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

[celentari.livejournal.com]

What about liking Gary Glitter's music? Morals/music/guilt conflict thinger.

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

I thought it was interesting that a Glitter track did end up in the Q Top 50. Cos this generally isn't what the rhetoric about "guilty pleasures" refers to - it's more "naughty but nice" than "horrible but bangin'".

Similarly, the various contortions liberal dancehall fans get themselves into over homophobia tend not to have the phrase 'guilty pleasures' attached, a sign that there's no *actual* guilt intended in GPs, or that the 'guilt' of ELO love is a performance.

[byebyepride.livejournal.com]

I was thinking about this too -- I don't think I feel guilty for liking dancehall or booty bass or whatever, but when I find a particular track distasteful then I just plain don't like it. e.g. that Ying Yang Twins song.

[celentari.livejournal.com]

I have simliar issues with people like Snoop Dogg who is so obvisouly Not A Nice Man, but then, Gin & Juice? Choon!

[carsmilesteve.livejournal.com]

yes! i knew we'd reached a good conclusion about this before and this was it :)

[mippy.livejournal.com]

Ah, I was discusisng this with someone when I worked in local radio - I was told that if MJ was convicted his records wouldn't be played on air. This seemed bizarre to me. I still think Rock and Roll is a great record, and is anyone going to see Glitter as a role model these days?