[MD] Turning Point?

[Arlo J. Bensinger]

[Arlo previously]
I thought Quality was not a popularity contest. Seems to me that the Manillow
album's success is simply evidence that people are not discriminating.

[Platt]
So the popularity of rock and roll is evidence that people are not 
discriminating. You said it, not me.

[Arlo]
No, the point is that when "popularity" diverges from "the likes of Platt", you
tell me Quality is not a popularity contest. When it converges, you tell me it
is evidence of Quality. Similarly, when "popularity" is given to singers "Platt
does not like", you bemoan that the great masses of people are
undiscriminating. When it is given to singers "Platt thinks have Quality", you
tell me that it is evidence that people ARE discriminating.

[Platt]
Just love the way you say how low it is to take potshots and Manilow and in the
next sentence take a giant potshot at him

[Arlo]
Making fun of Barry Manilow is easy, but also fun. I would think that you would
be the first to support a sense of humor. I mean, you're not like those uptight
briggands who get offended when someone makes fun of something they like, are
you?

[Platt]
Good joke to those whose discriminating taste cheered the antics of Mick Jagger
during halftime at the Super Bowl.

[Arlo]
Before you launch into another Grand Dichotomy, I've already told you that I
don't think Mick Jagger is anything great. Some of the Rolling Stones early
works I enjoy, but overall its not my cup of tea. And, despite my amusement at
Mr. Manilow, I find one or two of his songs enjoyable in an Air Supply-ish kind
of way. As for the half-time show, well, I didn't watch it because I had no
interest in it.

And, that a lot of pop music is vapid, well, I said that last time we beat this
ol' music horse. But like others have said, this does not mean that everything
done since the 50s lacks Quality, or that everything in the categories of rock,
jazz, blues, punk, metal or whatnot is vapid. As with literature, there are a
million vapid books and many hidden gems.

On that note, I am putting on some Louis Armstrong to drown out the the little
chorus line in my head singing "I can't smile without you..." over and over and
over and over... 

Arlo