So we are all to be converted

to the Church of Dylan?

What can I say except announce that I am rebelling by listening to lots of J-pop. Especially songs by Gackt, who is marvellously androgynous as well a damned good musician.


I thought the Litt&Other Arts classes were going to be the best in this semester, but C&CB take the honours here. The rock lyric classes are a little tiresome, as in: I am already tired of being condescended to because I am one of those people who are not walking-talking encyclopaedae of American folkrock history or whatever. I am already tired of the effortless, empty cynicism, the gross (both senses) assumptions, the general and overwhelming sense that I am considered a loser simply because I have not had the opportunity, the privilege, of growing up with the kind of cultural capital - or hell, the capital - needed to, say, have 'heard things not on the Billboard Top Twenty'.

Anyone who knows me probably also knows how much music I listen to and how varied my tastes are. I can't exactly claim to not be a bit of a music snob myself. But the planets do not align, the spheres do not resound, I do not even bother to speak up in class because I know that even when I'm right I'm wrong.

And I'm tired of the conflicting messages. 'Think for yourself'. Well, thank you sire, I do, and I think, I really think that I do not appreciate having my intelligence no matter how indirectly demeaned by all these little throwaway oh-so-sarcastic comments.

I don't dig Bob Dylan despite the fact that he's a genius? I can deal with that. And I think it'd be good if everyone else could, too. We're not all the same.

I have to listen to Bob Dylan sooner or later? All right. In fact, I am. I like it. But I doubt the subliminal arm-twisting is going to turn me overnight into a Fan. Incidentally, why isn't all this stuff on the DL computer? Instead of retarded pop videos. Whose brilliant idea was it to load that ludicrous Guns and Roses video, by the way? the one where Axl Rose or whatever his name is cavorts around the stage wearing bright red hot pants. Such a straight man, that one. Haha. Too bad he's just a filthy mess.

Also, Simon and Garfunkel fucking suck. If I want sweetness and sensitivity I can play the Beach Boys. But for now I'll listen to ambiguous-looking popstars with lyrics I can't decipher because they're in a different language. Go me.