Readers interested in macro marketing likely surpass traditional marketers in their concern for aspects of art for art’s sake as opposed to art for mart’s sake. Macromarketers also likely are keen to expand their influence and to make broader contributions. In this spirit, this article examines the theme of art versus commerce via a semiotic analysis of cinemusical moments in three films from the young-man-with-a-horn genre. Specifically, in the film industry during the latter half of the past century, the stature of jazz shifted from America’s commercially successful popular music (swing) to an esoteric, elitist, and even exclusionary art form (bebop and beyond). The article ends with a coda sharing thoughts on the social trap and possible societal costs manifest in conflicts between commercial and artistic interests and pressures.
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