The Secret Life of Bebe

Do you judge other people’s music taste? Do others judge yours?

When I was 13, I loved Kenny Rogers. I had The Gambler on cassette tape and played it on high rotation. This was in 1985. My friends were listening to all kinds of other weird and wonderful music – rap, punk, new wave, whatever. I kept my love of country music to myself. I still do. Unless you are a regular passenger in my car, you’d have no idea I like the Dixie Chicks and Shania Twain.

I learned early on that your music tastes tell the world something about who you are. The cool kids only listen to non-mainstream music. Never admit you like One Direction, and definitely don’t do it on Facebook. Unless you like being ridiculed (in a friendly way of course, but still).

How do Justin Bieber and One Direction sell so many albums? No-one I know would ever admit to buying their music (other than Megan, and she was subject to pity from her friends). So presumably people are sneaking off to the music store and squirelling away with a brown paper bag filled with ‘lame, mainstream’ music. I guess iTunes helps there. You can buy whatever you like in the privacy of your own home, judgment-free.

I never understood why it mattered what music I liked – why do you care? I’m not making you listen to my pop-sung-as-Gregorian-chant music, so why should you care if I own three albums of it? Stop laughing!

I’ve been subject to judgment, ridicule and pity over my taste in music my whole life. And I’ve never understood it.