Music Snobbery: Rebuttled

Kaitlin (read her blog!) recently wrote a blog about music snobs and how they vex her, and I actually thought it was directed at me (1). As I read it, I began to realize: I'm a horrible music snob.

The difference between most music snobs and I are that, while I think much less of someone because their horrid taste in music, I won't actually tell them (2). I will, however, probably distance myself from them and be less likely to bond with them.

I'm not totally ashamed of my snobbery. I've learned that if someone likes Lil' Wayne and Rihanna or Nickelback over, in my opinion, quality artists, we will probably not get along well. We have very different ways of thinking. I understand guilty pleasures, and closest obsessions... in fact, I am queen of these. (3) But if your favorite artists, and the artists you choose to associate yourself with, coincide with exactly what's on the radio now... well that doesn't sound like you have a mind of your own, does it?

All I ask is originality. If, after exploring other music, you decide Rihanna is what you want to listen to... be my guest. If you're apathetic enough to listen to what the radio tells you to, and not find your own musical interests through exploration... you have lost a bit of my respect.

Maybe it's because this apathy may apply to other aspects of life. If you listen to what everyone else listens to, perhaps you're likely to dress as everyone else dresses, talk as everyone else talks, and act as everyone else acts. You're less of your own person and more like everyone else... what fun is that? I don't easily trust people who are heavily influenced by current trends. If their interests and preferences are easily changed with the times, will not their loyalties be as susceptible to change?

So when is music snobbery "bad"? When others are actually afraid to talk about music with you for fear of bashing. Some music enthusiasts almost go full-circle, and only like music that reviews tell them they should like. They aspire to talk about music so intelligently, that they grasp at any means to do that, even if it means missing out on enjoyment. If a multitude of reviews think that one album is "ingenious", suddenly it becomes the best album of the year, even if said music snob doesn't actually enjoy it. But the use of "this" and the inventiveness of "that" are so outstanding, it doesn't matter what you enjoy.

That is a true music snob. (4)

If a Rihanna fan can tell me that, after listening to other things, they like Rihanna and can give a respectable reason why, I will apologize and will award them the respect I stripped them of before.

1. It wasn't.
2. Except Jim when he listens to rap. and anyone who likes nickelback. and my brother.
3. These include: Miley Cyrus/Hannah Montana, Beyonce, Jonas Brothers, Taylor Swift, country all around, Destiny's Child, on the music front... and the Disney channel, UFO Hunters, and iCarly on tv.
4. I would like to dedicate this blog to the same music snob who inspired Kaitlin's blog. Thank you for very pompusly introducing me to your favorite bands, I enjoyed some, and the ones that I didn't, I was scolded for! :]