Coagulopath has a new post up dealing with two schools of thought known as rockism and poptimism. For the uninitiated, rockism can be attributed to any gasser who claims there's been no good music recorded since 1974. Poptimism holds that music is getting better all the time, just like everything else, but/and that the only worthwhile music is what adheres to current top 40 production standards, whatever they may be.
One problem with criticism in general is that critics often have agendas that don't serve―or in some cases, allow for―creative expression. This is especially true when they have some theory or manifesto to promote. Poptimism and rockism are both basically conformist ideologies with no patience for the strange and unexpected, i.e. where the action actually is. Take note that they exist, then carry on with your business.
2 comments:
Thanks for the introduction to another very interesting little website I never would have seen otherwise.
I guess I'd qualify as one of the gassers but for the fact we did keep listening to new music a a while longer than the cutoff date of 1974. Still, I'll never be convinced music has continued to get better any more than I'd agree books and movies have generally improved in recent decades. It's always going to be a matter of personal proclivity and choice but overall to dismiss all music made prior to a particular era is a mistake. Who in their right mind would want to miss big band music, classical, jazz, or ragtime among others? That would be too depressing.
I did enjoy reading a couple of other articles he'd written previously - his defense of The Cold Equations was excellent.
My favorite line in this entry was the last: "I do not believe Damien Hirst has ever been motivated by anything except a desire to make money and belong to a scene."
I think you and Jerry did exhibit curiosity regarding things you hadn't heard before. Well, certainly that I hadn't heard before, which was to be expected. Everyone has preferences, of course. No, I wouldn't want to miss out on things like jazz and ragtime either. They enrich your viewpoint.
Coagulopath is a very good blogger. I believe I found him because he left a comment on another blog that I read. Comes out with something new about every week and it's always worth reading. He did a series of entries on David Cronenberg movies that's pretty stunning.
I wouldn't claim to be able to read Damien Hirst's mind, but those are certainly the things that he's proven to be most successful at.
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