I love Taylor Swift.
I really, really love The Greatest Showman.
One of my favourite books of all time is Kipper’s Balloon.
I don’t care what people think about my guilty pleasures because as I pass into old age I understand that wisdom, in part, is not caring what anybody else thinks.
People who don’t like Taylor Swift don’t understand how creative and clever and intelligent and inspirational someone like that can be.
People who think Eminem is just a thug from a trailer park are deluded cultural snobs.
People who disregard all pop music in favour of new independent music or classical music for rock music or country and western for hip hop are snobs and bigots whose minds are closed to anything that might be new or helpful or inspirational.
A long time ago I went to see a folk artist called Roddy Woomble (formally of Idlewild) at a tiny venue in Nottingham with a load of bearded, suede shoed folk hippie types.
Roddy Woomble is an extraordinary musician and artist who spans lots of different types of music (Idlewild were heavy rock not folk).
That night he introduced a young Nottingham artist who he felt was really talented to give him a chance on stage in front of about 250 people.
This young lad walked out with his head down, who could barely speak to the crowd because he was so nervous and played 3 of his songs.
His name was Jake Bugg and he went on from there to become a global superstar.
Even before that I used to listen to Blink -182, mostly because the song I Miss You speaks to me more about mental health and mental illness and darkness and depression than anything else I’ve ever heard and I loved Blink - 182 and all the stories behind them.
Alison and I turned up to a concert at the ice stadium to watch them play once and beside us were two 18 year old girls who were devastated that this old, fat, bald guy was next to them (more cultural snobbery lacking wisdom).
We should embrace our guilty pleasures and we should expand our minds because there is so much wonder and joy and art and culture and inspiration that we exclude due to our bigotry.
Blog Post Number - 2968
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