Taste

[bananaphallus]

When one person tells another they have 'good taste' in music, clothes, food, etc., what are they really saying? Was there some consensus reached on what exactly constitutes good taste?

I'm assuming jeans, a pirate hat, canary yellow button-down, and a tie with tiger stripes on it - all worn to a funeral, would be in poor taste, but what about the other end of the spectrum? And who decides all of this?

 

[Tyria]

I think what is acceptable to the other person or to their belief in what is considered 'good' will constitute what is in good taste.

It is a compliment, but I suppose that it's an estimation for what is acceptable/unacceptable and what is good/bad.

I think each person decides what is in good taste (although their opinions are heavily influenced by several factors).

 

[ckm]

I don't like the expression. It's entirely subjective. It implies that in order to be "good" (have good taste) you must imitate the person making the judgement.

 

[Da Blob]

Well, I am a Snob and "Having Good Tastes" is a prerequisite for that role in society. It is a matter of intelligence and a refined ability to discriminate. The discrimination of the real from the impostor, the genuine from the counterfeit, the original from the imitator...

Most people with good taste do not make broad generalizations, but rather, acquire eclectic or even eccentric individual preferences. They have higher standards than most in the general population and are not slaves to popular culture and fads. They do not automatically discount something that is new or different...

 

[bananaphallus]

Well, I am a Snob and "Having Good Tastes" is a prerequisite for that role in society. It is a matter of intelligence and a refined ability to discriminate. The discrimination of the real from the impostor, the genuine from the counterfeit, the original from the imitator...

Most people with good taste do not make broad generalizations, but rather, acquire eclectic or even eccentric individual preferences. They have higher standards than most in the general population and are not slaves to popular culture and fads. They do not automatically discount something that is new or different...

[purely for the sake of argument, I happen to think it's a lovely avatar]

Your avatar - I think it's ugly, off-putting, and in poor taste. You obviously feel the exact opposite. Who's right? Who's tastes are more refined/discerning?

I'm also not sure I'd agree that those with what someone/culture/ad exec.'s have deemed to be good taste are beyond acquiescing to passing trends/pop culture, if they were, this would mean good taste is a constant, unchanging - would something considered to be in good taste today (whatever that actually is) be in good taste 50 years ago?

Phrases like, '...too big for his/her britches' or '(s)he's not being her/himself' as well, are we expected to behave in accordance with someone else's preconceived/often misguided notions as to who we are as people at all times? Who's actually dictating our personalities/demeanor/behavior?

 

[Adymus]

"You have good taste" Translates to "My subjective view of good _____ agrees with yours."

 

[Adymus]

Well, I am a Snob and "Having Good Tastes" is a prerequisite for that role in society. It is a matter of intelligence and a refined ability to discriminate. The discrimination of the real from the impostor, the genuine from the counterfeit, the original from the imitator...

Most people with good taste do not make broad generalizations, but rather, acquire eclectic or even eccentric individual preferences. They have higher standards than most in the general population and are not slaves to popular culture and fads. They do not automatically discount something that is new or different...

What happens when two people who meet all of this criteria still disagree on each other's taste? Do they both still have good taste?

 

[Da Blob]

What happens when two people who meet all of this criteria still disagree on each other's taste? Do they both still have good taste?

I think so! What I tried to suggest was that those with 'cultivated' tastes do not settle for the pap and propaganda of modern society. They do not think that everything of value is on the television or other mega-media outlets...

They are willing to experiment and do not avoid new experiences. They thereby discover artists that have yet to be discovered by the rest of the world. They discover that some "Off-brands" such as white peaches or white asparagus are actually superior to the common fare. They read books that are too sophisticated to ever be made into movies for the general population. etc. and etc.

When they are in the nursing Homes they will have more to talk about than the re-runs on TV...

 

[Adymus]

I think so! What I tried to suggest was that those with 'cultivated' tastes do not settle for the pap and propaganda of modern society. They do not think that everything of value is on the television or other mega-media outlets...

They are willing to experiment and do not avoid new experiences. They thereby discover artists that have yet to be discovered by the rest of the world. They discover that some "Off-brands" such as white peaches or white asparagus are actually superior to the common fare. They read books that are too sophisticated to ever be made into movies for the general population. etc. and etc.

When they are in the nursing Homes they will have more to talk about than the re-runs on TV...

Fair enough, as long as you're consistent


Neat, I have good taste!

 

[loveofreason]

Moved from Human Relationships.

 

[Xel]

When I say a person has good taste I mean something a long the lines of "I may not like that, but I see how you can". Like for example: I'm not into Led Zepplin that much but I can understand why a person might say they are the best band ever. I cannot imagine how someone could think that about the Spice Girls.

I realize this is arbitrary.

But I think "good taste" as I see it has to do with the complexity or depth or uniqueness of the object in question.

 

[Artifice Orisit]

I think "good taste" has something to do with appreciation, for example classical music is widely considered more tasteful than general everyday music because there's an appreciation for how much more difficult it is to create. This would also help to explain the idea of "good taste" in clothing, why wearing the latest fashions or the most expensive brands isn't considered very "tasteful" like a personalised look that involved considerably more planning and preparation to achieve.

Obviously there's no accounting for personal taste, but as a society we can measure good taste by the effort and (perhaps more importantly) the consideration that's gone into the creation of whatever's being judged.

 

[echoplex]

I think that often when people comment on someone having good/bad taste, they're making an inference of the reasons that taste came to be. For instance, many music snobs assume that someone listens to pop because they only care about what's "popular" or what's on the radio. They assume the person is either lazy (doesn't bother to discover other artists) or elitist (only accepts what has been deemed "good" by the whims of popularity). However, the person might just like the aesthetics or song structure of quite a few pop songs.

So, I think alot of the accusations of having bad taste are based on assumptions about the person, which is probably based on stereotypes of others who like the same thing. With "good" taste, I think it's often assumed that someone else likes what you like for the same reasons you like it, when in reality the process may have been quite different.

In general, I think people should not get their proverbial panties in a bunch about taste. I've listened to enough arguments about the merits of ________ to last me awhile. Just like what you like and don't make a big deal out of it please.

That said, there's something wrong with you if you like all of this Twilight garbage.