ARTS / Overheard

We no longer make a differentiation between high art and low art. We differentiate between good art and bad art, but we are now sophisticated enough to look back at our whole history and realise that Shakespeare was commercial and that Haydn was a pop artist hired to produce wedding music. - Robert McKee, screenwriting guru, whose favourite films are running on BBC2 on Sunday nights, Times

The only way to make shaving interesting is to interject an element of difficulty and danger. This is a real art and I feel I'm getting better at it every day. - Tim Supple, joint artistic director of the Young Vic, explaining why he uses a cut-throat razor, Madame Figaro

There is a bit of a frenzy developing in terms of the media and investment. This may be a window of opportunity to take a quantum step forward. - Rupert Murdoch, asking for pounds 2bn to fund further expansion of News Corporation

Art and politics are both like unfulfilled love affairs. - Melina Mercouri, Greece's ex-minister of culture, Guardian

This case is not about money. It is about restraint of trade. - Mark Cran QC, opening George Michael's case against his record company, Sony

Mr Michael's bottom-line income from recording is relatively modest. It is unlikely to be less than six to one in favour of Sony. - Mark Cran again

It's like a Swiss watch, made with a lot of care and thought. - Michael Grade, chief executive of Channel 4, on the secret of The Big Breakfast's success

The fulfilment of fantasies is a terrible responsibility. - Daniel Day-Lewis, star of The Age of Innocence, Premiere