[NewMusic] (no subject)

[Sarah - 21 Grand]

from the prickly pen of Ron Lettuce:
WHY would someone be outraged enough to go on a rant about a word that is
already loaded with vagueness to the point of being nonsense...

- The word "pretentious" isn't vague at all. By using it, it is very clear
what the person using it thinks about what that person is describing that
way. However, calling something or someone pretentious, from what I've
observed, and this was my initial point, is often more "telling" about the
person using the word. Basically they are saying that they know what is
"unwarranted or exaggerated importance, worth or stature."

Compare this to simply saying, "I dunno what they're talking about, and I'm
not really interested in finding out." The last sentence is honest and
modest. Accusations of pretentiousness, (e.g. the person who doesn't know
about art going to an art opening and hearing conversation about art that
they thought was pretentious) are basically saying "I know more than them. I
know that they or what they're talking about isn't all that." Basically, it
is a more adult way of calling someone a "poseur."

And Ron said in another post:
For the most part, I do this because of dissent I get from people who
"COULD" potentially extend our scene, but are really turned off by it
because of the pretentiousness, etc.

- Which is ironic that you're saying this while arguing with Mr. Walter, in
that he does quite a bit to "extend our scene" ...  ok, on to the next
semantic brouhaha ... or not.

sl