Criticizing Music Taste
 

In one of the threads, a new member commented on something they heard about members here criticizing the tastes of other members. They expressed their hesitation to explore the thread for this reason.

It's obvious here that many members think their taste in music is better than other members, while many are open to all types of music and opinions!

While I know that this is true and have experienced the negative consequences of such judgments here, I also know that some members take no interest in judging the music tastes of others. Many here simply wish to explore.

What do you think about this?
IS it okay to judge someone for their music TASTE? Why should anyone feel that they listen to better music than anyone else? Why does anyone feel their opinion in this subject is even important?


I remember about two years ago, I had shared an album that I was really excited about, only to be attacked for sharing it. I was called a middle school girl, compared to someone's little sister, and felt really embarrassed. I haven't listened to the album since then. Not because I didn't like it, but because I was upset and embarrassed. I can't express to you how much I liked the album, and how much I disliked some albums others were sharing, but never did I criticize the actual members.

It's just a weird concept to me that we attack the actual person, making them feel so bad that they change their music tastes. I have a lot more to say but what does everyone else think?

TL;DR is it okay to judge the music tastes of others, is it then okay to judge the person for having those tastes?

I think it depends what their musical taste includes, like for instance, I wouldn't want to be friends with someone who listens to Iggy Azalea or Skrewdriver.

But a lot of people take their taste far too personal, I know a lot of dudes like to try to press their taste onto me and I always feel bad because I'm like "this is ****ing terrible" and they act so wounded lmao

I subscribe to the opinion that taste is both subjective and relative. Taste is subjective, in the sense that there's no external, unbiased determinant of "good" versus "bad", but it is relative in that someone who listens to a very broad range of genres and artists will have a better understanding of their own subjective tastes than someone who listens to a very narrow array of radio musicians.

I'm not interested in criticism of the person liking the music, unless it is because they choose to have a narrow mind. That is all I pass judgment on.

Exactly! I pass judgment on people who I guess pass judgment on others for their music taste.

But it's exactly what I experienced here! It's pretty horrible to make people feel bad about what they listen to. You never know how they identify with it.

I find that criticism of music taste tends to happen more online than it does in real life. I'm a music major and so I share a love of classical music with my friends and all my other classmates, but beyond that our music tastes tend to vary widely. I've never witnessed any open judgment of someone's taste that extends beyond classical.

But online, it's different. Personally, the fact that I like genres like classical and jazz doesn't make me feel more cultured or better than other members who don't or who don't have an interest in it. I do get the feeling that some people have thought this way about me though but it's not true. I listen to all kinds of music and have an open mind, and I know what I like and don't like. I'm not here to flame people for enjoying music that I don't enjoy.

I think that music taste is often an extension of that person's character, so if they listen extensively to artists who are known racists/sexists/wife beaters/homophobes, etc, what does that say about the audience? I'm not going to call someone out for listening to those artists though.

I want MB to be a community where members are open minded about genres they haven't listened to or ones they assume they won't like, and likewise MB should be a place for education - members giving people good starting points when they want to get into new genres or artists, without the risk of anyone being judged for it.

So no, I don't think it's okay for people to judge others on their music taste. But unfortunately, it's not ever going to stop. Just like people get judged for other things like the clothes they wear to their socioeconomic status. It's just the way things are, sadly.

I'm kind of torn about this. I simply refuse to participate on threads where people are discussing the merits of a recording celeb that I hate. I don't think they need me coming on there to tell them how much I hate this person--then why am I on the thread, right?

But on my own threads I can get fairly opinionated about musical taste. What I hate most right now is anything popular that you are damn well isn't going to be remembered 30 years from now or stuff people are buying now but will be too embarrassed to admit it 10 years from now. If you like music that falls into either or both of these categories, you listen to crap!

But I am primarily a jazz and classical musician with a fondness for industrial, noise, punk and metal. And I like the older black pop music stuff (except disco) when it was worth listening to which it isn't today.

So you think it's okay to judge people on their music taste?

Let's be clear that judging someone's taste and judging someone's character are not the same matter.

