Why do many core gamers love mainstream games/movies but disparage mainstream music?

[Contextualizer]

I mean, all of these things are produced for the purpose of profit and are all created by committee. All of these things are primarily consumed with the intention for simple entertainment and they all inherently enjoy astounding material success.

Yet, as one can see in the Justin Bieber [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/18.196293-Justin-Bieber-Why-the-hate] and Rihanna [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/18.196669-Rihanna-An-Affront-to-the-Music-Industry] threads currently on the front page, there's clearly an inconsistency in all of this.

Battlefield: Bad Company 2? Hell yeah, bro. Give me a fist bump.
Star Wars? Yeah, the new ones sucked. But the initial trilogy is a masterpiece.
Lady Gaga? OH MY GOD YOU EVIL MINDLESS CONSUMER PARASITE

Is it because core gamers still frame themselves as juxtaposed against the "popular people" even though the reality of their own preferred medium's popularity and impact has transformed over the years? Is it because much of this music is often related back to dancing in sociosexual events, something many core gamers are apparently not comfortable with?

I was just thinking about this after some angry children in Modern Warfare 2 were remarking about my tag at the time (MILEY CYRUS). Maybe they were upset that they got their asses handed to them, but I find it interesting how guys, particularly younger guys, immediately start flaming me in if my username is .

"My preferred form of mindless mass media is better than yours!"

 

[Total LOLige]

Because mainstream music sucks,and mainstream games pwn big time

 

[Contextualizer]

Because mainstream music sucks,and mainstream games pwn big time

Apparently, haha.

 

[Gudrests]

mainstream music is a 12 years old singing about love and a girl who got knocked the fuck out saying she needs a bad boy....Justin beaver and Rhinaiaiaia....like common.... and when the same 10 songs are played constantley...it sucks

 

[The Austin]

Because mainstream music sucks,and mainstream games

I mean, all of these things are produced for the purpose of profit and are all created by committee. All of these things are primarily consumed with the intention for simple entertainment and they all inherently enjoy astounding material success.

Yet, as one can see in the Justin Bieber [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/18.196293-Justin-Bieber-Why-the-hate] and Rihanna [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/18.196669-Rihanna-An-Affront-to-the-Music-Industry] threads currently on the front page, there's clearly an inconsistency in all of this.

Battlefield: Bad Company 2? Hell yeah, bro. Give me a fist bump.
Star Wars? Yeah, the new ones sucked. But the initial trilogy is a masterpiece.
Lady Gaga? OH MY GOD YOU EVIL MINDLESS CONSUMER PARASITE

Is it because core gamers still frame themselves as juxtaposed against the "popular people" even though the reality of their own preferred medium's popularity and impact has transformed over the years? Is it because much of this music is often related back to dancing in sociosexual events, something many core gamers are apparently not comfortable with?

I was just thinking about this after some angry children in Modern Warfare 2 were remarking about my tag at the time (MILEY CYRUS). Maybe they were upset that they got their asses handed to them, but I find it interesting how guys, particularly younger guys, immediately start flaming me in if my username is .

"My preferred form of mindless mass media is better than yours!"

Uh, hate to say, but Bad Company 2 is kinda a minority to Modern Warfare, and most people liked the new Star Wars movies.

So....
You essentially just said that we don't follow the mainstream.

Yea.

 

[Total LOLige]

mainstream music is a 12 years old singing about love and a girl who got knocked the fuck out saying she needs a bad boy....Justin beaver and Rhinaiaiaia....like common.... and when the same 10 songs are played constantley...it sucks

Exactly

 

[JEBWrench]

Battlefield: Bad Company 2? Hell yeah, bro. Give me a fist bump.
Star Wars? Yeah, the new ones sucked. But the initial trilogy is a masterpiece.
Lady Gaga? OH MY GOD YOU EVIL MINDLESS CONSUMER PARASITE

Is it because core gamers still frame themselves as juxtaposed against the "popular people" even though the reality of their own preferred medium's popularity and impact has transformed over the years? Is it because much of this music is often related back to dancing in sociosexual events, something many core gamers are apparently not comfortable with?

Probably this, pretty much.

I was just thinking about this after some angry children in Modern Warfare 2 were remarking about my tag at the time (MILEY CYRUS). Maybe they were upset that they got their asses handed to them, but I find it interesting how guys, particularly younger guys, immediately start flaming me in if my username is .

