Hating mainstream & art critique principles

[Endrik]

If you hate mainstream music on principle do you also hate mainstream motion pictures, books, paintings and any other form of art?

If not, then what's different between a mainstream pop music, a blockbuster movie or a Stephen King novel? Why aren't you applying the same criteria for directors like Murnau, Bresson, Antonioni and Mizoguchi or writers like Mann, Flaubert and Borges than you are applying to "true and real" musicians?

[Grandturk]

I've typed two responses and deleted them. Fuck it.

[jackson1]

I have typed no response as there are too many words in the question that I don't understand. Fuck it.

[Vass]

I dont. If I like it I like it. It's ok if everyone else does too.

Hating anything mainstream is just an affect people adopt. I hate putting on the junior psycholgist hat, but indulge me: most people are common in their abilities, in their ambition, in their talent and circumstances. The one thing they can use to differentiate themselves which is both costless and takes no effort is in their tastes.

Average height average looks average income average intelligence- and measurably so! You can't measure my tastes, however! And believe me, they are special!!

Music probably is the easiest choice. You just press play and let it go. Books take more effort both to read and understand... Movies too. And you must understand the book/movie because the medium lends itself to discussion and heaven forbid you may meet someone with the same tastes who isn't a dilettante! Music is just safer.

If I like it it's good- happily common!

[Trem]

I don't hate anything on principal but i find that the same fluff in mainstream music and movies both annoying at times, yes. Probably more so for movies.

[Musician78]

I don't hate anything on principal but i find that the same fluff in mainstream music and movies both annoying at times, yes. Probably more so for movies.

I hate mainstream music. I don't have the attention span or ability to suspend disbeliev enough to enjoy movies. I like books, but not so much less than mainstream stuff. John Grisham is my favorite author....

[Rsmacker]

Does it have tits or give blow jobs? No? I aint interested then.

[BayRocker]

It's not that I hate mainstream music because it's mainstream. It just a coincidence that most of the music I dislike happens to be mainstream.


Oh, and I typed a response and didn't delete it. Fuck it

[Nightbat]

I like art as I like music, it appeals and/or shows effort been put in

So what if it's "mainstream" Fuck it!

[MakeAJazzNoiseHere]

It's called "being a hipster."

Only listening to bands you've never heard of, only watch TV shows you've never seen, oh, but I'm too cool to watch TV, I prefer film and literature.

Whatever. The stupid thing is, it's entertainment, not education. It's supposed to be enjoyable. So, whatever is enjoyable to you is what you should be entertained by, and fuck whether it is popular or not.

I don't hate pop music on principle, much of it just doesn't do much for me. But, there are some songs here and there that I find really catchy. Am I supposed to hate it once I find out it's Justin Timberlake or whatever? Nah.

I have seen some independent films that were just awful. Oh, sure, sometimes it takes some effort to get the message or whatever, but if I'm struggling to make sense of it at a basic level is that really "entertainment"? I get enough mental stimulation at work, so maybe that's why my choices in entertainment don't really have anything to do with challenging my thought processes or whatever.

[triplehold]

It is understandable that you feel that way. The best stuff is always underground anyway. You know- some get it, some don't.

[MakeAJazzNoiseHere]

It is understandable that you feel that way. The best stuff is always underground anyway. You know- some get it, some don't.

Actually, no. To say that "the best stuff is always underground" proves that you DON'T get it at all.

[VitaminG]

Actually, no. To say that "the best stuff is always underground" proves that you DON'T get it at all.

I was going to type a response so that I can delete it.

But then, every word I've ever typed here is pure gold, so why deny the world the awesomeness of me?

I don't hate anything just because it is mainstream. I'm a contrary bastard by nature so if everyone is telling me (particularly people who have a track record of recommending shit) that I MUST see a movie, I will often wait until it comes on tv to see it. But often will enjoy it when or if I finally see it.

Everything should be treated on its own merit. If a particular melody grooves with me, I don't care who the band or artist is, what genre they play or the medium by which it is delivered. I may not buy the album, the rest of their catalogue may hold no appeal to me, but I can enjoy the song should it come on the radio.

I still dig hearing Maxi Priest's Close to You when it comes on the radio. The vocal performance, the bassline, still clicks with me. I still think Fleetwood Mac's Rumours is a hell of an album. I still dig the duelling solos on Hotel California. Justin D'errico's performance of Babe I'm Gonna Leave You absolutely wails on Pink's concert dvd. I still hate the Black Eyed Peas - not because they're mainstream, but because everything I've ever heard from them is shit. I do like Fergie's vocals though, so it was cool when she sang with Slash.

I can't stand Clive Cussler, although I thought the movie of Sahara was rollicking good fun. I still enjoy Alistair McLean & Robert Ludlum. The DaVinci Code (the book) was a decent shut-your-brain-off adventure story in the McLean vein, but waaaay too much fuss was made over what was essentially pulp. Focault's Pendulum was much much better.

What is good is defined by me. The mainstream delivers a lot of shit but that doesn't mean that everything mainstream is shit. Often trends in any medium are started by an artist that is just very good at what they do. The corporates then glut the market with cookie cutter copy cats as they try to maximise their profits from whatever is trending. It is a downside of a greater public who rely on the corporates to tell them what to like.

[Twitch]

Ive had acquaintances like that before, "I liked AFI, but now that they get radio play, I hate them". What the fuck is that shit about? Oh, youre so special because you hate everything anyone else likes. You can love it one minute, until you find a lot of other people like it too, then its rubbish. Stupid immature high school bull shit if you ask me.

EDIT: and now for my edit, this whole "such and such a band SOLD OUT" is the same immature high school bullshit. Oh boo hoo hoo, it such a shame they make money doing what they love while I flip burgers for $7/ hr. if I even have a job at all and bitch about it but do nothing else.

[VitaminG]

I agree, but I also get the whole "I liked them until radio & mtv started playing them 6 times a day until I couldn't stand to hear them anymore". If people like it, they will play it until it is completely exhausted. Then maybe you can actually enjoy it again a decade later when you haven't heard it for ages and can emotionally respond to it like you did way back when