In ancient Rome they used to say:
De gustibus non est disputandum

Hmm so maybe the title should be changed.

But I don't really like either, Meg. I hate when people are like WOW YOUR MUSIC TASTE SUCKS. Cause it's mine and I like it.

But I hate more when people criticize ME for it.

Of course, it's general dickery to parade your own excellence in any respect, but I think some people's posts are crossing the two matters as though they were the same.

I got called a snobby bitch once when I told someone I liked classical.

I understand. At the same time, though, I feel like it's ****ed up even to be like YOUR TASTE IN MUSIC IS CRAP BECAUSE IT ISN'T LIKE MINE.

I LISTEN TO JAZZ.

That's super r00d

I never said that. I know people whose musical tastes are nothing like mine and I get along with them perfectly well. Just because I may not care for the music you listen to doesn't mean I hate you or regard you with contempt. I'd be hating a lot of people if that was the case.

Oh then I see where the mix up was. You hate their music tastes and not them.

On the other side of the coin, judgment is deeply embedded in our psychology, and even being aware of where it comes from doesn't prevent you from passing it; it only helps you shelve it once it's occurred.

What Lord Larehip is saying is perfectly en pointe

however I think its questionable to be friends with someone who you find to have musical tastes reflecting poor moral judgment makes you just as bad as them, since you're an enabler for that kinda bull**** if you let them go on unchecked with their awful morals

I suppose it depends on how far this person buys into the music. I think you can enjoy music superficially without supporting its ideals. Loving a song about infidelity doesn't make one a traitor of course, but there's probably a point where defending your taste becomes blurred with defending what an artist is saying, which is a can I don't want to open.

My best friend loves Eminem, respects him, and relates to a lot of his work, but that doesn't reflect on her as a supporter of spousal abuse, homophobia, or any number of questionable views inherent in the lyrics of someone who writes to rile people up.

I mean like. Respecting Eminem is kind of like the problem, isn't it?
I don't respect people who talk about rape in a way that makes it seem like a small issue.

She respects him for some things, but not for others. I think that's acceptable if the person in question is critical and self-aware.

I'm certain that my biggest inspirations in life have committed acts or wrongs against others that I don't agree with or respect, but I don't believe it invalidates any positive qualities they might have*. Everybody on this planet is a mixed bag, and I accept that.

Disclaimer: There are, of course, wrongs that can be committed that might overshadow positive qualities, and these will vary for everyone. I didn't mean to imply that my hero-worship knows no bounds.

Definitely understand!

It's fine to judge someone for the music tastes they have but within reason.

I also don't think it should go as far as judging the person's moral characteristics over what/who they choose to listen to. It's almost like you are saying that if they listen to some topics that you don't approve of that they will turn around and act out those same topics in person.


My experience with having people judge my taste here. I tried to have the attitude of brushing it off and not caring too much what they think but one comment that stuck with me and I thought was out of line was when a member said that my music taste doesn't meet the standards of MB.

I'm like what? what kind of pretentious bullshit ass statement is that? I thought that was a bit much and I'll never forget it.

I accept everyone and the music that they listen to. I'm always pretty open minded about trying out music/genres that I haven't heard before. If you are a member of MB, to get the best benefit out of this place it is worthwhile to be open minded towards music genres/artists that you haven't heard before.

Mebbe they meant Milton Bradley

Milton Bradley has awful taste in music though and I don't want to be associated with the likes of him :mad:

Oh yeah, the baseball player. He utterly sucked goat nuts as a Seattle Mariner.


But I meant the toy company


http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8330/8...b9dc4ffc_z.jpg

I didn't even know there was a baseball player named Milton Bradley. I was thinking of the game company as well.

As a matter of fact, this news story is two hours old


Milton Bradley's uncontrollable demon finds new rock bottom | Jerry Brewer | The Seattle Times

My husband hates my taste in music and he has been my worst critic, wounding me so badly I once threw away abut 50 CDs a little over 10 yrs ago. Since I have recovered and ppl's opinions on it do not bother me. I acknowledge it's different, bad, or weird taste.

