"Everything except rap and country."
--The typical middle class-upper middle class response to "What kind of music do you like?"
Before I wrote this, my brother made a good point--that it was an uninformed answer that threw out the possibility of exceptions in two massive categories.
But the first impression that the answer gave me was a rejection of two very extreme cultures: one typically urban and one typically rural. So everything in between is the music of the burbs?
Not quite... because if someone doesn't like country, it's safe to say they don't like Western (die-hard fans swear there's a difference)... and might not enjoy Zydeco and Swamp pop either. And if someone doesn't like rap, maybe hip hop turns them off too.
The answer REALLY means, "whatever's on the popular 18-25 radio station." They can't literally like everything outside of those two genres. If they did, then exotic world music would take up more at the Barnes and Noble music store than half a rack. Jazz and blues would be huge. Weird fusions of reggae, bebop, and death metal concerts would sell out.
But they don't. Because "everything but country and rap" is a thin, thin blanket under which most people sound the same.
Maybe I'm wrong about the people who answer this way. Maybe they're just afraid of being too specific.
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I like my Bolivian flute music.
ReplyDeleteHa ha! I give the exact same "Everything except rap and country." answer to people when I don't really want to elaborate too much.
ReplyDeleteYet every genre has its exceptions and I listen to all of them, from bubblegum pop to funeral doom metal. As long as I enjoy it it doesn't really matter what genre it happens to be in, right?
That's exactly right. We categorize for convenience's sake, but what matters is how it moves us.
ReplyDeleteAnd now that you mention it, it IS an easier answer to give than taking several minutes to explain all the different things you enjoy.