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Offended Taste
May. 13th, 2005 08:33 am*sigh* Why is it that any time somebody attacks Whedon as a no-talent hack and describes Buffy as a teenybopper show with stupid plots and ridiculous dialogue, I feel the need to jump headfirst in the fray and tell the person exactly why they're wrong. I've seen this twice in the past couple days (once on Peter David's blog and once on Ain't It Cool News) and I've managed to rein in the impulse, thankfully.
Am I so unsure of my own taste that I feel the need to vigorously defend it against attacks? Why the need to "show people the light"? I mean, these are exactly the kinds of practices I abhor in other areas of life (religion, politics), but when it comes to television and movies, I get this whole superiority complex. Yesterday one of the judges at work called Lost in Translation a "boring waste of celluloid." Not only did I argue the point against one of my superiors, but I pulled the "I'm a film critic" card, which is seriously weak and wanktastic to boot.
I suppose it's because I see film and television as my niche, my area of expertise, and I therefore know more about it than others. The thing about taste, however, is that it's subjective. I can't possibly tell another person that they're wrong to hate something or love something.
Then again, part of the reason for ire elevation is that a lot of these attacks aren't only directed at the works, but also the people who like said works (the AICN post admonished Whedonites to get off the man's genitals). You can't win against such attacks, either. I try separating the work with the conniseur of said work, although it doesn't always work (see my disdain for people who think Friday the 13th is the height of the horror genre).
I dunno. My easy annoyance at such attacks on taste is really indicative that I have the same exact problem, but on the defensive. Then again, I've never really hidden the fact that I can be a pretentious ass, so what do I really expect?
Subpoint: Believing that pop culture is a rich vein of interesting discussion, ripe for dissection and deconstruction does not necessarily make me pretentious. It just makes me interested at a level where I'm comfortable.
Am I so unsure of my own taste that I feel the need to vigorously defend it against attacks? Why the need to "show people the light"? I mean, these are exactly the kinds of practices I abhor in other areas of life (religion, politics), but when it comes to television and movies, I get this whole superiority complex. Yesterday one of the judges at work called Lost in Translation a "boring waste of celluloid." Not only did I argue the point against one of my superiors, but I pulled the "I'm a film critic" card, which is seriously weak and wanktastic to boot.
I suppose it's because I see film and television as my niche, my area of expertise, and I therefore know more about it than others. The thing about taste, however, is that it's subjective. I can't possibly tell another person that they're wrong to hate something or love something.
Then again, part of the reason for ire elevation is that a lot of these attacks aren't only directed at the works, but also the people who like said works (the AICN post admonished Whedonites to get off the man's genitals). You can't win against such attacks, either. I try separating the work with the conniseur of said work, although it doesn't always work (see my disdain for people who think Friday the 13th is the height of the horror genre).
I dunno. My easy annoyance at such attacks on taste is really indicative that I have the same exact problem, but on the defensive. Then again, I've never really hidden the fact that I can be a pretentious ass, so what do I really expect?
Subpoint: Believing that pop culture is a rich vein of interesting discussion, ripe for dissection and deconstruction does not necessarily make me pretentious. It just makes me interested at a level where I'm comfortable.
