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> Many fields are not baffling to people without specialized education. And many fields are. I feel like at this point you're nitpicking their phrasing ("any"

> Many fields are not baffling to people without specialized education. And many fields are. I feel like at this point you're nitpicking their phrasing ("any" instead of "many") instead of addressing their point. > Your description of Pollock’s mural reminds me of this: https://xkcd.com/915/ https://xkcd.com/915/ Note that comic doesn't claim that those differences aren't real, just that they're not visible or interesting to most people, which is pretty close to what the parent comment said.

LudwigNagasena 7y ago
Of course they are real. And people can find them fascinating and other people can find them boring. Nothing wrong with either attitude.
nwallin 7y ago
You're right, it doesn't say that they aren't real. It says that they're dumb and meaningless and very real to the poor ignorant souls who think they're real. I'm pretty snobby about a handful of things, but I'm well aware that it's pure snobbery and that I don't have some sort of intellectual blah blah blah than makes me better than the ignorant plebian next to me on the subway. Art snobs are no different than wine snobs, comic book snobs, cigar snobs, film snobs, anime snobs, whiskey snobs, dog show snobs, foodie snobs, beer snobs, you name it. But modern art snobs are somewhat unique in claiming to be better than the rest of us. I can listen to a model train snob talk about their stupid thing for however long and just vicariously enjoy their enthusiasm for the topic. I hear them talk and I just hear, "this thing is so cool!" and in that moment I think it's cool too. I listen to a modern art snob talk about Jackson Pollock or whatever and I just hear, "I'm so much more intellectual, cultured, and sophisticated than you!" Some people are objectively worse than others, and modern art snobs are objectively worse than nearly all other snobs. I'll marry a stamp collector or a buckeye, but I wouldn't marry a modern art snob with no self awareness about their snobbery. Text editors. I'm snobby about text editors. Emacs is best. fite me. /s
- PhasmaFelis 7y ago
  > It says that they're dumb and meaningless and very real to the poor ignorant souls who think they're real. Taking joy in something doesn't make you ignorant or dumb. Whether you choose to be a smug asshole about it is orthogonal to the object of interest. > But modern art snobs are somewhat unique in claiming to be better than the rest of us. [...] I listen to a modern art snob talk about Jackson Pollock or whatever and I just hear, "I'm so much more intellectual, cultured, and sophisticated than you!" Are you getting this from beat's comment above? Because I definitely don't see it. I've never seen it IRL, either. It sounds like you're taking your dislike of modern art, and maybe a couple of encounters with unpleasant fans, and projecting it onto the entire field.

LudwigNagasena 7y ago

Of course they are real. And people can find them fascinating and other people can find them boring. Nothing wrong with either attitude.

nwallin 7y ago

You're right, it doesn't say that they aren't real. It says that they're dumb and meaningless and very real to the poor ignorant souls who think they're real. I'm pretty snobby about a handful of things, but I'm well aware that it's pure snobbery and that I don't have some sort of intellectual blah blah blah than makes me better than the ignorant plebian next to me on the subway. Art snobs are no different than wine snobs, comic book snobs, cigar snobs, film snobs, anime snobs, whiskey snobs, dog show snobs, foodie snobs, beer snobs, you name it. But modern art snobs are somewhat unique in claiming to be better than the rest of us. I can listen to a model train snob talk about their stupid thing for however long and just vicariously enjoy their enthusiasm for the topic. I hear them talk and I just hear, "this thing is so cool!" and in that moment I think it's cool too. I listen to a modern art snob talk about Jackson Pollock or whatever and I just hear, "I'm so much more intellectual, cultured, and sophisticated than you!" Some people are objectively worse than others, and modern art snobs are objectively worse than nearly all other snobs. I'll marry a stamp collector or a buckeye, but I wouldn't marry a modern art snob with no self awareness about their snobbery. Text editors. I'm snobby about text editors. Emacs is best. fite me. /s

PhasmaFelis 7y ago
> It says that they're dumb and meaningless and very real to the poor ignorant souls who think they're real. Taking joy in something doesn't make you ignorant or dumb. Whether you choose to be a smug asshole about it is orthogonal to the object of interest. > But modern art snobs are somewhat unique in claiming to be better than the rest of us. [...] I listen to a modern art snob talk about Jackson Pollock or whatever and I just hear, "I'm so much more intellectual, cultured, and sophisticated than you!" Are you getting this from beat's comment above? Because I definitely don't see it. I've never seen it IRL, either. It sounds like you're taking your dislike of modern art, and maybe a couple of encounters with unpleasant fans, and projecting it onto the entire field.