I think we're talking past each other a little bit here. There's no denying that taste isn't augmented and influenced by "external forces or manipulation" (what

I think we're talking past each other a little bit here. There's no denying that taste isn't augmented and influenced by "external forces or manipulation" (what, in all of society and culture, isn't?) and current pop is a fairly well-defined genre. I'm agreeing with everything you're saying. But that has nothing to do with the commenter relating "modern music" to a "constant bombardment of shit" which is what my reply was addressing.