I Wish Everyone Were Dead: Music Edition
In the past month, the following three things have been said to my FACE:
1. “You are a music poseur.”
2. [Three SECONDS after giving my sister my headphones to listen to a song]
“This is the same shit you’ve been listening to since High School.”
3. “I just, um, think you have strange taste in music.”
First: Fuck all of you.
Second: When did it become acceptable to shit all over someone’s personal taste in music? To be fair, I don’t foist my music on anyone. And to be doubly fair, it’s all pretty mellow, inoffensive stuff.
I’m absolutely baffled that, in this Era of Good Feelings – where we don’t tell work-place-Charlie that he has fucking disgusting B.O. because we don’t want to hurt his “self esteem” – somehow MY music tastes have been declared in-season. What could my response have possibly been to any of those insults above? 1. "I am not!" 2. "It really isn't." 3. "Oh fuck you." See? It's an impossible position I'm being put in! And why am I even in that position in the first place?
Listen, I don’t pretend to be Pitchfork. I like what I like if I can sing along to it/jump along to it when I’m really drunk. Or, I like what I like if it soothes me on a Sunday morning, drinking coffee and reading. Either way, fuck off, because I LIKE WHAT I LIKE.
Therefore, on this 25th day of January, year-of-our-Lord 2007, I declare an NTC-Law that no one will disparage, eye-roll, or generally poo-pooh anyone else’s music.
[Octogenarian guy in corner with big NTC book]
“mumble, mumble, NTC-LAW.”
Cue The Long Winters... you fuckin’ haters.
posted by Q. @ 5:37 PM
4 comments
4 Comments:
Disparaging and pooh-poohing can be avoided. It is your music and I don't have to listen to it. But being asked not to roll my eyes at the mention of Belle & Sebastian or Coldplay is, quite frankly, unreasonable. A lot of indie music is great (i.e., the Long Winters), but there is a level of uber-sensitivity that elicits an almost instinctive eye-roll.
Sean, YOU of all people should be with me on this. I'm not asking you to listen to my music. If I know you don't like Coldplay, I'm not going to say, "hey have you heard the new Coldplay EP?"
I'm not forcing anything on anyone... I'm just asking for a little respect -- in the same way I respect everyone else's tastes in music (it's really the ONLY thing I don't make fun).
Oh, and also, Z says your crack on B&S has earned you a one-year ban from this site. Sorry.
You're going about this the wrong way. You should be making fun of other people's taste in music, especially if they are idiotic enough to disparage one of your favorite bands knowing full well that you enjoy their music.
These people are called assholes and they should be singled out, ridiculed, and made to feel stupid, especially about your taste and incredible knowledge of music.
Now a quick plug: http://tuesdaysonthephone.blogspot.com
Okay, let's all settle a moment. Q, that comment was meant as a little good-natured ribbing and I am in agreement with you. We're (by we, I mean me, you, and the rest of this blog's contributors) all grown-up enough to know that your taste in music has no effect whatsoever on mine, and that making fun of someone because of the music they listen to is childish. Further, we're all old enough to realize that making fun of a band that someone likes neither makes them like said band less nor changes the band's music in any way. The style of music that turns one person's crank is no business of anyone else's. I may be opinionated about the music I listen to, but that doesn't mean I'm prepared to genuinely ridicule someone for having different tastes. Because a)I'm 25, not 15, and b)it's just stupid.
Furthermore, I have nothing against Belle & Sebastian. And if Coldplay would put something out that was closer to "Parachutes," I'd probably dig it. That was a good album. Their two follow-ups just don't do it for me. But, of course, that's just me.
If a person is truly passionate about the music they love, that's admirable regardless of what kind of music it is.
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