In the reading, Wilson explicitly states the purpose of the book: to examine musical tastes based on social and geographical culture and whether or not they hold any water. His goal is to search for the redeeming qualities in so-called “bad art”, by first examining his hatred for pop artist Celine Dion.
Wilson goes on to explain the origins of his musical taste, largely due to his hometown growing up. Through moving and making new friendships, he began to appreciate country and disco music, two genres he previously detested. He realized that his dislike of certain music was largely due to cultural and regional “blind spots”.
I think our world is greatly hindered by “blind spots”, far beyond the realm of artistic taste. As human beings, we often associate with only people and things that make us feel comfortable and normal. We disregard ideas and even ostracize entire groups of people just because they are unfamiliar. Some of this is out of fear, some out of ignorance, and some unfortunately out of hatred.
Wilson recognizes the carnage of criticism when quoting an article from “Independent on Sunday” from 1999. They describe and insult Dion’s fan base, ultimately singling out fat kids and lower class citizens. He worries that by criticizing Celine, he’s effectively harming her fans. Reading this, I’d like to pay attention to what my “blind spots” are and how they may affect other people in the Trinity community. It’s easy to stick to what’s known, but there’s way more out there to discover.