Meryl Streep versus Dana White...Is MMA an art?

[billeau2]

here is the write up:

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/mo...ailyNewsletter

I actually like Dana White. It is partially that I am a fan of Joe Rogan, but I think White is sensible. Streep made a comment dispariging MMA. She claims in the column that "MMA is not an art, but rather entertainment" and disparages the entertanment value of the sport by comparing it to football.

Is MMA an art? or is it a sport. As much as I don't care for Streep, even as an actress, and hate when actors become politicians, and respect White....I actually have to agree with Streep here. Not that MMA is bad, but that it is more of a sport than an art. I am on the fence in this one, would like to hear other opinions... I might change my mind frankly as I have just started thinking about this.

PS I don't agree with Streep's Trump rant.

[Clegg]

She's a 67 year old woman so probably doesn't know/understand/appreciate MMA but she's right that combat sports are not usually considered part of 'the arts' like film, theater etc. are. I think the real stupid element of what she said is that she was trying to talk about how important foreigners are, especially in Hollywood, but then talks as if there aren't loads of non-American fighters in MMA from top to bottom so it's not the best example for what she was trying to say.

I think she's probably the greatest actress of all time, but it wasn't the best argument/comparison to pick. I don't care for Trump or Hilary but so much of the anti-Trump speeches by celebrities recently reminds me of that 'Smug Alert' episode of South Park, just a bunch of self-involved rich people holding awards shows so they can take it in turns feeling important and talking as if they single-handedly bring about important moments of social progress on a regular basis.

[juggernaut666]

MMA cant be an art (as in fighting art) because its a fight system taught by diffent disciplines ,you have different instructors in different disciplines that has no bearing of traditional arts of self defense . Fighting systems can be anything from shoot fighting to Krav Maga to Jeet Kwon Do ,there is no set rules or forms to them . Shoot fighting resembles modern MMA more than any disciplines that were introduced since UFC 1 bc it includes submission wresting with striking of hands ,knees and feet ....this is not really an art like Jui Jitsu that has more transitions and lineage to it ,there are belts etc .

A Martial art has a set understanding like boxing (pro boxing ) is an art bc you are fighting in a set base which has more than one technique that inflicts damage (a martial art is any combat style that has more than 2 techniques that can immobolize or stop a fight ) and has lineage .


The different arts make the MMA fighter. MMa in itself is not an art ,impossible because there is no MMa singular fight system...everyone uses their own fight styles and train differently ...some use kickboxing as their main base some jui jitsu some boxing...etc..


This is why having MMA in the olympics wouldnt make much sense...what are they being awarded a win for? what art? Waht criteria do they fight ? etc...

Meryl streep ? well im pretty sure even if she knew MMa was not an art,she was just trying to take pot shots at trump,i highly doubt MMa is actually the focus here. MMa and boxing are still sports,both are a form of entertainment ,one is a singular art and one allows a combination of arts which let you see different arts but MMa in itself is not a singular Martial Art.

[juggernaut666]

She's a 67 year old woman so probably doesn't know/understand/appreciate MMA but she's right that combat sports are not usually considered part of 'the arts' like film, theater etc. are. I think the real stupid element of what she said is that she was trying to talk about how important foreigners are, especially in Hollywood, but then talks as if there aren't loads of non-American fighters in MMA from top to bottom so it's not the best example for what she was trying to say.

I think she's probably the greatest actress of all time, but it wasn't the best argument/comparison to pick. I don't care for Trump or Hilary but so much of the anti-Trump speeches by celebrities recently reminds me of that 'Smug Alert' episode of South Park, just a bunch of self-involved rich people holding awards shows so they can take it in turns feeling important and talking as if they single-handedly bring about important moments of social progress on a regular basis.

I dont know about that the best actress ever i would say is Jane Hudson!

[Clegg]

Yeah that's a good film, Bette Davis always a great villain, impressive in everything I've seen her in.

[////]

Does anyone seriously consider Hollywood movies "art" either?

Martial arts are far closer to actual art than anything coming out of that cesspool.

[billeau2]

Does anyone seriously consider Hollywood movies "art" either?

Martial arts are far closer to actual art than anything coming out of that cesspool.

I have this issue with my son lol. I don't consider Hollywood artistic anymore personally. I see a lot of propoganda and occasionally a great film comes along.

Its not "Martial Arts" per se, if you read Juggy's post it outlines the argument a lot of martial artists hold (I agree with this)...

To which I would add: martial arts are arts in the sense that they elevate us... Kant gave a definition for aesthetic judgements that more or less, never challenged the primacy of the ancient Greeks...To the Greeks that which makes us happy, in a healthy person, is by definition good...Art makes us happy and is cathartic, it lets us take dilemna and correct ignorance. So art elevates us.

martial arts elevate us far more than simply "winning vis a vis technical proficiency." A martial art allows one to integrate an understanding of self, it allows one to choose alternatives to force, and it allows one to develop the body and mind. As Juggy said, the techniques live past individuals. Arts are organic and can adapt to circumstances... Kata was actually used as a textbook to learn the basic form which could be altered for the purposes of what was taught. In the older Japanese systems kata was two person Btw.

MMA is a sport. It builds character and fitness and technical proficiency, but it does so through competition and not an art per se. Juggy's post addresses this imo.


Here is Streeps speech

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertain...ailyNewsletter

[////]

Then I would argue that MMA is a sport, Hollywood/TV is a business (of sleaze), and very rarely does the rogue artist slip through the cracks in either venue.

[Eff Pandas]

F#ck Meryl Streep's uppity crusty looking ass first off for making me agree with her, but yea idk that I see any sport as art. I think there for sure there is an aspect of "art" one could argue in virtually everything doe, but I think she was talking about something a lil different then that & her main focus was dogging Trump & not MMA, of which she seems to lack understanding of cuz if you get rid of foreigners MMA is taking a hell of hit too.

[Anthony342]

They're all arts, well, they were invented to be forms of art, film, TV, that's why it's called martial ARTS or mixed martial ARTS. It really just depends on the practitioner. CM Punk or Brian Sutherland, I would say no, but Royce Gracie or Anderson Silva, now THEY were artists. Anyone whose great at something can make it into a science and be an artist at it. Hell, my dad was an artist when it came to any form of home improvement.

With movies, if we're talking most of what's popular and gets made these days, no, but something like The Godfather or Citizen Kane manages to slip through the cracks every once in a while. A more recent example would be a film like The Theory of Everything.

Same for TV, most of the crap put on the air are not any form of art by a longshot. But if you're talking something like Scorpion or Bob's Burgers, historically something like The Twilight Zone, Alfred Hitch**** Presents or The Fugitive, then aw hell yeah, as Stone Cold would say.