Arguing the merits or lack thereof of anything in popular culture is something anyone can do, but it takes fully-seasoned eyes and ears to determine and find the stuff that truly lasts.
"I also assume the median This is a Newsletter! reader is a mildly disgruntled 34-year-old former exclusive American Apparel shopper who wrote a master’s thesis on George Condo (or something more interesting) and they are now doing something they are largely disinterested in professionally as they procrastinate a thorough reassessment of their organizing principles, and they have never used TikTok, have a Facebook page they have not touched in six years, and their relationship with Instagram has been steadily souring since 2019."
First of all, how dare you? Second of all, I'm 40. Thirdly, subscribed.
I may be a 22 year old who admittedly dabbles in making TikToks from time to time, but I wholly look forward to seeing your takes on all things culture.
I think your girlfriend has a point. Other music addicts tend to be like you. My son says "how can you listen to that?"
A friend in college used to do a mad hippity hop because I loved Donna Summer and some disco
music. It made me wanna dance and she has a great voice. Frankly, if makes me wanna sing, dance, cry, think about someone,
I like it. I play Yo Yo Ma and Osho while I get acupuncture. I play Stevie Ray Vaughn and Joe Bonammo guitar riffs and rock while I fix dinner. I play Take on Me and Under the Boardwalk when I am driving. If I am sad, I play Nina Simone and now Arooj, recently suggested. I also like some Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, etc. You get the idea.
I agree! And I like a good chunk of the artists that you've listed (or at least songs by them). It takes a lot for me to actively dislike something. Most music/TV shows/movies for me fall under the categories of neutral or "pleasant enough if you play it but I won't go out of my way to listen to it."
What I was trying to get at is the prevalence of tech and social media, as well as late-stage capitalism, has produced a greater degree of homogeneity and fandom that tries to imbue political and existential valence to our consumer choices. In this instance, it's music, books, TV shows, movies. This leads to a lot of toxic fandoms that lose their absolute shit over any kind of disagreement, because this is perceived to be an attack on their personhood. If you like Taylor Swift or The Last of Us, that's cool, I just don't understand losing your mind over someone else not liking a commercial product as much as you.
There's nothing wrong with liking something that's mainstream--I am certainly guilty of it. But as a general rule, something that's mainstream tends to be agreeable or lowest common denominator, so it won't demand all that much from you. I always encourage people to try out new stuff or to push their comfort zones. If you don't, that's your choice, but it is limiting. I don't think my taste is "objectively" good or "better," but it is broader, which gives me more perspective. Hope that makes sense.
I understand what you are saying and I constantly seek out new music. Î've gotten some of it from Substack--Zappagram, Songbook. My point is that it doesn't matter how expansive your music list is or what generation it comes from, as long as it moves you. Offer what you like and tell me why you like it and I'm in. Don't bother telling me what you don't like and especially why ÿou don't like it, because it doesn't matter to me and it might put a stain on something I already like. That last point is why I agree with your girlfriend.
I feel that. It's essentially why I'm starting this series. Stay tuned, because I'm cooking up an extension of the Top 100 albums series with Kevin Alexander.
I have a friend who’s a trained jazz musician who straight up thinks all rock and hip-hop music is for troglodytes. He literally called me a smoothbrain for liking Led Zeppelin. That is true pretentiousness to me.
I'm looking forward to seeing where it takes us as well! We can still make fun of Imagine Dragons, though, right?
Absolutely. This is our biological imperative. Also wanna get that album series going?
YES!
HBO threw so much money into Rendering Dragons it seems almost beside the point to discuss them now.
Arguing the merits or lack thereof of anything in popular culture is something anyone can do, but it takes fully-seasoned eyes and ears to determine and find the stuff that truly lasts.
First up is my Top 25 shows of the last 25 years. Prestige TV is the new craft beer. Gotta do some filtering.
"I also assume the median This is a Newsletter! reader is a mildly disgruntled 34-year-old former exclusive American Apparel shopper who wrote a master’s thesis on George Condo (or something more interesting) and they are now doing something they are largely disinterested in professionally as they procrastinate a thorough reassessment of their organizing principles, and they have never used TikTok, have a Facebook page they have not touched in six years, and their relationship with Instagram has been steadily souring since 2019."
First of all, how dare you? Second of all, I'm 40. Thirdly, subscribed.
I may be a 22 year old who admittedly dabbles in making TikToks from time to time, but I wholly look forward to seeing your takes on all things culture.
Thank you! I am not immune to TikTok or Instagram, I just know it's bad for me. It really is the smoking of our time.
I think your girlfriend has a point. Other music addicts tend to be like you. My son says "how can you listen to that?"
A friend in college used to do a mad hippity hop because I loved Donna Summer and some disco
music. It made me wanna dance and she has a great voice. Frankly, if makes me wanna sing, dance, cry, think about someone,
I like it. I play Yo Yo Ma and Osho while I get acupuncture. I play Stevie Ray Vaughn and Joe Bonammo guitar riffs and rock while I fix dinner. I play Take on Me and Under the Boardwalk when I am driving. If I am sad, I play Nina Simone and now Arooj, recently suggested. I also like some Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, etc. You get the idea.
If you like it and it moves you, it's good music.
Fuck everything else.
I agree! And I like a good chunk of the artists that you've listed (or at least songs by them). It takes a lot for me to actively dislike something. Most music/TV shows/movies for me fall under the categories of neutral or "pleasant enough if you play it but I won't go out of my way to listen to it."
What I was trying to get at is the prevalence of tech and social media, as well as late-stage capitalism, has produced a greater degree of homogeneity and fandom that tries to imbue political and existential valence to our consumer choices. In this instance, it's music, books, TV shows, movies. This leads to a lot of toxic fandoms that lose their absolute shit over any kind of disagreement, because this is perceived to be an attack on their personhood. If you like Taylor Swift or The Last of Us, that's cool, I just don't understand losing your mind over someone else not liking a commercial product as much as you.
There's nothing wrong with liking something that's mainstream--I am certainly guilty of it. But as a general rule, something that's mainstream tends to be agreeable or lowest common denominator, so it won't demand all that much from you. I always encourage people to try out new stuff or to push their comfort zones. If you don't, that's your choice, but it is limiting. I don't think my taste is "objectively" good or "better," but it is broader, which gives me more perspective. Hope that makes sense.
I understand what you are saying and I constantly seek out new music. Î've gotten some of it from Substack--Zappagram, Songbook. My point is that it doesn't matter how expansive your music list is or what generation it comes from, as long as it moves you. Offer what you like and tell me why you like it and I'm in. Don't bother telling me what you don't like and especially why ÿou don't like it, because it doesn't matter to me and it might put a stain on something I already like. That last point is why I agree with your girlfriend.
I feel that. It's essentially why I'm starting this series. Stay tuned, because I'm cooking up an extension of the Top 100 albums series with Kevin Alexander.
Ok
Really excited to see what you come up with here.
Thanks! I’m excited too
I have a friend who’s a trained jazz musician who straight up thinks all rock and hip-hop music is for troglodytes. He literally called me a smoothbrain for liking Led Zeppelin. That is true pretentiousness to me.