on pop culture, music and TV

I have a few friends who turn up their noses at TV.

One of them didn't watch any TV for a whole ear and found upon re-entering the TV viewing populace that there was nothing worth watching. All of it garbage, all of it trash.

While I love love love this friend I can't love her opinion ( kind of feel a little embarrassed around her because of my TV viewing). I am as previously stated in earlier posts a TV junkie. I love a good story. Her opinions are a bit of a slap, and while I know it's nothing personal; a part of me questions my tastes and my intelligence for willingly sitting in front of a box and staring at all the pretty lights...

On the other hand a part of me knows that I'm not just a big boob sitting in front an idiot box with my brain leaking out of my ears. I question what I'm watching, I critique and I get drawn in; if the story is written well enough.

Of course I also have moments when I'm exasperated by what passes for entertainment on the television. There are only so many dating shows, talent/ model contests and lowest common denominator situation comedies that I can stomach. Over the last few years I've paired down what I watch, picking and choosing what I'll sit in front of but I can't bring myself to turn my nose up at those who happen to like those other shows. Who am I to judge anyway?

As an artist I think it's important to be aware of popular culture and what's being consumed by the masses. Being in the know about new shows, bands and other media is also kind of cool too. Who doesn't want to be one of the cool kids?

I recently joined Blip.fm, a website/ social media platform that uses music sharing as it's method of communication. I'm hooked. Mainly because I've been re-introduced to bands I've almost forgotten about over the years and introduced to bands and performers I might not have come across otherwise, but also because the site allows for other users to show their appreciation of your musical choices. Of course this leads to a little performance anxiety.

What if one day you decide you just have to have to have to listen to some mass produced empty calorie pop music, something with minimal musical meat to it but a catchy hook that is slickly produced?

The other day one of the people I follow on twitter complimented my taste in music. The responsibility that went with that tweet was tremendous. With that tweet, (and the 40 odd props on my Blip.fm page that have gone with it) I all of a sudden felt the need to live up to that comment. Now I have to check myself if I all of a sudden have a yen to listen to some retro Back Street Boys. Talk about pressure.

Thankfully, that hasn't stopped me from blipping whatever comes to my fancy, like the sweater song with the kooky 50's/60's vibe, or a random They Might Be Giants tune. I like a well rounded play list.

Any one else feel the same things about your entertainment choices? The pressure to be super cool with your musical and other pop culture tastes?

Share a little, it can't be any worse than my adoration for John Cleese of Monty Python fame; he's on my free list of celebrities... him and a certain member of Depeche Mode......