Goth Challenge, Day 9

Day 9 – What genre of music do you dislike?

This one is easy. I absolutely cannot stand country or rap. I also don't like R&B, pop, or emo.

shudder...

Country just sets my nerves on edge. The whiny, nasally, twanginess makes me cringe. I truly hate the sound of this genre. Deeper, I also dislike the associations that go with this genre of music. I don't like Rednecks or Redneck humor. I have no problem with patriotism and love of one's country, but I do have a problem when it is presented in a way that is "us against them," or involves guns, or right wing propaganda - I have a very deep dislike of right-wing politics. I also dislike how often the topics of cheating spouses, guns, and fights are involved in songs. There is also a rather misogynistic quality about a lot of country music that bothers me.

That said, I do like some of the root music that gave rise to country. I do like the blues and some jazz, as well as the Old World folk.

yeah...

Rap - bothers me on several levels. I don't find the sound appealing in the least. In some cases, I can't understand how it qualifies as music and not just spoken word with a beat. But what I find most disturbing is the themes of violence, hatred and misogyny. I don't understand the glorification of a criminal or degenerate lifestyle. It does its fans a disservice by screwing up their values.

I realize that rap is a sub-genre of hip hop, and in general, I don't have a problem with most hip hop. I wouldn't choose to listen to it, but most of it doesn't offend me. I even kinda like the some of the old school hip hop artists like Run DMC and the Beastie Boys. And of the new style, I kinda like Eminem...

meh.

R&B music just isn't my style. Yes, some is beautiful, but just doesn't do it for me in any way. I have no strong objections to it though.

chewy and flavorless.

Pop annoys me to no end. Most of it is mass-produced crap designed specifically to sell records, not out of any artistic integrity. Most of it sounds the same and has the same themes. Listening to pop is like drinking rail gin instead of the good stuff, like Hendricks. No, thank you.

cringe...

Then there's emo... Let's get this straight right off the bat: Emo IS NOT the same as goth! Yes, both have roots in the punk movement, but from vastly divergent parts of punk. Goth came from the 70s-80s London punk scene. Emo was born from the 80s DC hardcore scene. Very different roots. And the music sounds very different. Sadly, some of the misguided fans have usurped some aspects of goth fashion, but they mixed it in with stolen bits of hipster and scene fashion as well.

Back to the point. I can't stand emo music. There is a discordance in the sound that makes me twitch. And the lyrics tend to be the introspections of manic depressives (sorry Matty). I've tried to wrap my head around this music, as my husband does greatly enjoy it (but thankfully doesn't embrace the terrible emo fashion), but try as I might, I just can't.