Perhaps people do know, and are willingly giving the artists exactly what the artists are due.

It's like going to the symphony, which I enjoy. A very expensive indulgence. Damned if I'm going to waste my money listening to Benjamin Britain or Philip Glass. Modern composers compose music to impress each other and snobbish professional critics -- not to make money by appealing broadly to the consumer. This is in contrast to the finest classical composers who always kept an eye on the consumer. The result is timeless music. The same could be said of playwrights and visual artists.

Think of say, Shakespeare or perhaps Rodin. In their work they never forget their audience. On the contrary, they seduce it. Compare that to artists who essentially work for the NEA or NEH (living off grants), if you can think of any.