I have the better more most taste than you

[Pas]

this thread turned into a bad-musical taste safeharbor real fast.

I saw an interview with Rivers Cuomo yesterday and he said some good stuff. 'I don't care about low art, high art... what's that ? As long as everyone is happy it's all good.'

I know it's me who started the guilty pleasures thread, but seriously is there anything more retarded than a guilty pleasure ? What is there to be guilty about ? I would get it if you guilty pleasure was torturing babies, but watching 2 Fast 2 Furious shouldn't make you feel guilty unless you have serious confidence problems.

And the most supposedly open minded and rational people still diss other peoples taste in music and movies. I just don't get it. I said it a thousand times already (mostly in the 'stupidest thing you've.........' thread but your taste is in no way a reflection of your intelligence. I know a guy who studies to be a cardiologist (heart surgeon is that it ?) and his favorite movie is Dirty Work with Norm McDonald. I went to see Four Brothers with him and he couldn't stop talking about how awesome it was. And fuck, I do love both of these movies myself. Am I a dumbass, probably, but he sure isn't. He will tell you the names of the moons of like all the planet in the solar system and he writes damn good articles in the school paper.

Like the oh so wise MacGuffin once said, a mechanic would laugh at our ignorance of cars.

We aren't anything special. Liking european movies doesn't make you a good or intelligent person.

Bad taste, good taste....... what the hell is that ? Here are some disgusting quotes from the Taste Police of Xixax.

Co-worker: Hey you, did you see Lost In Translation?
Customer:  yeah that sucked, nothing happend.
Co-worker: How about Man on Fire?
Customer: Yeah that was great!

Oh oh! I have another one.

"Just because a bunch of critics say it was good doesn't mean it's good!"

Against my better judgement I went to Blockbuster last night.  I pick up So Close to Paradise (Japanese) and the girl at the counter says: "You know that's in subtitles, right?"
"Yes," I reply.
"Just checking, because I hate subtitles."

EDIT : I don't mean to be Gandhi. I find most people disturbingly stupid and I am way too hateful. But I don't know I respect peoples' taste.

[Garam]

That's all well and good, but if you take away our right to discriminate people based on their media tastes, what else do we have to live for?

[cron]

i agree with you pas in the sense that it doesn't makes you better or worse to like french films but i do think one has to take stands on stuff, otherwise you're just a dull person (like rivers cuomo or george bush). and i think good taste is when you're able to sort out what other persons like and give them something they will like,  a present, a car,  a mixtape,  a poem , it does exist .

[hedwig]

pas - i agree completely. also, this quote from a Film Comment essay by Jim Jarmusch echoes some of those sentiments:

Wim Wenders prefaced his "Guilty Pleasures" by saying, "I don't feel guilty about any of this." I'd like to echo that. One thing I object to is cultural hierarchy. To me, there's no difference in value between Beethoven and the Butthole Surfers, Between Shakespeare and Mickey Spillane. If something's good, it's good, whether it's a comic book or a "great" novel.

[Ghostboy]

I agree for the most part, but that cultural hierarchy Jarmusch speaks of has its roots at least partially in an enduring sort of mass willful ignorance, and that is something I have little tolerance for. Most of the instances Pas quoted in his post are perfect examples of variable tastes; the last one, regarding the girl with the subtitles (her 'good intentions' notwithstanding) is (most likely) an example of ignorance, rather than taste. Maybe she just really doesn't like subtitles; but more likely, she just doesn't like what she thinks are their implications.

[JG]

I saw an interview with Rivers Cuomo yesterday and he said some good stuff. 'I don't care about low art, high art... what's that ? As long as everyone is happy it's all good.'

i agree with you and all but i think it's this indifference that's made Rivers music suck so much in the past 8 years.  

rivers use to be the man
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but i digress.  the point your getting at is kinda what im saying in the "classic not so classic"  thread