Kurt Andersen is the host of the Peabody Award-winning public radio program Studio 360. Over the years of covering the arts on his show, Andersen has become a cultural pundit. So during a recent visit to Northeast Ohio, ideastream's Dan Polletta invited Andersen to the Idea Center studios to discuss how the Trump administration might shape the arts and culture scene nationally.
"If Hilary Clinton were president the intersections of politics and culture would frankly be dull. In the case of the Trump administration I don't think they will be," Andersen said.
In comparing him to his predecessor President Barack Obama, Andersen sees Trump as a completely different person.
"I actually don't think he cares very much about culture in the arts, music, film sense one way or the other. He cares about how he is portrayed on television," Andersen said.
Andersen believes artists will respond to President Trump and his policies through their art.
"If regular citizens have their heads filled up with Donald Trump so much of the time, you can't help but think that artists will too," Andersen said.
While today Andersen is host of Studio 360 back in the 80's and 90's he was editor of the popular satirical magazine - Spy. In the magazine's very first issue, Andersen and his staff began a long, antagonistic relationship with the man who'd later enter the White House.
"It was called Jerks: The 10 Most Embarassing New Yorkers. One of them was the young Donald Trump."
Kurt Andersen is the host of Studio 360, which is heard Sunday mornings at 10 a.m. on 90.3. Andersen was in town last week for a speaking engagement at the Cleveland Institute of Art.
Listen to Dan Polletta's interview with Kurt Andersen on Here and Now featuring the Sound of Applause on 90.3 Thursday at 12:33 p.m. and 1:40 p.m or listen to the above podcast.
