2 replies to this topic

[miliosr]

Counterintuitive:

http://www.guardian....in-italy-france

[Birdsall]

I think I read that during the Great Depression in the U.S. in the 1930s people also flocked to the movies. People need and crave beauty in their lives. If their lives are horrible, they need it even more. So they flock to the arts to escape their joblessness and misery.

[dirac]

Thanks for the article. I'd suggest that the situation is less counterintuitive than it appears at first glance. The article notes that theaters have cut prices and are still a relatively cheap evening out and also points out that for escapist purposes people often spend more on entertainment during troubled economic times, not less.