I feel a little like I’m beating a dead horse, even though I know this post isn’t really. It comes in a similar vain to the posts of the last few days.
Did you know it’s possible to enjoy most things? Let me be more specific. Did you know that it’s okay to enjoy the classically lame tunes of Nsync; Footloose in all of its cheesy glory; hell, even old episodes of Full House!
When I speak to people, especially younger people, I get this consistent sense of the entertainment taboos. I don’t know who’s coming up with this stuff, but it’s really annoying and frankly, pointless. Even within the same genre of music, the Postal Service is okay to listen to, but Owl City is ‘gay’. Barring my own annoyance at people using that word in that way, it’s also just plain irrational.
Sometime around 19 or 20 I made private commitment to myself to enjoy whatever I enjoy. And I know, I’ve probably written about this before. But see, I realized at that time, if I’m totally honest, I can’t deny that I enjoy the sound of most music. I enjoy most movies I watch. There were all kinds of things coming out of the entertainment industry that I “didn’t like”, but not for any reason that involved what I was actually seeing or hearing.
What I realized at that time when I made that commitment to myself was that my dislikes were mostly ideological or social. Meaning something to the effect of not liking Owl City because it was a lame rip-off of the “real stuff” the Postal Service was making. I wouldn’t have liked the Twilight series because it was full of cheap gimmicks. Nevermind the fact that Owl City is catchy and fun, and the Twilight series is plenty entertaining.
For some reason, for a lot of people, being entertaining or being catchy isn’t good enough to give permission to enjoy something. That is very stupid and it’s a self deprivation that’s based on almost nothing.
See, I feel that I’ve discovered an important distinction. There are some kinds of entertainment that are fun and just plain entertaining, then there are some that should also be respected.
What do I mean by that? I mean that I can enjoy and have fun with the catchy tunes from Owl City, but I can respect The Postal Service. This is an important distinction. With this mental divide, my ideological and social qualms with some particular piece of entertainment cannot prevent me from enjoying something which, in a vacuum, I would find quite fun. Now, it’s very rare that I hear something that I simply do not like. I rarely watch something that I really don’t enjoy. It may still take a lot to impress me, but not to entertain me.
So, let me suggest something to you. Do you often find yourself scoffing at the latest theatrical release? Do you often find yourself rolling your eyes when the latest auto-tuned disfigurement grazes the car speakers? Ask yourself this—If I knew nothing of this artist, of the current state of music or movies or tv, if I had no idea what my peers thought of this, would I still roll my eyes? Would I still scoff? I’m willing to bet, with reasonable confidence, that if most people are honest with themselves, they’d say that yeah, they enjoy it.
There it is. There will be the proof that you are unnecessarily barring yourself from enjoying much more than you already are.
From my own experience, I strongly encourage you to make the distinction I’ve made. Find the artists and the art that you respect, but allow yourself to enjoy whatever you want. It’s freeing. It’s fun. And, it makes it much easier to share interests with more people, more often. I assure you, you won’t regret it.
Cause lets be honest, climbing a tree, playing tag, or a good round of sardines may be childish, but it’s fun. And likewise, Lady Gaga may be cheesy, but the music sure is a hoot to listen to.