Nightcap: Against the zeitgeist

Zeitgeist literally means ‘time ghost’ in German, but that’s not what we’re talking about.

No, what I’m talking about is when we, as people who consume media, find ourselves out of touch with the communal sense of what’s good or bad, what’s excellent or execrable. Part of the problem is, these moments of consensus are by their very nature subject — no matter how popular something is, not everybody loves it, you’re not really alone if you disagree with what seems to be the majority opinion on any work of art.

But it can still be draining to feel like you have to defend your tastes all the time.

I think it’s really important to remember in these moments that taste is never universal, and you’re not wrong for preferring or rejecting art based on your own aesthetic and personal standards. If all of mankind thinks Firefly is the greatest television show ever crafted by mortal hands, you’re not obliged to agree with them. As long as you keep your objections confined to the art in question and don’t say things like ‘People who like Firefly are ducks in human suits’ you’re on solid ground. Or, on the inverse, if you really like Gotham, and everyone else thinks it is the televised equivalent of a drain cleaner smoothie, it doesn’t matter. Your enjoyment of the art is paramount. While it would be nice if others agreed so you could discuss it, it’s not necessary and you’re not wrong.

I run into this problem all the time. I love stuff people hate, and hate stuff people love. When my opinion does dovetail with the seeming majority I’m always suspicious of why. But ultimately, the media you consume isn’t you, it isn’t a personal judgement when someone really hates something you love. At least it shouldn’t be. The inverse is also true — if you’re left absolutely cold on a book or movie or game that others are raving about, you can certainly sit down and articulate your position but don’t fall into the trap of making it personal, and don’t take it personally, either. Tastes vary.

Also, and this is something I see a lot, it’s okay not to care one way or another. It’s been eighteen years since I first heard of Harry Potter, and I still don’t care. I don’t hate it, I don’t like it, I don’t have an opinion about it one way or another, and that’s fine, too. You can be unmoved by anything — Star Trek, the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Game of Thrones. You are always right when it comes to talking about what you like, dislike, or don’t care about. You may not be right in your criticism of those things, but the feelings? Those are always personal, subjective, and utterly yours.