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What does Lana Del Rey have to do with Dante?

A new and somewhat bizarre trend has taken hold on TikTok

What does Lana Del Rey have to do with Dante? A new and somewhat bizarre trend has taken hold on TikTok

What do Lana Del Rey and Dante have in common? Apparently nothing, unless one considers the American singer-songwriter’s songs as poetry. But in the postmodern pastiche of social media, a collaboration between the two can surprisingly occur. Specifically, on TikTok, an audio has been trending for a few days where the poem Tanto gentile e tanto onesta pare is recited over the notes of Salvatore. In various videos, users personally interpret the meaning of the great poet’s words made melancholic by Lana’s decadent melodies: some dance to the verses; others choose them to accompany their fit-checks, and some compare modern romantic relationships to those of the poet, writing, «He says “I love you,” but Dante said “Tanto gentile e tanto onesta pare”». All this, predictably, has sparked a debate about what culture means, how it should be experienced, and, above all, whether it is right to share this type of culture on social media.

@g4iax grande collab #perte #foruyou #foruyou #viral original sound - ꪆৎ

On one side, those outraged by the trend argue that culture should not stoop to social media content and that certain subjects—such as literature, poetry, philosophy—should not be treated superficially or, worse, mixed with the ephemeral content of an entertainment machine. In the comments under some videos, one reads: «These are the same people who couldn’t be bothered to study the Divine Comedy», «We were only missing Dante gatekeeping», or «Dante should be read and understood, not used to create a trend». On the other side, however, there are those who defend the right to use Dante's verses on TikTok as an integral part of the profound meaning of poetry because «it resonates [within us] with something we know, [...] regardless of the studies we have done, we have experienced it because we are human; that is the true value of literature». These are the words of Edoardo Prati, a literary content creator on TikTok who has made literary dissemination his job. «You belittle and ridicule those using Dante Alighieri’s audio because they don’t have the academic background you do» continues Prati, addressing the purists, «You’ve taken Italian Literature 1; you can’t act as the guardians of the sacred heart of human science», adding that «If culture is in its current state, it is also your fault for being envious».

@kanao_tsuyuri2005_ #dantealighieri #vitanova #litterature #edit #perte #ladivinacommedia #dante #beatrice #lanadelrey suono originale - Kanao_Tsuyuri2005

Thus, the debate quickly shifts to a very sensitive issue: the state of culture in Italy. According to the 2024 report by the Italian Publishers Association (AIE) based on Pepe Research data, 30% of readers read sporadically, engaging in this activity only a few times a month or even just a few times a year. An article published by Più libri più liberi, commenting on the AIE report, states that «[t]he average weekly time dedicated to reading has decreased to 2 hours and 47 minutes compared to 3 hours and 16 minutes in 2023 and 3 hours and 32 minutes in 2022». Moreover, reading varies significantly by region. «Disparities between the North and South are confirmed by data from NielsenIQ-GfK on the Italian book trade market, divided by geographical areas». Of the 79.2 million books sold in Italy between January and October 2024, 35.8% were in the Northwest, 22.2% in the Northeast, 22.7% in the Center, and 19.3% in the South and Islands. Expanding this research field to a European level does not paint a brighter picture. According to Eurostat, the most recent data on reading shows that 35% of Italians over 16 read at least one book in 2022, compared to a European average of 53%.

@heyprof1 Bea sono pronto per il wedding #studiamoinsieme #impariamocontiktok #dantealighieri #beatrice Young And Beautiful - Lana Del Rey

The picture is discouraging, and according to Prati and those who share his views, anything can help foster passion and bring people closer to literature, culture, and reading—even a TikTok trend featuring Dante’s verses. Culture, Prati concludes, is a universal right, and «the right to be moved must be open to everyone». A debate that, since the times of Theodor Adorno and Walter Benjamin, remains unresolved: Is the cultural industry just? Can new mass communication tools lead to cultural democratization? Can Dante on TikTok truly bring someone closer to the *Vita Nova*, or is it just another shallow trend that will fade into oblivion once it’s no longer popular?