I've always been reluctant to criticize people's taste: despite my own dislike for the stuff, if someone likes hip-hop who am I to decide that genre is defining of that person? It is always assumed all metalheads are covered in tattoos and are uninformed brutes (okay, I do know a couple who fit the bill, but it's hardly the norm). The chameleonic nature of popular culture suggests that getting a grasp on what it actually is requires comprehending the role of environment and sociological evolution more than fashion or musical trends. Tiny and maybe imperceptible factors play a major role in what we prefer to absorb from our cultural surroundings. I may have tons to complain about tabloid journalism based on moral grounds, but that doesn't means I don't understand the fascination they hold.
Also, I tend to analyze (a little too much, some would say) what it is that makes a random group of people to prefer one thing over the other, culturally speaking. I can understand why someone would like a big-budget movie that makes no sense whatsoever, even though it may suck the very life out of logic, narrative and art. For all its shortcomings (and they were plenty), I willingly saw Transformers in a theater three times, once even in Imax-- and enjoyed the hell out of it. I'd say "blame it on my environment", but there's no blame to place anywhere, because environment is not guilty. It's merely responsible.
If it seems like I'm simplifying the premise of Johnson's book, it's because it's loaded with great ideas, the majority of which I find laudable. If you feel like explaining in detail to your significant other why playing video games is actually good for your development, give this book a gander.
Now, if only I can figure out what it is that people like in a script so I can write it in and guarantee a sell...
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