Monday, December 12, 2005

Opinions

WARNING: RANT TIED IN WITH SOCIAL COMMENTARY AHEAD!

"Opinions are like assholes, everyone has one and it usually stinks." Has anyone else heard that phrase? How about, "If I wanted your opinion I would have asked for it" or the alternate finish "...I would have given it to you." Every day people offer their opinions to us. When we agree with the opinion given we take it as helpful contribution. When we disagree it annoys us and we find the person rude or uninformed. This is a particular annoyance to me.

I am a massive egomaniac. I just wanted to state that up front. I am a smart guy (or smart ass depending on who you ask) and when someone presents an idea to me that disagrees with my own I like it backed up with verifiable fact. I like to think I am right and at the risk of sounding pompous, I usually am. I am not referring to subjective matters like music or art but matters like math, science, or locations on a map.

Often I will talk about things well within my sphere of expertise such as electronics, computers, and math. Invariably someone nearby will jump into the conversation with an uninformed opinion like, "Christmas lights use very little electricity." Of course a single bulb uses little electricity but when you have a string of 400 bulbs (roughly 200 watts or .5 watts/bulb on the small Christmas lights for anyone who cares to know) it adds up fast. Don't tell me how much electricity a bulb uses if you can't define the word kilowatt.

In the realm of subjective matters such as music and art I hate it when people think their own taste superior to others.

I have a friend that recently introduced me to Fallout Boy and a few other punk bands I normally would not have listened to on my own. At first glance I found them to be talentless hacks who make up for their lack of talent with an androgynous femininity and a huge helping of adolescent angst. I suspended this opinion in order to form a more well rounded repertoire of music. I now find them mildly talented girls dressed up as angsty boys. Do I force this opinion on my friend? No, instead I respect my friend's taste in music.

I have an affinity for old school hard rock, blues, and country. My friend looks at this as inferior. Apparently having lyrics that make sense sung by people with testosterone and little to no eye makeup is inferior in her eyes. When hanging out I never get to choose the station because I might play a band with talent. No, I'm not bitter at all.

2 comments:

JC said...

ah the music snob.

I've known a few of those, and they're all basically the same. If you've heard of it, it isn't cool anymore.

These are usually people who have nothing else that is remarkable about them, they are usually quite uninteresting. So they seek out new music, things that you've never heard of, and never would have, if you hadn't known the music snob.

This makes them useful to society. I have been enlightened more than once by listening to something I got from a music snob, so they're fun to make fun of, (they're total geeks) but they are useful.

My favorite one is a certain broad from Texas who actually throws away her old cds after a year or two.

sheesh.

Unknown said...

For the record, this particular music snob is NOT a bore. We often have TONS of fun. She is simply EXTREMELY PICKY on her music.