Monday, March 06, 2006
No accounting for taste
It's hard to defend one's taste. Often, a choice comes down to the fact that you like something, and little more can be said. Still, it never fails to amaze and confound that a person who shares some of your tastes does not share all of them. Or rather, that you'll agree on liking one thing, but you will like another and he or she will hate it - and vice versa.
Thus, what more can I say about caraway liking Dolly Parton? Do I add anything by describing her (Dolly Parton, not caraway) as grotesque, or the song as banal and repetitive? Sweet Jesus!
With respect to josh budd, how can he say that my #1 movie of the year was "bad"? It was riveting, dramatic, and incisive, as well as being visually stunning. The performances were all good. It had sufficient depth that a person like me could see it as profoundly anti-war and even anti-American, whereas other people obviously saw it quite differently.
I haven't seen Murderball, but it sounds a bit like the documentary equivalent of Jarhead - in a different context, admittedly. March of the Penguins did suffer from some anthropomorphism or pathetic fallacy, but at the same time I found the starkness of the environment and the steadfastness of the penguins' behaviour - regardless of how much volition we are prepared to attribute to it - grand, if not heroic. I also admired the bravery of the film makers in shooting the film in such incredibly severe conditions.
The Squid and the Whale obviously had a limited appeal. Not everyone is a New York Jewish intellectual - which is too bad for them. Those that are not, strangely, are often not interested in the particular problems suffered by those who are. Go figure.
And as for the pimp song, I did try to approach it with an open mind - or as open as my old mind can be towards hip-hop. I didn't pay much attention to the lyrics - in part because I couldn't understand them, mostly because I was not impressed by the fact that a pimp has to pay his rent. We all have to pay rent, and most of us manage to do it without grossly exploiting poor women. Musically, however, I feel quite comfortable in saying that it was just a really bad song. Hook, shmook.
Thus, what more can I say about caraway liking Dolly Parton? Do I add anything by describing her (Dolly Parton, not caraway) as grotesque, or the song as banal and repetitive? Sweet Jesus!
With respect to josh budd, how can he say that my #1 movie of the year was "bad"? It was riveting, dramatic, and incisive, as well as being visually stunning. The performances were all good. It had sufficient depth that a person like me could see it as profoundly anti-war and even anti-American, whereas other people obviously saw it quite differently.
I haven't seen Murderball, but it sounds a bit like the documentary equivalent of Jarhead - in a different context, admittedly. March of the Penguins did suffer from some anthropomorphism or pathetic fallacy, but at the same time I found the starkness of the environment and the steadfastness of the penguins' behaviour - regardless of how much volition we are prepared to attribute to it - grand, if not heroic. I also admired the bravery of the film makers in shooting the film in such incredibly severe conditions.
The Squid and the Whale obviously had a limited appeal. Not everyone is a New York Jewish intellectual - which is too bad for them. Those that are not, strangely, are often not interested in the particular problems suffered by those who are. Go figure.
And as for the pimp song, I did try to approach it with an open mind - or as open as my old mind can be towards hip-hop. I didn't pay much attention to the lyrics - in part because I couldn't understand them, mostly because I was not impressed by the fact that a pimp has to pay his rent. We all have to pay rent, and most of us manage to do it without grossly exploiting poor women. Musically, however, I feel quite comfortable in saying that it was just a really bad song. Hook, shmook.
# posted by Stephen @ 4:41 p.m. 
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I agree. It's no wonder the extremely well-rounded, non-elitist, non-jewish, anti-character role Academy couldn't find something to hang their hat on.
Isn't the Oscars the kosher equivalent of the BET Awards?
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Isn't the Oscars the kosher equivalent of the BET Awards?
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