The Logic Off Topic list

On a fine day, 06-06-2003, highlandsource wrote:

>group one: you agree - music sucks these days - give the one (ONLY ONE!)
>predominant reason why you might believe this to be the case.
>
>group two: huh? ;) and, as above, give one reason why you believe 
>the premise that
>music sucks these days is untrue.
>
>group three: since when were you allowed out? oh well, state your 
>(ONE) case here.

Why does everyone so easily accept the underlying premise that music 
either sucks or doesn't suck?  I know the above is meant as a teaser, 
intended to trigger funny responses, but up till now everyone seems 
to take this rather seriously *and* accept said premise at the same 
time.  Weird, uh?

Possible answers:

1) Some music sucks for some people, while it doesn't for others, 
etc.  The premise is false and hence a definitive answer is 
impossible.

2) Who am I (who are you) to judge the quality of music?  Every 
pretense at an answer is sheer arrogance.

3) No form of art every sucks.  Even if it's "cheap" art (by 
whichever standard), then its existence probably helps to a.o. better 
define the boundaries of cheap versus non-cheap, and thus it fulfills 
a useful/meaningful purpose and helps "true art" to be even "more 
true".

4) Every culture gets the art it deserves.  If the art of our culture 
sucks, then it's only because the culture itself sucks -- which in 
turn says more about our collective "state of being" than it says 
about the art itself.  So if you say that music sucks, you ultimately 
judge yourself and not something outside yourself -- except if you're 
foolish or naive enough to believe that somehow you can place 
yourself outside your own culture.


Okay, I guess I've just placed myself in group three now, haven't I? :-))


-- 
Hendrik Jan Veenstra   h @ k n o w a r e . n l
Omega Art: http://www.omega-art.com/