Is it upbringing? I think not. Some follow their parents musical tastes, perhaps out of conformity, but some "rebel" and run down opposite paths. There are sorts of theories and so-called explanations of how we work and such, but I would be interested to hear what makes our preferences.
What makes some of us narrow-minded, holing themselves into purely one genre and shutting the door firmly on any outsiders? What makes others open to all?
And, from a female perspective, why are ideals of "beauty" or "attractiveness" so different?
To touch on the personal again, whilst at high school, I went through a "New Romantic" phase. I adored Duran Duran, Boy George, Visage, Adam Ant, Japan... that general late-'70s to early-'80s movement of "men in make up." I was always a bit of a "freak", one might say, especially as an early adolescent girl with pictures of Michael Jackson (and I mean from late eighties up to the 2000s) in her school planner, but granted, it wasn't a usual fad for a girl my age in this era. Everyone around me had healthier obsessions. But it's still fascinating how some people swooned over the tight abs, chiselled jaw, short hair and low waistlines of topless, sometimes shiny "hunks" (what an awful word!) and the likes of Usher, 50 Cent.... Justin Timberlake, yet others adored the alternative, made up, long-haired styles of Gerard Way or Sonny Moore.
Reaching the later years of my teens, I have been through another obsession - Visual Kei. A Japanese music and style movement which has only flourished since the 1980s. Again - men in make up, only, less extreme and more "pretty" or plain gruesome.
I'm all for mind over matter, but I can say firmly that I do much prefer the alternative style. To take a mainstream example, actor Johnny Depp, I am sad to say, is seen as a "Hollywood Heartthrob." (Strangely he is one of the most talented actors to emerge from the US, most are looks over skill.) Yet one of my favoured "looks" of his was that of Edward Scissorhands. By far. That, Mort Rainey and Sweeney Todd. The eccentrics, you could say.
Those who say they don't care about appearance are liars. It's one of the basic human traits. The world is obsessed with what looks good and what doesn't, yet there are SO MANY different preferences. Jordan and Peter? No thank you.
I see far more beauty in the likes of Brian Molko, Kyo from Dir en grey and even "emos" than I do in Justin Timberlake, Brad Pitt or Chris Brown any day. But then, I see more expression and personality ooze out of the former than the latter. Granted, given the chance, Pitt can be a more than decent actor (Twelve Monkeys, for example), but Kyo's entire being, be it his pain making him slash his chest open on stage or his lyrics about sex, rape, abortion, suicide, hatred and sorrow, or his ever-changing appearance however grotesque, makes him far more beautiful in my eyes than Timberlake or Zac Efron could look to ANY teenage girl.
If that makes me strange, I quite like it.
There is far too much conformation in this world to follow any trends or like what you THINK you should like, or what other people say is NORMAL.
I can sort of see why anyone would like or dislike any genre. I don't like rap because I find it unimaginative and droning, and I hate the speech in it. Eurgh. But I see that some people like the beat or whatever. I love rock music and metal, though I can see why some people call it "noise." I never used to like hoarse voices of screamy stuff, but that is gradually changing. I can see why some people don't like indie, because it's similar, with bland British accents and repetitive riffs, but I quite like some of it myself. I can see why people love the winning formulas of pop music and the glitzy image that goes 
with it, but I don't see the appeal in competition winners and forcing together people who don't really get along and who just belt out other people's lyrics and dance along to other people's choreography, often in clothes other people have dressed them in. I can see how some people don't like electronic or techno music. I like electronic but not so much techno. But WHY THE PREFERENCES?
with it, but I don't see the appeal in competition winners and forcing together people who don't really get along and who just belt out other people's lyrics and dance along to other people's choreography, often in clothes other people have dressed them in. I can see how some people don't like electronic or techno music. I like electronic but not so much techno. But WHY THE PREFERENCES? Just a random thought and look what happened here... Well, I had better save some for next time.
Hmm, I think I may take gender as my next post :P
Freaks welcome :)
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