Martin Scorsese says Marvel movies are "not cinema"

[Alan V]

But that, I think, is exactly how we do judge what is good art.  It's a matter of what is popular with the people we most respect, by the criteria they teach us.

Of course we also try to understand why they consider some works to be better art, and many times we agree even while we may disagree about other works.

Personally, I've been studying the fine arts and especially painting for going on fifty years, and I agree with perhaps half of what the experts say is good art.  Much of what is called good art I think is nonsense, but still that 50% is a good percentage of agreement considering how diverse the arts are.

Except that works of art that are popular are not always popular because of people naturally liking them. Especially in the world of painting, a lot of what becomes popular has to do with important collectors and critics and what they decide is "quality art."

Isn't that similar to what I said? The experts teach us to see why the art they favor is superior in whatever ways.

I guess your point is that if good art was based on straight popularity, there would be no need for the middle men of experts. But that's why what is considered good art becomes clearer over time.