This might be a short one but what I want to do is try and describe how it feels listening to other people talk about what movies they like and, more specifically, when they talk about what is good and what is bad. I thought I would do that with an analogy about being a connoisseur of something like beer and how it relates to being a connoisseur and how they are far more alike than they think. Honestly though, being any type of connoisseur can be pretty weird.
Lets first get over this negative connotation some people have toward the word connoisseur. In today’s society people hear that word and think about rich, douchey, white, possibly British, snobs drinking wine and making fun of poor people. While this is a very funny image and one that is enjoyable to laugh at it isn’t really what the word means. The reason the word seems negative to people is because assholes want to feel like they are better than other people and assholes falsely believe that knowing more than someone else makes them better. They don’t care that their knowledge isn’t useful or that it’s entirely focused on one obscure topic like wine or poetry.
So, when I use the word connoisseur please remember that this is another word for expert. The two words are interchangeable. Synonyms. I think synonym means same. You know what I mean. Expert is a very broad term while connoisseur typically means being an expert in some sort of art. I am a connoisseur of movies and television.
I feel like I might need to explain a little more even. You do not just become a connoisseur of movies and television by watching alot of movies and television. This may seem contrary to you but let me make sure I’m pointing out the truth of how to become a connoisseur. You become a connoisseur by paying attention to the movies you watch. You pay attention to the thing your doing and eventually you will be a connoisseur. The more you pay attention the faster you learn about the thing and it is an absolute fact that there are a multitude of products out there that are designed for you to be able to not pay attention to them. You see, people don’t really like paying attention to that many things at once. It’s very difficult and obviously people who are especially busy, or people who feel especially busy, are going to want to be able to relax and calm down and have some simple fun with their brain turned off. It’s a difference in mentality akin to walking into a restaurant you’ve been to before. Some people order the same stuff they always get because you already know it’s good and you don’t have to think about it. You order it and you get good food. Your brain isn’t needed. I’m not saying that someone who orders the same food every time at a restaurant uses their brain less. I’m saying that they are making the choice to reduce the amount of new inputs into their brain. That’s is a great and powerful ability to have and while you shouldn’t do it all the time the same can be said of the opposite. Maybe a restaurant isn’t a good metaphor because people will think I’m talking about adventurous people vs safe people when that has nothing to do with it. Let’s change to beer.
There are two kinds of fun in the world. There is fun with your brain turned on and there’s fun with your brain turned off. There are products designed for both types of fun. To use a beer analogy there is Bud Light on one side and some ridiculous craft beer that was aged in bourbon barrels and has hints of grapefruit, coriander, and select artisan spices or some shit. One of those products is supposed to be enjoyed without thinking about it and one is supposed to be focused on while it is enjoyed.
Bud Light is essentially a comfort pick. You know exactly what it is and if that’s what you want your drink to do than good for you. Liking Bud Light and liking some craft beer are essentially equal in their ethical goodness so don’t feel like a lesser man because you like Bud Light.
Craft Beer is essentially a new experience / topic pick. You know you are gonna get some interesting flavor that you can then talk about with your friends and or with the rest of the craft beer community. Liking Craft Beer and liking some basic name brand beer are essentially equal in their Ethical goodness so don’t get the idea that you are a better man because you don’t like name brand beer.
There is one key thing each of these two types needs to realize. The connoisseur needs to realize that knowing shit doesn’t make him better and the basic comfort man needs to realize that what he likes is not the greatest beer of all time while any other beer is pointless.
The thing you want to be is a connoisseur who isn’t an asshole. Well, basically no matter what the thing you want to be is… not an asshole. This topic kind of got away from me didn’t it. What I wanted to do was complain to you that I’m a connoisseur of movies and when regular people tell me they like something like Star Wars I respect their choice but when people tell me Star Wars movies are “great movies” I want to slap them in the face. That sounds harsh so I said all this other stuff to get you to believe I’m not an asshole. I guess the real point of all this is that liking things is fine no matter if it’s shitty or amazing. The point of amazing things shouldn’t be to get you to devalue regular things. Regular things are amazing for their own reasons and being the positive guy I am I think most everything is kind of amazing in a whole host of different ways. The other trap you can fall into is letting your desire for your favorite thing to be amazing, from a artistic level, trick you into thinking it is that kind of amazing. As soon as you start letting the things you like be what they are you’ll be happier. It’s hard to admit that a movie you like isn’t a great movie and it’s hard for a connoisseur to keep his mouth shut when you let your feelings about a movie make you think it is a great movie. Just know that if it is ever me saying the thing you like is a bad movie then I’m my only goal is to possibly educate you that if what you want is “great” there are a whole boat load of movies out there for you to watch.
I want to make a full fledged edited post about all these ideas but fuck it. I’m lazy and I want to watch The Count of Monte Cristo (1975).
The Mind of Joshypoo 