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

[jeff-worrell.livejournal.com]

I dislike that people use the term in the first place and/or get worked up about hipsters. Get some perspective.

(um, this is not a go at you, mippy)

[jeff-worrell.livejournal.com]

What I meant to say is I don't find the term remotely useful. It tells me nothing about the person or their views. Smacks to me of a playground insult or a US high school stereotype.

[mippy.livejournal.com]

Good. Having a go at me is verboten.

I think it's a certain type of stereotype, isn\t it? Not necessarily those who are at pains to follow the trends but those who look down on those who do not. Rarely exist in provincial towns where limited-edition trainers are in scant supply.

[jeff-worrell.livejournal.com]

That's not how the term is used on the interweb, though, is it? In music discussions on the interweb, at least. Simply liking certain records can be dubbed hipsterism (= moronic, from where I sit, no more useful than dubbing something a "guilty pleasure").

[mippy.livejournal.com]

I usually only come across it in subcultural rather than purely musical context. But I do see what you mean.

Mind you, Bright Eyes is popular with hipsters and he really is 'bish.