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From Rate Your Music: "Are your tastes more black or white?"

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Dean F.

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Sep 10, 2012, 10:17:47 PM9/10/12
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http://rateyourmusic.com/board_message?message_id=4270178

Shockingly, 72% of RYMers so far have answered white.

The Bloomfield Buddy

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Sep 10, 2012, 10:25:53 PM9/10/12
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On Sep 10, 10:17 pm, "Dean F." <soulexpr...@gmail.com> wrote:

> http://rateyourmusic.com/board_message?message_id=4270178
>
> Shockingly, 72% of RYMers so far have answered white.

Why is that shocking?

Dean F.

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Sep 10, 2012, 10:44:12 PM9/10/12
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I was being sarcastic.

For my money, the most telling comment in that thread was, "I prefer white influenced by black."

PStoller

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Sep 11, 2012, 12:47:14 AM9/11/12
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On Monday, September 10, 2012 7:17:47 PM UTC-7, Dean F. wrote:
> http://rateyourmusic.com/board_message?message_id=4270178
>
> Shockingly, 72% of RYMers so far have answered white.

The whole premise is faulty: in declaring genres "black" or "white"; and not making clear whether "white" genres are music that white people make, music that other white people listen to, or some other such questionable distinction.

Also, if I listen to music with shakuhachi or sitar, what color is my taste, exactly?

The Bloomfield Buddy

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Sep 11, 2012, 12:58:22 AM9/11/12
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On Sep 11, 12:47 am, PStoller <afcpet...@aol.com> wrote:
> On Monday, September 10, 2012 7:17:47 PM UTC-7, Dean F. wrote:
> >http://rateyourmusic.com/board_message?message_id=4270178
>
> > Shockingly, 72% of RYMers so far have answered white.
>
> The whole premise is faulty: in declaring genres "black" or "white"; and not making clear whether "white" genres are music that white people make, music that other white people listen to, or some other such questionable distinction.

It's not 100% scientific, but I think it's easy enough to answer the
general question. If you don't look to nitpick like you are doing
here, you can probably answer the question easily enough. In fact I
could probably answer the question accurately for most of the regular
posters here. Certainly Me, Dean, Diane, Roger and Marc listen to
more black music than white music. Certainly Pendragon listens to way
more white music than black music. Some of the 60s posters like Tali
and Broome and marcus clearly listen to way more white music than
black music.


> Also, if I listen to music with shakuhachi or sitar, what color is my taste, exactly?

Is dogshit a color?

Dean F.

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Sep 11, 2012, 1:07:37 AM9/11/12
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On Tuesday, September 11, 2012 12:47:15 AM UTC-4, PStoller wrote:

> The whole premise is faulty: in declaring genres "black" or "white"; and not
> making clear whether "white" genres are music that white people make, music
> that other white people listen to, or some other such questionable
> distinction.

Here's how the RYMer who came up with the poll qualified it:

* * *

As in, do you listen more to predominately black or white genres?

This is a far from perfect genre chart to help you think about it:

Black:
Jazz
Blues
Soul
Funk
Reggae
Afrobeat
Disco
Hip-Hop
House

White:
Classical
Folk
Country
Avant-Garde
Rock
Punk
Metal
Ambient
Industrial

I thought it would be impossible/useless to include "Pop" music.

Michael Pendragon

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Sep 11, 2012, 1:29:28 AM9/11/12
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On Sep 11, 12:58 am, The Bloomfield Buddy <Savo...@aol.com> wrote:
> On Sep 11, 12:47 am, PStoller <afcpet...@aol.com> wrote:
>
> > On Monday, September 10, 2012 7:17:47 PM UTC-7, Dean F. wrote:
> > >http://rateyourmusic.com/board_message?message_id=4270178
>
> > > Shockingly, 72% of RYMers so far have answered white.
>
> > The whole premise is faulty: in declaring genres "black" or "white"; and not making clear whether "white" genres are music that white people make, music that other white people listen to, or some other such questionable distinction.
>
> It's not 100% scientific, but I think it's easy enough to answer the
> general question. If you don't look to nitpick like you are doing
> here, you can probably answer the question easily enough. In fact I
> could probably answer the question accurately for most of the regular
> posters here.  Certainly Me, Dean, Diane, Roger and Marc listen to
> more black music than white music. Certainly Pendragon listens to way
> more white music than black music.

Pendragon certainly does not.

I listen to music that appeals to me.

And to the best of my knowledge sound hasn't got any color.

The Bloomfield Buddy

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Sep 11, 2012, 1:33:59 AM9/11/12
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On Sep 11, 1:29 am, Michael Pendragon
Your playlists say that you listen to way more white music than black
music. Occasionally you even post a playlist that is entirely from
white artists.

Michael Pendragon

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Sep 11, 2012, 1:37:26 AM9/11/12
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Odd selections.

You've left out barbershop, ragtime, swing, crooning, rhythm, jump,
cowboy, broadway, rock 'n' roll, rockabilly, exotica, psychedelic, tex-
mex, polka, boogie woogie, latin, and probably dozens of other
categories.

> I thought it would be impossible/useless to include "Pop" music.

How so?

The Bloomfield Buddy

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Sep 11, 2012, 1:38:16 AM9/11/12
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On Sep 11, 1:29 am, Michael Pendragon
Which of these genres appeals to you?

Michael Pendragon

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Sep 11, 2012, 1:46:18 AM9/11/12
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The first two.

Of course, my favorite jazz and blues records are often by Pop
artists.

But I also like recordings by Bessie Smith, Annette Hanshaw, Ethel
Waters, Louis Armstrong, The Loose Marbles, Meschiya Lake, and (if you
consider swing bands "jazz") Woody Herman, Artie Shaw, Benny Goodman,
etc.

The remaining genres (Soul, Funk, etc.) I have no tolerance for.

Michael Pendragon

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Sep 11, 2012, 8:40:59 AM9/11/12
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You might also have asked me which of these genres appeal to me:

Classical
Folk
Country
Avant-Garde
Rock
Punk
Metal
Ambient
Industrial

The answer is Folk, some Country (mostly crossovers), a handful of
Classical pieces, and an occasional Rock song.

Eric Ramon

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Sep 11, 2012, 1:44:48 PM9/11/12
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that's a good point. My top 25 of all time (which is a list of 33
songs) is split, 17-16 white/black, in terms of artists but what's
"He's a Rebel"? What's "Will You Love Me Tomorrow?"?

starga...@gmail.com

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Sep 11, 2012, 7:40:02 PM9/11/12
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On Monday, September 10, 2012 10:17:47 PM UTC-4, Dean F. wrote:
> http://rateyourmusic.com/board_message?message_id=4270178
>
>
>
> Shockingly, 72% of RYMers so far have answered white.

I think this leading question that's mis-leading. My own answer, is that I prefer quality (better music) over a quantity (black or white is really more of a quantitative or two-dimensional term, that doesn't give any indication of how good the music is.

Michael Pendragon

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Sep 11, 2012, 9:35:51 PM9/11/12
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On Sep 11, 7:40 pm, "stargazer...@gmail.com" <stargazer...@gmail.com>
wrote:
I'm afraid I fail to see how an artist's race is "quantitative or two-
dimensional" ... I'd write it off as "extraneous."

Btw: If you honestly prefer quality over "quantity" (race), why use
Erskine Hawkins' race as an argument for his version of "Tuxedo
Junction"?
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