Guilty Pleasures

[mippy.livejournal.com]

I was looking att he latest issue of Q yesterday int he library and reading through their list of '50 Guiltiest Pleasures'. And it got me to thinking - is the idea of a 'guilty pleasure' inherently rockist? Most of the songs I 'like but shouldn't like' are songs I wouldn't normally listen to except because of association/nostalgic reasons because they're a bit rubbish. But not liking ELO's Living Thing just because the rock canon doesn't like them? And don't even get me started on Macarthur Park...

So does poptimism recognise the concept of the guilty pleasure, or - as it should be - music is music and whether it's the gaspings of a tortured soul or the wall of sound rebuilt in Duplo, what matters is whether it's ANY GOOD AT ALL?

There should be a poll on this, maybe, but I don't have the issue to hand.

Comments

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

But why do you "know you shouldnt like" them? Because they're bad?

My problem with "guilty pleasures" isn't really in the idea that ppl should admit all their pleasures upfront - no point in dictating *how* people like their music after all - it's in the ring-fencing of a certain type of pop by this 'approach' and also in the implied hierarchy of 'non-guilty pleasures', i.e. people who talk about guilty pleasures tend to have REALLY REALLY BORING 'actual' taste.

[mippy.livejournal.com]

I think it's more that I feel they're good, but that the appeal is probably lost on others, so it;s a bit hard to convey. Perhaps.

And yes, you're right - boringly tasteful taste.

[blue-russian.livejournal.com]

the funny thing, though, is that because the 'guilt' is totally personal, by definition there shouldn't be a "guilty pleasures canon." the disco or 80s pop or whatever that I lived through and though was incredibly uncool but may now love, is something that people in their 20s come to without social associations (well, with totally different ones anyway). how or why would the feel any guilt?

i also think is one of the reasons i enjoy listening to "foreign" music: i come at it totally without preconceptions.

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

I agree. Case study: I think I probably love Las Ketchup because I was quite isolated from 'Asereje' in the way that most of the populace clearly weren't, and as such never wrote them off as Holiday One Hit Wonders. Hence my utter joy at them entering Eurovision for Spain this year!

[mippy.livejournal.com]

I quite like it too, because I missed out on it being everywhere.

Other side of it: I like The Good Life by NPG precisely because it WAS everywhere at the time, and now sounds like spring '98 bottled.

[mippy.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I'd agree with this. I know people who are twenty-five and like Level 42. I know they;'re supposed to be naff, but that's because I spend too much time with my head stuck in books.