While I'm talking about things I don't like

[andrewducker]

I have pretty much enjoyed Home on the Strange since it began, but the latest story line is pissing me off, as it basically consist of "Look - people making art I don't like! What a bunch of idiots! Don't they get that making art I don't like is pointless and stupid???"

Which is an attitude I despise nearly as much as "Look - people at a party talking about stuff I'm not interested in, how dare they have interests I don't care about? I bet they think they're cool, but actually they're not!" - which I bumped into a few weeks back on someone's journal.

If you don't like something, don't do it. If you're not interested in something, don't engage with it. If other people _are_ then that's something they should be _encouraged_ to engage with, rather than belittled for actually having an interest in something, just because it's not what you care about.

Comments

[drplokta]

This is, of course, a pretty dangerous argument since your own position starts out "Look -- someone making art I don't like!".

[rosamicula.livejournal.com]

I read it as beginning with a criticism of that position - hence the quotes.

[andrewducker]

I should have been clearer - what I was largely objecting to was the scene where someone in the story attempts to explain their art, and is dismissed with a threat of violence.

I reserve the right to disagree with the message in the art, while not dismissing it as utterly without merit as I don't like it. There are a lot of movies, books, pictures, games, etc, etc. that do nothing for me, and I'm fine with that - but I do object to opinions that I find actively oppressive.

As with the wearing of veils, however, I obviously wouldn't be in favour of stopping people expressing those opinions.