Musical Elitism
I mostly don't look at youtube comments now, for fear that my brain will explode at the incredible stupidity of the denizens of the Internet. However, they added the damn "Highest Rated Comments" section and I often see posts blasting other people's musical tastes. Video for an 80's song? It'll be someone bitching about how it was "real pop back then, not like the shit now." Video for a Beatles/Led Zeppelin/insert related band song? It'll be someone bitching about "rock and roll back then was real music, not like the shit now." Video for a big band/Broadway/Asian pop song? Same thing.
I'm sick to death of musical elitism, of the idea that your enjoyment of music is somehow enhanced by making clear to everyone else that their music is utter shit and how other people who don't share their interests are, in the words of one individual, "ignorant, moronic, epically entitled little bastards."
As a huge Lady Gaga fan who also listens to almost anything, I'm often reluctant to even admit liking her for fear of musical elitism backdraft. People, get this straight. You may think other people's music is a giant flaming pile of dog shit, but someone else will also voice their opinion that they think YOUR music is the most fucking retarded thing they ever heard. How the hell does listening to obscure bands make you better than others? How the hell does listen to ubiquitous bands from the 60's and 70's make you any better than others?
You don't have to like or listen to all kinds of music. However, just don't think that you're a musical messiah who will save the world from "bad" music if you prefer to listen to one genre or another. You're not special or unique; there's probably millions of others who do too.
Listening to music is about enjoying the effort the artist put in, and the meanings the artist intended with it. If you can't do that without putting down what others like, then you don't deserve to listen to this or that artist. You're incapable of understanding the true joy that creating and listening to music brings.
I'm sick to death of musical elitism, of the idea that your enjoyment of music is somehow enhanced by making clear to everyone else that their music is utter shit and how other people who don't share their interests are, in the words of one individual, "ignorant, moronic, epically entitled little bastards."
As a huge Lady Gaga fan who also listens to almost anything, I'm often reluctant to even admit liking her for fear of musical elitism backdraft. People, get this straight. You may think other people's music is a giant flaming pile of dog shit, but someone else will also voice their opinion that they think YOUR music is the most fucking retarded thing they ever heard. How the hell does listening to obscure bands make you better than others? How the hell does listen to ubiquitous bands from the 60's and 70's make you any better than others?
You don't have to like or listen to all kinds of music. However, just don't think that you're a musical messiah who will save the world from "bad" music if you prefer to listen to one genre or another. You're not special or unique; there's probably millions of others who do too.
Listening to music is about enjoying the effort the artist put in, and the meanings the artist intended with it. If you can't do that without putting down what others like, then you don't deserve to listen to this or that artist. You're incapable of understanding the true joy that creating and listening to music brings.