On Taste

I judge people by the things they like. This has to be a truism the world over, but it feels a little dirty admitting it in writing. This statement has been vocalized, however, with the kind of loud and emphatic gusto that occurs after about drink 4 many times, but never written.

I don't need to know what a person does for a living, where they are from, or who they vote for. I want lists. What does he or she read, watch, get excited by. Information such as this is a better identifier than DNA - hell it is a person's DNA.

Now, arguments over taste, while important to have with friends are only useful for passing time. And the least interesting comment that can ever be said is to simply vote yes or no for something. There are many pieces of art/film/music that I don't exactly like, but that's not the conversation I want to have about them. Take David Lynch's Lost Highway. I'm not sure I like that movie. I don't really want to watch it today, (but I would sit through either Blue Velvet or Mullholland Drive happily) but I would love to talk about how absolutely fucking freaky Robert Blake calling himself on the phone was. That scene is more interesting than whole other movies.

Or the joy I get when Gary Busey yells at Keenu Reeves in Point Break: "Hey Utah! Get me two," referring to the best meatball sandwiches in the world. In fact, it's often these little weird moments in film that have nothing to do with plot that I find so wonderful. In Kill Bill the only part I'd say I just loved is when Uma is informed that she says "arrigato, like we say arrigato." And I'd rather talk about how much I love that part than why I was ultimately kind of let down by the Kill Bill films.

Now, to be fair, sometimes it's important to tell something that it in fact sucks. But even this should be done creatively. For example, "Do you know how much you suck?" requires a response.