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Re: Looking for Enlightenment



ML:

>Of course. The "great unwashed masses" aka Joe and Joan Six-Pack 
aren't
>going to "get" The Who. 

Rock music has long been entertainment for the masses, not just the 
privileged few.  The average person off the street may not be able to 
write grand essays about what the music of the Who means to them, but 
they may enjoy listening to that music anyway.  I cannot pretend that 
I have never been guilty of intellectual snobbery, but I do not think 
it is right to say that people of average or even below average 
intelligence are incapable or unworthy of being Who fans.

>I DO expect an enlightened attitude out of
>intelligent people. Was I wrong to consider you intelligent?

Any presumptions made about my intelligence, or lack thereof, should 
be based upon the quality of my writing (as this is all most members 
of this list have to judge me by) and not my taste in music.

>I personally have found the vast majority of Who fans I've met to 
be
>completely pleasant and intelligent people. I'm sorry you haven't 
had
>the same experience. I do think you've been unlucky and met the
>minority, since at this point I've met more than 100 and have a 
fairly
>good basis for my conclusion. But maybe it's just the ones in your 
area.

On the contrary, all the Who fans I know in my town are thoroughly 
decent people.  I am not sure how wise it is to continue down this 
road, as I don't want to end up making a list of people on this list 
who I think are horrid or anything like that just to illustrate my 
point.  I think it is enough to say that I have met Who fans that I 
did not care for.

>MAYBE if you were a Stern fan you'd find them less unpleasant? Just 
a
>suggestion...

I am not sure exactly what this is supposed to mean.  Are you trying 
to say that if I became a Stern fan I would somehow become a better 
and more tolerant person?  I do not think that this is likely.  It 
would not matter to me even if it were.  I do not believe I could 
force myself to enjoy Stern's show, nor do I have any desire to 
attempt such a thing.

>You are welcome to stand by your comments and opinions, and I am 
welcome
>to find you doing exactly what you say you hate Stern doing...that 
is,
>abusing someone else. Namely Stern himself. It's not the slightest 
bit
>amusing, but it is interesting.

The prime difference being that I am not trying to be amusing by 
stating my distaste for Stern.  I do not express dislike for someone 
unless I genuinely dislike them, nor do I expect to receive money, 
fame, or mass adoration for doing so.  I find that sort of behavior 
distasteful.

>And Stern is amusing, when he abuses people. At least to millions 
of
>people.

Ah, well, if millions of people think he's hilarious, then it must be 
true!  What a fool I've been to disagree with the millions.

>I've been a Who fan a LOT longer than you could have possibly,
>and I thought the song was very funny.

I have no opinion about the song in question, as I did not hear it.  
I have said nothing about the song at all.  I merely stated that the 
original poster (who did hear this song and seemed annoyed by it) 
should not be surprised to find Stern doing irritating things on the 
radio, as that is his modus operandi.

>I did not accuse you of a single thing, just stated this was not 
the
>sort of enlightened etc. Perhaps I DO expect more out of Who
>fans...shouldn't I?

I think it is ridiculous to expect more, or less, of anyone because 
of their favorite band.  Who fans are just people, like anyone else.  
There are nice Who fans as well as mean ones, stupid ones as well as 
intelligent ones, beautiful ones as well as ugly ones.  There are Who 
fans from all different backgrounds, and with varying personality 
types.  The only thing that ALL Who fans have in common is a love for 
the Who.

-Yellow "Nothing more, nothing less" Ledbetter