When I run across something I really like, I have a
tendency to barrage anyone who will listen or is unfortunate to be in my
immediate vicinity at the time with a multitude of reasons why they should like
that thing, as well. It doesn’t matter if that said thing is a song, movie, TV
show, book, pair of shoes, beer, potato chip, or person. As sorry as I am to
say it, if I like something, I have a habit of attempting to persuade other
people to like it, too. Worse, I have a habit of passing unfair judgment upon people
when they don’t like what I do.
A prime example of this is Louis C.K. Tonight is
the season premiere of the third season of his show, “Louie.” I was a fan of his
standup routine well before he got his most excellent show on the FX Network,
but I became a diehard fan after the first episode of the first season aired
two summers ago. And I immediately went to work convincing anyone who would listen
why they should be watching too, and if they didn’t watch they would missing
out on the greatest joy of their life, and if they missed out on the greatest
joy of their life they wouldn’t be living up to their duties as a human being,
and by not living up to their duties as a human being I could no longer be associated
with them. Well, I didn’t take my admiration and adoration of Louis C.K. quite
that far, but I did push the boundaries a bit I’m afraid by obnoxiously and
annoyingly pushing C.K. down the proverbial throat of others.
I did ultimately convince my wife to watch “Louie,”
mostly by telling her it was quite possibly the greatest show to ever make the
airwaves (something that I’m not entirely not convince of). When she found some
of his material and scenes offensive (something perfectly within her rights)
and didn’t make it a point to firmly block out the 9: 30 to 10 p.m. timeframe
each and every Thursday night, however, I started doubting whether we were really
right for each other. Well, again, I didn’t take my disappointment to those
levels, but I was in fact disappointed that she didn’t instantly gravitate to
the genius that I so obviously saw in Louis C.K.
I remember the same thing happening years ago when
rap first starting infiltrating the popular music world with force. I instantly
jumped onboard. Most of my friends didn’t. I deemed them shortsighted and
incapable of recognizing “art” in all forms. The same thing happened decades
ago when I attempted to point out the comedic genius of “The Blues Brothers” to
my girlfriend at the time, who didn’t find Jake and Elwood nearly as amusing as
I did. (“I’ll’ have four friend chickens and coke.” Come on!) And I can’t count
the number of times or the number of people I’ve tried to hip to the real-world
value of professional wrestling and why the dirty backstage goings-on and
politics are every bit as enticing and oddly entertaining in a dirty,
backstabbing, underhanded, dark, and power-hungry way as Tony Soprano or
Michael Corleone or George Bush Jr.
A funny thing happened to me this morning, though,
that made me rethink my position (as if it needed much rethinking; I know how
full of crap I am). When a discussion between a friend and I turned to abstract
art and its merit, I essentially said abstract art doesn’t have any merit (at
least to me). I don’t get it. More or less, I crapped all over something that
someone else found value in by denouncing it. Why? Well, merely because it
doesn’t “speak” to me. Hmm. That’s pretty much like how Louis C.K. doesn’t
really speak to some people I know, or how some people don’t consider rap to be
music, and some people (gasp) don’t perceive Jake and Elwood to be on the same
level as Abbott and Costello.
Lesson learned. We like what we like.
Yep. If there's no chemistry, then no amount of argument will help. You can't convince someone they like something they don't (unless he/she's an adolescent desperately trying to fit in).
ReplyDeleteAlso, there's a danger of accidentally overhyping something you want someone to enjoy. Great post. :^)