn't my childhood finger paintings in a gallery?

takes same amount of skill, talent, technique to create both.

[Steelwind]

Molako, I feel the need to point out that I do not beleive that everyone can create art, but many people (Americans, anyway) do seem to believe this.