Originally Posted by BIG JIM MERRILEES
You do not have to like or dislike a thing in order to see it has quality. I have seen many things which I might dislike but know they are of good quality. For example I dislike the pattern and colours of a rug my wife bought but I know it is well made and of good quality.
I have heard people crucify songs that I normally love or perform very well songs that I usually dislike. It does not matter what is being performed we all know if we are honest whether someone has or has not got any real talent. Why are people so touchy about this? There is a big difference between not my cup of tea and not very talented.


Jim,

You asked "why" people are so touchy about this, and I will try to give you my take.

There is no "machine" or "scanner" that can definitively tell whether or not someone has talent.

In spite of your dictionary definition, "having talent" means different things to different people. It is still more in the realm of personal opinion than scientifically provable "fact."

Anyone who sets themselves up as "authorities" of talent will get a lot of touchiness from others who disagree about the "authorities" assessments. Simon Cowell is a good example. Simon IS a talent expert, though, and it's his "winning" personality that many others find offensive.

There are a lot of gray areas, with new art...hip hop, rap, singers that use "autotune" etc...and I suppose it's easy to generalize and dismiss them all as a talentless lot. However, these genres, and the artists who reside inside them, have faithful audiences who would beg to differ. I suppose it takes less talent to "rap" than to sing...but to be a really good rapper, and to really "reach" an audience? Really? I, personally would feel uncomfortable making such a claim.

Maybe what makes some people touchy is when someone acts like an "authority on talent" and then tells people they are being spoon fed their music against their will, and that they like music that is made by talentless people?

To this argument, I would add "so what?" As Magne points out, "that's entertainment!" LOL...if I'm looking for "entertainment", sometimes I don't care if they have talent. If I am looking for art, it's a different story.

Maybe if you could see a connection between why, on the one hand, people here are touchy about what constitutes "talent", while on the other hand you seem to be force feeding people "facts" concerning who can have talent, and who can't (musical genre); or who simply has it, or doesn't (specific artists). Maybe they have panels of judges, on these talent shows, because sometimes it's not unanimous, either way? Just maybe, Jim, sometimes talent is in the ear of the beholder...otherwise none of these "talent based" game shows could exist in the first place. They are driven by the opinion of "judges"...and then, by audience phone in votes, in many cases...

Even you must admit, it's not so digital, on or off, yes or no...SOME PEOPLE are borderline talents...and if a borderline talent or non talent is successful...why not be happy for them??
Like you say, life isn't fair. Maybe they "wanted" it more...

Mike

Last edited by Michael Zaneski; 09/13/09 10:52 AM.
Fate doesn't hang on a wrong or right choice
Fortune depends on the tone of your voice

-The Divine Comedy (Neil Hannon)
from the song "Songs of Love"
from the album "Casanova" (1996)