Snob

Going for a drive with my girlfriend usually starts with the same question, "What are we going to listen to?" Now I come from the thought that the music choice in the car is the driver, aka me, to decide, but anyone who is in a long term relationship knows that isn't the case. I'll look at what is in my car CD wise. Thursday? No, she hates them. Isis? No, we listened to them yesterday. Mitch Hedburg? She says yes but I have that album memorized, so nada.

Eventually we say fuck it and listen to the radio. 104.5 to be exact. Let them pick the music for us, after all, it is their job.

Alright, so we're on the road now. 30 Seconds to Mars comes on,

"Fuck this." I say,

"Turn this up!" she says.

We bicker back and forth and eventually the song is over and she hasn't heard a single verse. She's sorta pissed at me now. Nine Inch Nails is next. I smile and turn it up. I sing the entire chorus to "Closer". That song hasn't aged a bit in my mind. She's silent. Kings of Leon are on next. Neither of us say anything. Keep on driving. Beck is next. We both agree we love the song "Loser", she's smiling a bit more now. Driving to the mall seems to be taking forever today... Anberlin follows.

I groan and she yells at me, "What is wrong with this song!?"

"Nothing." I say.

"You hate everything this like."

She's got a point there.

"I'm sorry hon, there's nothing original about this song. It's all Pro Tools copy paste bullshit."

She groans again. Practically foaming by this point. Back to the silent treatment. I'm giving up on 104.5 so I switch to 94.1 in hopes of finding something to equally like (or hate). They're halfway through the guitar solo on "Man in the Box". I turn it up again. Almost simultaneously I hear,

"And you think MY music is shitty?" I ignore that. I don't want to get into an argument today. I really want to enjoy our trip to the mall. Maybe go into Hot Topic and make fun of people, eat at Chik-Fil-A, dance in Forever 21, the normal stuff we do together. No more music please. Commercial. Thank god. Sweet, I can sell my old junker and get a certified pre-owned Kia. Who would've known?

"You a snob."

Shit.

"What hon?"

"You're a music snob. You're a horrible critic. You think your tastes are better and hate others taste in music."

"How am I a-"

"You're like those AP bastards. The Hipsters you say you hate so much."

Ouch, she really hit a nerve there.

I have nothing to say after that. Luckily the mall is close and we go and enjoy the rest of our afternoon. We go into F.Y.E. and I say nothing as we go by the music section. We're distant but not at each other's throats like I feared. I break the silence by dancing to a Miley Cyrus song in Forever 21. All seems well now.

Just something is bothering me.

I never considered myself a music snob or hipster. I just have a passion for what I like and I'm opinionated. That's a deadly cocktail sometimes though. Actually, having a passion for something and being opinionated is the makings of a critic. Shit, she's right.

I think the reason my girlfriend gets so mad at me with music is simple. It goes to my life's philosophy of never following anything 100%. That's a different topic for a different day, but essentially I don't devoutly follow any one artist or particular genre. I've tried to be as eclectic as possible when it comes to my music. I try and sample a little bit of everything and my influences and likes come from every edge of the music pantheon. If I liked one genre or only listened to top 40 radio or MTV I wouldn't have the influences I have today.

I'm sorry I'm more open. If that makes me a snob fuck it. I am. I give up at this point.