Cultural relativism

I'l try to explain my thought in the best english possible, I hope you'll be able to understand me.

Earlier today I had a chat with some guyz that have the same age than me, but who doesn't have the same cultural taste (they're more fans of popular stuff like Justin Timberlake, etc) and I tried to argue with them saying that his lyrics are pointless, that his popularity is more based on his looks, etc. Then they said the usuall crap it's my opinion, my taste blablabla. 2,3 hours later I was thinking about it and I was asking myself if I wasn't a little haughty when we're talking about politics, moral, etc. there is no relativism it's an excuse for people who can't argue, but when it touchs culture or taste I really don't know and I was curious to know what you guyz think about it.

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I do not speak english perfectly so expect some mistakes here and there in my messages

A persons opinions are relative to their surroundings, experiences, age, culture, etc. I wouldn't say that one persons taste is better or worse than another...just different.

Is a peperoni pizza better than fresh hand made sushi? or a fresh cut apple?

Is an Arthouse movie better than the latest blockbuster CG Hollywood movie? or an old classic film?

It just depends on one's taste.

Taste yes... but definitely down to surroundings.


It's like general behaviour in children. I saw a complete change in my own kids and also my Brother's kids when they started school.
Suddenly this attitude of "I hate vegetables" and "I don't have to listen to you" came out.


Monkey see, monkey do.


Tastes in music and film are the same. Kids will follow the crowd and most of them don't grow out of it, which is why you end up with fat housewives in their 50s who listen to Kylie Minogue and One Direction and 40 year old "men" who queue for hours to get tickets for the premier of Transformers.

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Well the problem is that I don't think all opinions are equal, but when it goes to taste I really don't know.

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Through the darkness of future past
The magician longs to see
One chants out between two worlds:
Fire walk with me.

"Well the problem is that I don't think all opinions are equal."

I agree, all opinions aren't equal...We would all be generic clones of one another if all opinions were equally valid.What I was trying to say is, it's cool if others don't like what we don't like. Heck, that makes us all the more unique.

99% of opinions are equal.


The 1% is when people give an opinion that is totally out of whack.


A guy in the pub the other night said "One armed people shouldn't be allowed to play pool in these leagues" ... he was referring to a friend of mine who had a brain haemorrhage and lost the use of his left arm yet still plays pool better than anyone I know.


So yeah, his opinion isn't just invalid... it's also dangerous. He's one of the 1%.

The opinion itself is not important.

It's the capability of people to properly explain and defend their opinion that can give it true value.

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Cobpyth's Movie Log ~ 2019

Allright so if someone defends Justin Bieber better than someone defends The Beatles in this particular case Justin Bieber can be judged ''better'' ? Or is in any case The Beatles better. The same goes for a comparison between The Shining and Devil's Due, etc.

Not really... The Beatles sucked as well.

Yes. The thing is, it's (practically) impossible to defend the opinion that Bieber is better than The Beatles.

No, they didn't and if we would have a discussion between eachother about whether The Beatles sucked or not, I would win.

They were successful because back in those days there was nothing to compete against them.


It's like PONG... "The Greatest Videogame Ever Made"... yeah, because there were no other videogames available for a home market.

Well, I wasn't sure what to believe in regards to whether or not all opinions are equally valid, but...

... Rodent just proved some opinions are completely worthless.

The Rodent is in the dangerous 1% out of whack. Plus he's ignorant of pop music history if he thinks there was no competition in the early-mid '60s, which may contribute to the validity of an opinion.

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It's what you learn after you know it all that counts. - John Wooden
My IMDb page

Allright, but it's also a question of knowledge. If I only know 2 or 3 songs of the beatle and that the other guy knows all of Bieber's discgraphy, loves it finds some mysterious meaning behind them he might win the argument basing on the knowledge of both person arguing.

hahahaha Devil's Due Top 1 worst movie of all-time

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''Haters are my favourite. I've built an empire with the bricks they've thrown at me... Keep On Hating''
- CM Punk
http://threemanbooth.files.wordpress...unkshrug02.gif

There you go... see?


I actually have no preference one way or the other with The Beatles. All music to me means nothing, not just some bands. All of it.


In just 2 posts I have proved a point. I gave what could be considered an opinion... everyone freaked and tried their best to invalidate it.

I think one of the problems is that when you have these conversations about art or entertainment they are mostly useless. We all engage with entertainment in different ways for different reasons. Consequently it is all subjective. I am a big believer that art does not inform our values or opinions it simply reflects them. I think when people say a movie or song changed my life what they really mean is that song or movie reflects very strongly how I feel. That is not to say that some art is not more heady than other art. It simply means the people who are engaing with it are doing so for a different purpose.

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Letterboxd

Also The Beatles are awesome.