rennaT wrote:I hate these threads. I hate the waffling. I hate the repetition. I just want to do a little experiment here. Let's take some quotes from this thread and replace instances of the word "genre" with "race" and see how it makes us look. Race:Human::Genre:Music.
I think there are races that many people will not like, even if they were well versed in them.
Frankly, I think that whether we express is like Lenny did or not, we're all guilty of some personal race bashing.
Race bashing is fine if you're not talking in absolutes.
Ridiculous thread just got ridiculous. We have this strange line that we all draw but don't talk about that states that some things are subjective and some things are not and there's no rhyme or reason to it. All men are created equal but not all music? Why?
flagmyidol wrote:At some point I am justified in having an opinion about it.
I'm pretty sure I've heard my grandpa say exactly this about homosexuality.
First, let me address Kablizzy: I listen to a lot of different genres too. More than you, I'd say, since when me and LV showed you Life on Mars? last year, you said that you don't listen to soft shit. I'm not saying that you don't have broad tastes (either of you), your last.fm profile is massive and awesome, I'm just saying that Tanner is absolutely wrong.
I read this post just before French Class, but I was so rushed that I had to sit in my seat in French for an hour, stewing with rage. Not necessarily at you, Tanner, but at my complete ignorance. Alas, ladies and gentlemen, I have seen the light. How could I have been so ignorant as to leave this forums in the hands of somebody so gorram dumb?
I mean, I'm going to go into this -- That's what I do -- but let me just say that the second you said Race:Human::Genre:Music you revealed your point as completely invalid. I'm not sure whether this is because you do not understand the sonic differences in music or because you're functionally retarded, but let's assume for a moment that it's the latter, since I've heard you recommend some great songs to me in the past.
Your hypothesis is either A) Every genre of music is exactly the same, but just looks different, or B) Every race of human is wildly different. Neither one of those is true at all. Humans are relatively the same, but yeah, we have sociological backgrounds that differ. That is, for instance, why there are certain biological differences between human beings of different race, like an increased percentage with a certain disorder, etc. Musical genres, on the other hand, do share a trait here; they also come from wildly different sociological backgrounds. Analyze, for instance, early punk rock with new wave, and you're going to see that the major difference between the genres is only the movement or phenomenon that spawned them. You could show the Clash to anybody who liked Blondie and expect a reasonable response.
The similarities end here, though. Because while music does come from wildly different sociological backgrounds, that is not the root nor the only thing that distinguishes different genres of music, like you've so aptly likened here. Some music uses different instruments, some music focuses on different keys, there is lyrical subject matter that is more focused on in other genres, or how about the fact that some music is all about instrumentation and other music, about lyricism? There are so many differences between genres of music, whether it be the distortion or, as Lenny pointed out, how the noise rock is out of key and not technically sound to musical theory, that to say something as oversimplified and dumb as what you said is just remarkably sad.
Let me try and demonstrate the incredible ignorance with an example: Rap music, to be considered rap music, should have a beat, and have a certain vocal style overtop of it. Otherwise, it becomes something different. That's the way a genre works; it defines parameters of music, mostly for the purpose of helping people isolate the elements they enjoy. Your theory would hold that Asians would all have to act and look a certain way, or they would cease to be Asian. For instance, an Asian who loves Football, Hotdogs, and Democracy is actually a white guy. A rap album that uses distortion, has Freddie Mercury on vocals, and uses power chords over a four/four beat is a rock album.
And let me explain to you, for a moment, why all "men" are created equally but not all music. When that phrase was coined, that meant that all men deserve equal opportunity because we are all human beings, whether black or white or blasian or fucking Australian. There are human beings who possess talents above all others. Brilliant physicists, fantastic directors, brilliant musicians, even. There are also people who are born with cancer in their brain or Alzheimers or Bi-Polar disorder, if we want to hit close to my home. People are not born of equal quality, but because of our compassion and uniquely human empathy, we allow those people the opportunity to live their lives.
Music, a creation of man, has that same opportunity. That does not mean that all music is equally good, as you shittily suggest. That means that all music has the ability to impress certain people. I would never tell flagmyidol, "flag, don't listen to spoken-word-over-drone. Nobody could enjoy that." simply because I cannot. But frankly, there is music out there that I consider bad. Derivative music, or music that seems lazily produced, or, I can admit, even some music that goes against my pop sensibilities. And if a lot of that music belongs to the same genre, then I can assume that there is something, some element of that music that I find "bad". You don't keep on ordering chicken from a place that makes bad chicken on the chance that the chicken might suddenly be good.
To clear up three other things:
1) I've only ever heard the Wilco/Billy Bragg CD's, and I find it superb that your recognized that, flag. :D
2) I do not have any genres that I believe are unenjoyable for me, before you write me off as some left-wing anti-rap radical.
3) Tanner, do you honestly think that flagmyidol doesn't deserve an opinion about homosexuality? I think that being against homosexuality is stupid, and I don't think this is a good comparison at all, because you're a fucking idiot, but if I was Herr Tanner and I was like, "You don't like gay people? Off to the stocks with you!" I would be incredibly fucking sad.