So I had this argument among friends, and I'm
going to set the record straight and just put
my foot down on this issue, okay? The question
is this. Is art subjective? And the answer to
that is an emphatic hell no, okay? There is objectivity
in art. I'm going to break it down for you. I'm
going to explain to you why it is a dumbass opinion
to go ahead and think that art is somehow subjective
and it's just whatever it is that you like. So
let's differentiate between two different claims.
So one claim is, I like such and such artwork.
So let's say, I like this Picasso piece. Versus,
this Picasso piece is good. If you are going
to be subjective about art, then you're going
to say, well, whatever I like is what is good,
right? And everybody just likes different things.
People could like whatever they want to, okay?
So it's good for them, okay? All right. If you
want to have that opinion and you want to equate
basically what somebody likes to what is actually
good, then what you're saying... essentially
is then that any every single piece of art that
somebody likes is good for them right so there
is no such thing as bad art technically speaking
right there's just stuff that you like and don't
like and what this does is it just destroys any
sort of discussion we could have about what constitutes
good art there would be no need for critics there
would be no need for people to even have discussions
about good art we would just go around walking
around in museums and being like that's good
Because all that means is I like it. That's bad.
All that means is I don't like it. That's it.
End of discussion. You like it. I don't like
it. End of discussion. There's no more talking
need to be done, right? Why is it that we have
conversations trying to convince each other that,
you know, our view of whether or not this piece
is a good piece of art, right? Why do we have
those discussions at all? It's because we don't
believe in this subjectivity of art, okay? We
believe that some people have... an unrefined
taste, or we believe that there are reasons that
could be given to convince another person that
the art is good, right? This is why we have these
debates about like, oh, who's the best at doing
X, Y, and Z? Who's the best painter? Who's the
best musician? Yada, yada, yada. It's because
we have some sense of what constitutes good art.
And it varies depending on exactly the kind of
art we're talking about. It might depend on the
genre. It might depend on all kinds of things.
Let me give you an example. In music, I'm imagining
that most people will say things like harmony,
melody, creativity, and how the sounds are put
together. I don't know. You could point to all
kinds of lyrics. All these kinds of things could
come together to constitute good music. Now,
what constitutes good music in rap might be different
from what constitutes good music in punk. rock,
which might be different than what constitutes
good music in classical. I don't know. We can
have these discussions. But the point is that
there's some sort of standard. It's not as if
there's no standard. There is some sort of standard.
Let me give you an example. I'm about to sing
for you right now. I'm going to sing for you
right now. You tell me if this is good music.
Are you ready? Let's be honest. That was pretty
amazing. Wasn't it? I'm just kidding. That was
awful, right? That was terrible. I think I could
acknowledge it. That was shit. That was horrible.
That was not music. I don't know. I mean, you
could say it is music, right? There's some semblance
of musical structure to some degree. But I'll
listen to that and be like, yeah, that's terrible.
And it's not me saying I don't like it. There's
a difference, right? I don't like it, but I could
appreciate it. We could say these things because
we don't think that they're one and the same
thing. OK, well, let me give you an example.
Right. Like I remember when I was growing up,
Britney Spears was really popular and Britney
Spears was just like playing all over the radio.
And I was always so annoyed. It's like, oh, this
music is shit. I hate it. Right. And I was able
to still acknowledge. Right. Especially with
most of these pop music that go viral. I guess
I say, look, hey, I could acknowledge why people
like it. I could acknowledge that people like
it. I get. It makes sense why people like it.
There's something about the melodies and something
about it that just really is catchy, right? It
gets stuck in your head. It's an earworm, okay?
All right, I get why people like it. I'm not
denying that people can like it. Sometimes I
hated myself for doing this, but sometimes I
would catch myself accidentally singing along
to a Britney Spears song, and I'd be like, damn,
damn it, okay? Because it gets stuck in my head.
So I might not necessarily, I might acknowledge
that. There's a reason that people like it. I
still think that it is shit. It's shit music.
It's not good music, okay? And, you know, the
discussion wouldn't just end there. If somebody
wanted to actually have a conversation, it's
like, well, why do you think it's not good music?
