Comments on: The Magical Simpleton and the problem with Derek

By: Dorian Lynskey

Dorian Lynskey — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 07:57:35 +0000

Hi. I’m happy to answer the question but I don’t really understand the terms. I don’t think in terms of pleasure circuitry or value spheres so you’ll have to break it down for me. I certainly don’t understand why there would be conflict between politics and populism – a successful protest song requires an audience so that feels like a much more natural fit than experimental music does, which tends to disdain overt politics anyway. And do people who like political art really distrust pleasure? I also think you’re oversimplifying my taste based on limited information.

Maybe you could flesh out your question with some examples of artists or critics who have informed the way you think about this topic because – pardon my ignorance – I don’t understand what you’re asking.

By: Pop Bijoux (@popbijoux)

Pop Bijoux (@popbijoux) — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 21:36:56 +0000

Hi Dorian. Unrelated comment. I have a thought (yes, I am sure you are bothered LOL as per recent twitter anti-comments comment), I’m always intrigued by your responses and I can’t quite figure out one thing about how you structure your value arguments. I have a lot of admiration for your book on protest music and your pursuit of the “political” in music. Yet I’m also fascinated by how your favorites in music – aesthetically speaking – tend to go into the short-hand pleasure circuit of pop (as opposed to more experimental, say). Do you think the political in music can also function within a field of pleasure, can they ever reconcile? Usually people who are in favor of the “political” in art and music tend to heavily distrust the pleasure circuitry. You don’t. It’s almost as if you compartmentalize the two as separate value spheres. It’s an open question for another day. I ask myself that question. Sorry to bother, you don’t have to answer, just wanted to “share”.

By: Matt DC

Matt DC — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 13:56:02 +0000

One of my favourite things about Curb Your Enthusiasm is that every time a character appears in a wheelchair you just *know* he’s going to behave like a massive dick.

By: chicalolita

chicalolita — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 12:24:06 +0000

Ah, Forrest Gump, I definitely see that connection. Robin Williams is regularly torn to shreds for this sort of thing, so I don’t see why Gervais should get away with it. The pub scene would’ve been so much stronger if those girls had used the word we know they probably would have done: mong.