Nobel Prize for Literature goes to Bob Dylan

Yes, I wish that for just one time
You could stand inside my shoes,
You'd know what a drag it is to see you.

I can only say three words to defend this man: Blonde on Blonde.

More than 3 hours without any bitchin'...Wow!

Just read Mario Vargas Llosa's opinion

“Me gusta mucho como cantante, pero creo que ha sido una equivocación de la Academia Sueca. Tengo la impresión que la civilización del espectáculo entraba a la academia y me preguntaba si el próximo año le darían el premio Nobel a un futbolista”.

Mario Vargas Llosa

"I really like him as a singer, but I think it was a mistake of the Swedish Academy. I have the impression that the show civilization entered to the academy and I am wondering if next year they will give the Nobel prize to a soccer player. "

Mario Vargas Llosa

Despite the great merits of Dylan as a singer and composer, I agree with Vargas Llosa

It's enough already.   It's become obsessive.   Is it worse giving the Literature Prize to Dylan decades after his best offerings than the Peace Prize to Obama before he'd done much?   Al Gore?   Yasser Arafat?   At least Dylan earned it with a lifetime of important work.   Years from now I have little doubt history will embrace his recognition.

Shame.

^Probably not.  That's the point.

As to song lyrics, I agree that, as a form, they are not poetry or literature.   But the award goes to Dylan's contributions to the language arts, not as a writer per se.  He is not a writer, but by that standard JK Rowling is more deserving of the award which though perhaps true, would probably raise as much controversy for different reasons.   

But if, as you say, the Peace Prize has long since degraded then why do we care about the Literature Prize?   I mean should we try to save its credibility by condemning the decision, or should we now discard it as well?  Just asking.
 

^ I think I just said that.

Atavachron wrote: ^Probably not.  That's the point. As to song lyrics, I agree that, as a form, they are not poetry or literature.   But the award goes to Dylan's contributions to the language arts, not as a writer per se.  He is not a writer, but by that standard JK Rowling is more deserving of the award which though perhaps true, would probably raise as much controversy for different reasons.     But if, as you say, the Peace Prize has long since degraded then why do we care about the Literature Prize?   I mean should we try to save its credibility by condemning the decision, or should we now discard it as well?  Just asking.

In all arts awards the "more deserving" will always be contentious as this is a subjective measure but when assessing like for like there is at least some element of commonality were that subjective comparison can be made, in the broader sense of comparing like for similar then there is still some degree of aesthetic comparison but once a comparative is no longer possible then the rationale of one artist being more deserving than another becomes meaningless. That is when it ceases to be contentious and becomes controversial. In that regard, awarding a Literature to JK Rowling or EL James would be contentious and would provoke controversy, but it wouldn't be controversial as such because they are both novelists. (Yeah, I know Dylan has written a book, but that wouldn't win any prizes anywhere). As the Nobel Literature prize as widened its eligibility criteria (which is the controversial bit) every "language artist" can be considered (and that's the contentious bit).

This opens the precedent for all future Nobel prizes. Next year they could award the Nobel in Chemistry to Keith Richards (which would be at least somewhat more deserving).

Congrats Bob Dylan for your lifetime achievement.