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[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

Sparked by a familiar controversy rearing its head on The Lex's LJ, I thought maybe a poll would help us get further into this question. (Let's not go all ILM here, please.)

[Poll #663010]

The underlying question maybe:"Is it important for your consumption of music to reflect your social and political beliefs?" (another old ILM favourite). When the choice to be made is a negative one, a lot of people say "yes" - someone who hates homophobia may well boycott records by an act they see as homophobic. But my guess is people who believe in racial equality don't make 'positive' choices to support that in their music consumption (for instance). And why should they, if they don't like the music? But I think it's an interesting area.

Comments

An Anecdote, Not Strictly related to Ethnicity:

[steviespitfire.livejournal.com]

I bought As the Veneer of Democracy Starts to Fade a few months back, on the strength of Mark Stewart's reputation, and because I wanted to try something 'different'. I listened to it, didn't particularly enjoy it all that much, my flatmate came in. We got to chatting about why I was listening to it. I muttered something about wanting to "challenge" myself; "broaden my horizons" and, basically, came off looking like a bit of a twat.

Why, my flatmate said, didn't listen to stuff that I enjoy!

(The answer to this is, yes, because I want to enjoy MORE, but still, be aware of this counter-arg!)

[zenith.livejournal.com]

I think my answer to the second question is sort of bound up in theories about culture and politics - i.e., my ideal is that everyone listens to whatever* they want, across a level playing field. However, we don't have that level playing field. We have a field in which hierarchies exist but they're often invisible-ised, for want of a better term. So one sometimes has to make a conscious effort to extend the range of the types of people who make the music you listen to, in order to achieve an actual normality, rather than the illusory normality which is in fact heavily influenced by (often quite subtle) social/cultural/political inequalities and 'isms'.

*Except the Kilroy Chiefs, obviously.

[steviespitfire.livejournal.com]

Taste is part of identity surely, but, to a degree its calculated or chosen anyway. 'Race' and 'ethnicity' aren't chosen in any comparable way?

This is a difficult comparison/question...

[boyofbadgers.livejournal.com]

I said usually! And it's not necessarily about challenge - I meant moving outside yr comfort zone in terms of seeking something new and/or different rather than seeking something difficult. The problem with the Wire/indie consensus is that it equates challenging-ness with merit. Of course, this itself becomes a comfort zone - see the predictability of Wire covers over the last 10 years or so.

[boyofbadgers.livejournal.com]

Eh, fwiw I translated 'good for you' as 'likely to lead to more aesthetic enjoyment in the long term'.

[steviespitfire.livejournal.com]

B-but all those polls!

[steviespitfire.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that's better than 'good for you', which makes me think of press ups or veg or something.

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

Yes intentional ambiguity, that's a big part of it too of course.

[steviespitfire.livejournal.com]

You're right obv. It's an easy fallacy to slip into though: pushing yrself/challengin yrself is often equated with merit/'good for you' outwith music: exercise/academia etc etc.

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

Ditto.

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

Craig David = TERRIBLE Beard but not beard music per se ;-)

[dubdobdee.livejournal.com]

YES IT WAS!

[dubdobdee.livejournal.com]

MULLAH RESMAT HAS NO STANDING WITHIN THE IRANIAN CAMP

[juror8.livejournal.com]

Why do I keep thinking Lex is Vietnamese?

[boyofbadgers.livejournal.com]

A good example of what I mean by moving out of your comfort zone is your 'getting into Zep' project. This is most definitely NOT a move up the ladder of 'difficulty' musically, but it is something that is outside your normal range of listening.

[jel-bugle.livejournal.com]

The last eleven CDs I bought, hmm, this could be wrong, all this year...

Sarah Shannon - S/T
Tortoise and Bonnie Prince Billy - The Brave and the Bold
Sir Lancelot - Trinidad is Changing
Sprinkler - More Boy, Less Friend
Mastodon - Leviathan
Bleeding Through - The Truth
Dragonforce - Inhuman Rampage
Trivium - Ascendancy
Within Temptation - The Silent Force
Dragonforce - Valley of the Damned.
Various - Caribbean Disco Party

So, this list reflects need for PWC, and new year resolution of metal buying.

I do, however, have some Swedish lo-finess, ans some female fronted goth metal on order still.

I never notice the gender/race thing on lists. I'm planning to get some more calypso music, as the Sir Lancelot album is great

[jel-bugle.livejournal.com]

oh damn, forgot: By Coastal Cafe - Old Cartoons

(Swedish lo-finess) (I also bought the last couple of issues of Robots and Electronic Brains, they came with free CD's)

[carsmilesteve.livejournal.com]

is "ethnicity" loaded? seeing as how race doesn't exist, what would you use instead?

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

someone who hates homophobia may well boycott records by an act they see as homophobic

I remember someone telling me off for listening to Shabba Ranks once (wz it you, graciousviv?) and I had no idea he was encouraging poor little me to shoot gay people. I liked the song. Obv if you are 1xbig racialist and exclusively listen to Oi records it is more reflective of you as a person. I like Eminem but I don't want to er, drown my wife. I like MES & His teh Falls, and he hates EVERYTHING (esp the countryside) and I LIKE everything. p.s. I am ambivolent about the countryside.

I can't remember the last couple of rekkids I bought but whether they be girls or boys matters WAY less than when I was 14 innit (hence my inordinate amount of Elastica love). I like Girls Alound, MIA and Lady Sov AND System of a Down AND eurobosh and Teh Falls and this Kompakt cd what I am listening to right now. I DEFY GENRE!

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

Arrgggh is Led Zep the aural equivalent of broccoli?

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

Yes (not to the brocolli), with Led Zep there's a conscious flirtation with something I've defined as "The Enemy" for about 10-15 years, so in my own head getting into them feels quite decadent and wicked whereas in the actual world Led Zep are colossally huge and it is completely 100% natural that a fat white bloke with a beard should want to buy up their back cat.

[jauntyalan.livejournal.com]

what about reckids as gifts - i got kraftwerk and will young for xmas = i am a gay n@zi

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

Last night I was force fed both broccoli AND led zep by my erstwhile cookery companion. only disc 1 of remastered tho - the true beardy hobbit stuff is disc 2 innit.

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

Broccoli is lovely!

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

I always feel guilty about the way I don't feel guilty about loving really homophobic dancehall.