The Palate of Uniqueness

Tastes in popular culture (and life in general) are all about frame of reference and relatibility. Purely subjective.

Where and when you grew up, your parents and friends, any and every experience that allowed you to be exposed to anything - good or bad!

I'm sure I'm not breaking new ground with anything you haven't heard before but next time someone tells you they love Nickelback, Transformers 2, Floyd Mayweather Jr., The O'Reilly Factor and Keeping Up With the Kardashians, don't automatically discount their opinions.

You may need more than a field of grains of salt to be able to stomach those tastes, but everyone's "greatest of all time" list is 100% valid - to them at the very least.

So even if you think Pitbull and Blake Sheldon are horribly terrible singers or Michael Bay and Stephen King are overhyped hacks, their works really ‘speak to’ a certain group of people out there.

On the other hand, some people’s tastes in music, movies, art, books, dance and even food are indeed based on escapism and glamorization of a desired lifestyle, but most of us gravitate towards the creators and innovators who share some of the same experiences and values we do.

But sadly, many of these kindred spirits haven't been discovered by even their would-be niche audience yet and the plight of the starving artist is destined to continue.

Personally, I wholeheartedly believe that I have numerous friends who are 10 times the emcee Tupac Shakur ever was talentwise, but yet, they’ll never be popular as the slain rapper. He spoke plainly and represented the point of view of millions with his harsh and brash observations, becoming an extension of them. My talented friends simply haven't been heard by millions and have yet to make a broad connection.

It's easier said than done to 'go viral' and gain a foothold of exposure through art, but it's the struggle of trying that is half the fun.

Try to remember back to the first time you heard, saw of tasted who or what would eventually become your favorite and the joy you felt in the discovery! If you're really disgusted by the tastes of someone you know, offer them a more nutritious dish and see if you've opened a whole new world of flavor to them! If they 'just don't get it', keep it moving and don't dwell on your differences.

In conclusion, the next time you hear people arguing the merits of "Who's better: Prince or the Fresh Prince" - since I'm sure that precise debate comes up all the time - nod and agree that they're both right even if you lean towards Prince Charles on the topic.