You acknowledge that people like it. It's like,
yeah, I acknowledge that people like it, but
just because people like it doesn't mean it's
good music. And the difference is that good music
constitutes, and then now I give you reasons
for why it is that I would consider, you know,
such and such song. good or not good music, right?
It would be something along the lines of it lacks
creativity, has been done before. I get why it's
popular, but that's because the melody is like
a rehashing of some old song. The lyrics don't
talk about anything meaningful. It doesn't actually
evoke any strong emotions, right? The singing
is terrible, especially in the case of Britney
Spears. That nasally voice always drove me nuts,
okay? I get it if you like it. I am not going
to hate on you for liking it. I might judge you
a little for having bad taste maybe. But you
could like what you like. I have friends who
like different genres of music or different artists.
That's fine. We could like different things.
But don't tell me that just because you like
it, that's what makes it good. That's not what
makes it good. You know what that is? That is
a lazy fucking response by somebody who doesn't
want to have a real conversation about what constitutes
good music. When it comes to things like going
to a museum and looking at pieces of art. Okay,
look, I'm going to be honest with you. I don't
know enough about... about art to be able to,
at least in terms of paintings and drawings and
photography, I don't know enough about the process
to be able to say anything meaningful about it.
What I do know is that the people who do know
something about these things, it would be important
to have a conversation with them and listen to
them and try to understand why they think certain
pieces of art are good art. I don't have to agree
with them, and it doesn't change the fact that
I might not actually end up liking it at all.
I might still just not like it. There's a difference
between not liking it and acknowledging some
aspects of a piece of art that makes it or gives
somebody a reason to think it's good art or bad
art, right? So look, all I'm asking for is this,
okay? Stop being a dick and just saying all art
is subjective and just everybody like whatever
they like. You know what that is? These are conflict
avoidant pieces of shit that don't want to have
real conversations about art. That's what it
is. It's real, genuine, non -art appreciators,
right? If you genuinely appreciate art, you want
to talk about the art. You want to have a conversation
about what makes the art good, what makes the
art not so good, what aspects of it was particularly
creative or unique or really changed the landscape
in the art world. Whatever the form of art you're
talking about, we want to have these conversations
because none of us really believe that it is
purely subjective. That is bullshit. That is
bullshit. That's what people who know nothing
about art actually say because they feel, I don't
know what, insecure about not having anything
meaningful to say about the art? Then just shut
up and listen, right? Listen to people who know
what they're talking about, okay? I ask my students
all the time to introduce me to some new music.
I am not going to be knocking on newer generations
and be like, that's not real music. That's a
piece of shit, right? I'm not going to be one
of those people because I want to have the conversation
about what constitutes good art with... Anybody,
right? Because I want to get a better understanding
of what it is that they're picking up on. And
my guess is that they're picking up on some of
these similar core elements that make all art
in the history of things, right? If you think
about in the long term, right? What constitutes
good art for a majority of people, right? It
doesn't come out of nowhere. You need to train
yourself in understanding what it is that you're
listening to or exposing yourself to. You need
enough exposure. If you don't listen to enough
of this particular genre of music, you don't
have anything meaningful to say about it because
you don't know what you're talking about, right?
I will acknowledge this and I will actually say,
like, look, I don't know enough about this. I
might like it. I might not like it. I could tell
you why I like it, why I don't like it. But I
also am not going to say that that means that
somehow my judgment makes it so that it is good
art or bad art for me. That is some arrogant
bullshit, okay? That is some arrogant bullshit
rooted in some deep insecurity. So y 'all need
to stop lying to yourselves, okay? There is objectivity
in art, okay? Just because things are popular
doesn't make it good, okay? I think we've all
had the experience of this. Things that have
gone viral and you're like, that is shit. That
is crap. Like, that is not good music, okay?
So... Let's be reasonable about this. Let's have
real conversations and stop getting so sensitive
and worked up just because somebody doesn't agree
with you on what they like and don't like and
what you like and don't like, right? Not everyone
needs to agree. It's fine. We have differences
of opinion. Let's have a conversation about it.
Don't get your feelings all worked up in a bunch,
all right? Jesus Christ.