I think criticising music taste is ok as long as you be respectful and not judge the person for said music taste.

You'd think he would be a cheery type of person with a name like that.

It's OK. According to Last.fm, I have the musical taste of a 14-year-old Canadian girl.

It depends.

Of course I'm silently judging someone if I'm sitting over here, having just listened to some rad ass song by Elliott Smith and they're got a Katy Perry CD in their hand sporting it like God just shat out a golden.

But if they dig Katy, they dig Katy. That's not my problem. It's their problem, honestly. I just feel sorry for them.

But otherwise, no. I don't judge. I don't see why there's a need to judge. It's like judging someone for having a cat because you have a dog. No point.

If I try to engage in a conversation and the other person says I don't like this or that, it's the end of the conversation. I do not know if they think their criticism is of interest or if it is to push others away.

Musical taste can be judged in terms of how one critiques an album/artist/track, (simply saying something is bad or silly isn't enough), how open someone is to new music, (I know too many people who only like rock, only like hip hop and only have one or two albums they listen to from different genres) and in general how they look at music as a whole.

I doubt many listeners on this site or other related music forums would have ignorant taste though.

It's pretty easy to judge people's taste in music, especially when they don't line up with your own tastes because that's what most will hold as a standard for what he/she would call good or bad taste. Or at least that's what I do. That being said I try (sometimes unsuccessfully) not to be a dick and tell people that their taste is outright ****. I'll still give my opinion on your favourite artist, good or bad, but that's about as far as I'll go.

As long as you can have at least half an intelligent discussion about music without saying something like 'OMG SLIPNUT RULLLLEZZZ AND IZ THE MOST BRUTAL BAND IN DA WORLD' I really don't care what you listen to.

I think music taste is far too subjective to harshly criticise someone for theirs. Are there different degrees of criticism? Probably, and maybe some of them I wouldn't take an issue with. Whether or not I take issue probably depends exactly on whats being said.

I recognise that I judge other peoples taste in music though. I think its important for a lot of us to realise that we do this, if we do this. For me it's a reflex, if they hold dear them to music that I find absolutely zero substance in, then this is obviously clash with my own taste in music. It doesn't mean I have to verbalise this though to put them down. I would struggle to find many scenarios where I think this is necessary.

I'm happy to take the positives from any music fans passion, and take some advice and assistance from them when it comes to exploring their particular genres of interest. I will always find some criticism of them as well though. I don't appreciate people who don't have any interest in metal telling me everything they think is wrong with liking metal. I also don't appreciate the "metalheads" that criticise my music taste outside of metal, if what they are criticising is my love for a band that "isn't heavy enough". Narrow mindedness is just as big an annoyance for me as putting down someone for their taste in music.

Keep an open mind and don't pass judgement on others, and I can respect you regardless of what it is you like.

I think there is a HUGE difference between "taste in music" and "how far you decided to delve, and the resulting listening history based on how pro-active you are in looking up music".

I am sure that many millions of people would enjoy a large part of the weirder/eclectic/obscure side of my listening history had they gone out and done the same thing as me and just decided to look out for as much different music as possible. Had I not done that, I would be one of those guys who says "Music nowadays just sucks" / "Taylor Swift hasn't made a bad song yet" because I really wouldn't have made any effort at all.

Therefore I refuse to judge the taste of people who just aren't that interested in looking for anything outside the radiosphere.

I think everyone judges other people's taste in music to some degree. It's only natural, if someone keeps talking about music you dislike, that you're going to think, man I do not like this person's taste in music. But obviously that doesn't mean you have to be a dick about it how you express that. And judging someone as person based on their taste in music is really ridiculous.

On a similar note, something that bugs me that I've noticed occasionally around here is people who judge other people's motives behind saying they like something. For example, claiming someone is saying they like something just to appear cool or different. Such a silly presumption to make. If someone tells me they like something, I assume that's because they do in fact like it. I'm not going to second guess their reasons for liking what they like.

:yeah: