I'm not saying that someone is unintelligent because they listen to Britney Spears or Shania Twain. I actually used to like Shania Twain; her first two CDs anyway. Her music later degenerated into sounding like the kiddie pop you hear on Z95.3. I'm not making assumptions on people's intelligence based on the music they listen to. My opinion is simply that one who listens to the boy band/girl band flavour of the month or the latest American Idol winner is for the most part only doing it because everyone else is doing it and they want to fit in, or they think he or she is hot. I can't see it being because they enjoy their music since all these artists sound the same. The boys generally sing about a girl they like and the girls generally either sing about a boy they like or the fact that they don't need or want a man. Intellect has nothing to do with it, however they do seem to be musically uninformed. It is unfortuate that the least talented "musicians" are usually the most popular. But this stems back to the media herding us into mass interests as Atratus was saying earlier.
Forum:
Who here thinks country music is embarrassing?
Published 
Public: Anyone can view. Since when has it become "cool" to listen to this rather retarded, unprogressive form of "music". Fraser Valley Teenagers are all over this shit.
I have been watching this post while, and often considered making a comment..but decided it was unneccessary, expecially since someone usually posts something similar to what I would have said anyway.
But I do feel a need to point out, that although I agree with much being said here, I think many of you are really jumping to conclusions. Ones taste in music, and even their lack of in depth study of it, is not a reflection of their intelligence or character. To assume people who like These pop variants of country are stupid, or ill informed is a huge leap. It is so easy to disarm other subcultures by reducing them to absurd models, but the reality is that a lot of insightful and intellegent people love music by artist like good ol' ms. Twain. In fact, there is a major population of people who do not listen to music for it's social effect, or it's intellectual stimulation, but just because they like the sound. Someone can, in fact, be a fan of even Britney Spears-dare I say it-and still be intelligent and insightful.
I suspect many of you are projecting your bitterness towards certain social groups towards their music. which is not really productive. I assure you that as much as we all love goth, it can be made to look just as absurd by someone who decides to make a goal of it.
I guess the short version, is that if you try to identifiy stupidity or any other trait by taste in music, you are likely to fail misreably. I realise I am probably stating the obvious, hence the reason I rarely post, but I could not help myself.
In closing, I think all music will be better off when fans everywhere cease to use them as social tools or social definitions, and stop liking bands because of what they are not, and hating bands for what thier fans are.
And as a passing refference to the comment about country being whiny, come on..we like GOTH. Have you ever listened to the Smiths....seriously. Goth is almost defined by it's dwelling on all things dark, if anything I am surprised more Goths are not into country. As a point of reference, take a listen to everybody dies by Type O negative....ha ha.
Anyway, if I offended anyone...not my intent. Take care all.
Good point, folk do live in the country. I won't deny that there is a link between the two. I couldn't agree more however, on your opinion on the manufactured opinions for people. I can't even begin to count the people at work who only listen to a certain type of music because either it's popular or the artist is "hot". Sorry, I don't listen to someone because they're attractive, I listen to them because I like their music. I can't stand country cabarets anymore because of the uneducated folks that go there. That and all they seem to play is that country-pop I mentioned before. It's good to hear that you can respect my opinion, because I do genuinely like country music. The people who say they like it just to fit in, give the real fans a bad name in my opinion.
Hairsplitting.
"Folk" live in "the country". The visual art equivalent would be the terms "naive art" and "folk art". It's not really germane to the point.
What is to the point is that it's not the merits of the music that is leading the trend, but the marketing message. What's annoying is anyone who pretends to like something for the sake of fitting in. I can easily respect people who genuinely like things I don't like - there is no accounting for taste. I have a hard time respecting anyone who has no opinion of their own, and worse, doesn't even realise their "opinion" has been manufactured for them. I don't think I'm alone in that.
Unfortunately, I must disagree with you Atratus.....
Country and Western music is basically one in the same, just most of us have shortened it to "country" to simplify it. The Celtic Maratime bands you listed, personally, I would group them under folk music. However, many people consider Great Big Sea to be country music, as well as the little know underground group, Leahy (sp?). As for western music, the whiny stuff is what most refer to as "Traditional Country". Johnny Cash, Patsy Cline, Waylon Jennings, June Carter, Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton. This genre is where that stupid joke comes from, what do you get when you play a country song backwards? Here's a list of the many sub-genres of country music...
New Traditional Country: This mainly stays true to the sound of "old" traditional country in that it uses instruments not used in most other genres, fiddle, banjo, harmonica. However, the songs don't tell a story as much as their predecessors do but do cover more modern topics such as the internet, cellular phones, domestic abuse, spousal and family conflicts. Artists who would fall into this category are people like Garth Brooks, George Strait, Vince Gill, Toby Keith, Trisha Yearwood, George Canyon and Dwight Yokum.
