Charles Dalmas wrote:

>Popular music is just that, popular.  It is the music of the masses.
>Generally, it requires no real thought, it doesn't express intellectuality
>or real emotion, and it doesn't require much in the
>way of composition.

Although I agree with much of what Charles writes, I do think that pop
music definitely expresses real emotion - fear, grief, joy, remorse, hate,
guilt, etc.  Many of you might remember an early pop/rock song by Lesley
Gore titled "It's my party and I'll cry if I want to".  You couldn't ask
for a more useless, crummy, and stupid song, but there was real emotion in
it.  Poor Lesley has a great party going on until she finds her boyfriend
getting friendly with another chick.  Hence, her desire to cry.  It may be
very simple and immature emotion with a drone-like sameness to it, but it
is real.

And, what's wrong with pleaures engaged in by the masses? I enjoy
watching professional wrestling on TV; it energizes me and I do marvel
at the physical punishment those guys can absorb.  I've tried to get my
wife to wrestle with me, but that always ends up in a romantic episode.
I wouldn't mind watching that on TV either.  I just consider myself an
"elite" member of the masses.

Don Satz
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