Adult Contemporary Country: This genre uses less "fender twang" that has become synonymous with country music. More piano/keyboard music is used. These songs aren't so good for line dancing or two-steppin' to, but they are catchy tunes. Artists who would fall into this category are people like Phil Vassar, Tim McGraw, Keith Urban, Faith Hill, Jo Dee Messina, Roadhammers and Sara Evans.
Bluegrass: This gives you more of a southern taste. There are several references to the southern states in these songs. Not Confederate music mind you. There can be hints of traditional/new traditional country and adult contemporary country in this genre. Also, a lot of reminiscing about days gone by. Artists who would fall into this category are people like Brooks & Dunn, Alabama, Dixie Chicks, Kenny Chesney, Alan Jackson and Aaron Pritchett.
Country Pop: This genre is the type of music that the "redneck wannabes" I mentioned in an earlier post refer to when they talk about country music. This is more of a sub-genre of pop music in my opinion and I don't even consider it to be country. Basically anything country-ish sounding that is played on Z95.3 or The Beat. Artists who would fall into this category are people like Shania Twain, Rascall Flatts, Josh Gracin and Carrie Underwood.
I'd just like to point out that there is a difference between country music and western music despite the fact that they get lumped together so often, much like goth, industrial and EBM.
I like country music for the most part. Always have. Country music is derived from Celtic music and a lot of the time the only thing differentiating between "country" and "Celtic" is the band being from someplace in North America outside of the Maritimes. There's a lot of blur there. Great Big Sea, Chieftains, Pogues, Loreena McKennitt, etc.
Western music is that whiney cowboy "the milkman ran off with my wife and used my truck to do it" junk. I'm not particularly fond of for the most part except where it is done exceptionally well (Johnny Cash, Hank Williams Sr., etc.).
It's really not so much the music that is the problem, it's the poseurs latching on marketing hype in the absence of actually having taste of their own. Take Mansonite spooky-kids for example - they're the same breed as these country/western trendsters or the fans of boy-band/girl-band of the week.
It's really the music industry's fault. Marketing twaddle is generated to herd people into manufactured taste rather than having them think for themselves. If you want to do something about it, circumvent the recording industry. Go to live shows. Buy directly from independent bands. If you must have something from a major label, download it for free. Throw out your iPod and use something that doesn't have DRM built into it. Make pandering to the lowest common denominator disadvantageous. Reward independence and excellence.
I will jump on to any bandwagon dissing contemporary country music and enjoy the ride, but back up a minute, kids.
Hank Williams' songwriting is some of the most thoughtful, introspective and profound as any songwriter in the English language. His songs have been covered in every genre from rock, jazz and even industrial "goth".
I doubt that you could find anyone, of any genre who could present a song with as much heart and soul as Patsy Cline, either.
And also presented for your consideration is the work of Kitty Wells, Carl Belew, Jimmie Rodgers, The Carter Family, Carl Smith, Johnny Cash, Jim Reeves and Johnny Horton.
Sounds to me that if society was to devolve because of a musical genre, it would be because of the boy band/girl group/brittney spears type music, whatever you call it. The film American Dreamz speaks volumes about this. Imagine a country that values a singing competition higher than the presidential election. Oh wait a minute, that's our neighbours to the south!
This thread makes me think of Mike Judge's movie "Idiocracy", which I rented recently. It's not going to win any awards, but it was rather entertaining. The basic premise is that over a span of 500 years and due to oversaturation of media that glorifies the lowest common denominator, society eventually devolves. People in the future are so stupid that society is on the verge of collapse. Luke Wilson becomes the unwitting hero of the day thanks to a cryogenic freezing experiment gone wrong. It's a rather exaggerated satire, but what else could one expect from Mike Judge?
Maaan, country music is ultra cool, cos Keith Urban is in rehab...
While I don't like country/western music, I can't say I have anything against those who do. Acting like a hick is stupid, but hey, people have always acted stupid cos they thought it was cool. So country is getting a little more exposure of late... 'goth' went through the same thing araund about when Evanescence(pardon spelling, I can't be bothered checking that one) came out.
It's a fad, fads pass.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with country music! I do agree that the country/redneck culture is a current fad and I don't agree with it. For some reason it's cool to be a redneck wannabe? That's just pathetic. I never thought I'd ever see a fetish go mainstream, but this whole girls in cowboy hats thing, I guess that is the closest thing to it. I can't stand the redneck wannabe culture, but I do enjoy many forms of country music.