I would've thought most of them would've found it hilarious to see "You killed MILEY CYRUS". Or whatever commentary pops up when you score a kill.

"My preferred form of mindless mass media is better than yours!"

That sounds like a pretty accurate summary. People will defend to the death seemingly what they prefer when in the end, it's all money going into the pockets of mass media conglomerates.

Because mainstream music sucks,and mainstream games pwn big time

Though this can be true too.

 

[Aesir23]

For me, it's because I find games entertaining, whether they're mainstream or not. However, most mainstream music makes my ears bleed. But it's mostly because the mainstream music is pop, rap, and hip hop as well as some weird kind of techno thing which just isn't my type of music.

 

[CoverYourHead]

Mainstream games and movies have a huge number of people working on them with a huge budget, they often make good products as a result.

Mainstream music, on the other hand, is crap written by people who sing like crap and do know their crap from crap.

Oh, and I sort of like Lady Gaga, she's the only pop musician with any sort of recognizable talent these days.

 

[StBishop]

I'll put it this way. I like games. Alot.
There are alot of popular games. I like most of them.

I don't really like music. I only listen to it while driving.
There's alot of popular music. I don't like most of it.

See where I'm going?

Also interesting to consider, what about the people who don't like popular (amongst non-elite gamers) games. ie. Sports games, Halo, Fable, Farmville. Farmville is like the Ipod of gaming, almost everyone has one. Most people who don't, hate them.

 

[googleit6]

That's a very interesting point. It seems that many gamers still associate themselves as the "outcasts". And we all know that it's cool to hate the thing that is popular at the time.
However, gamers seem to identify as one, big group. We stick together with all the games/each other, but when the popular music is out, we can rally against it together. It's all about being an outcast, yet belonging to a group at the same time.
That's how I see it, anyways.

 

[Outright Villainy]

I like what I like regardless of it's popularity with others and the media.

This has so much truth in it my head hurts.
To the Op, the reason I don't like justin bieber or Rihanna is because I listen to it and I hate it. It displeases me not because it's popular, but because it is doing bad things to my ears.
You're also being very selective in your definition of mainstream.
I like foo fighters, pearl jam, red hot chili peppers and rage against the machine, and they've sold millions of albums. I also hate halo, and that's sold millions too.

To me (and anyone with half a brain), Popularity has no bearing on quality whatsoever.

 

[JourneyThroughHell]

I would write a better-worded response, but I'll simply state this - mainstream music sucks and mainstream games don't. Halo might spell "generic" but it's competent "generic". Justin Bieber is a travesty.
Also, many core games love core games because they fit them - their music taste has nothing to do with that.

Uh, hate to say, but Bad Company 2 is kinda a minority to Modern Warfare, and most people liked the new Star Wars movies.

Not on these forums.
And not among PC gamers.
That's pretty mainstream.

 

[Keepitclean]

Games that we as gamers consider to be mainstream are mainstream beacuse people like them and people like them because they are good.

Mainstream mainstream games like Peggle and Farmville are not really too popular amongst people who consider themselves to be 'gamers'.
In all honesty I am getting pretty bored of mainstream games at the moment.

As for movies look at the list of movies playing right now at a cinema near you. How many of the mainstream movies on the list would you actually like to see and of the ones you did see did you like them?

I just looked at the list for one of the bigger cinemas near me, I would have liked to have seen about 3 of the 25 or so movies that are on. Most of which are pretty mainstream movies.

I dislike mainstream music because it is weak and boring. At least mainstream games and movies are in production for a few years.

But ultimatly I like what I like because I just do. I can't justify it and it certainly isn't about appearing indie or whatever people call it.

 

[Contextualizer]

Uh, hate to say, but Bad Company 2 is kinda a minority to Modern Warfare, and most people liked the new Star Wars movies.

So....
You essentially just said that we don't follow the mainstream.

Yea.

Those were just examples. I was going to say Modern Warfare 2, but I figured people would jump on me for picking a bad game or something.

And I thought the new trilogy was universally panned. I guess you've never seen Mr Plinkett [http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2010/04/07/exclusive-star-wars-prequels-youtube-reviewer-mr-plinkettmike-stoklasa-speaks/].

Anyway, that's just nitpicking. All of these things are mainstream, even if they aren't the number one absolute most popular thing in the world.

Did Titanic stop being a mainstream movie after Avatar dethroned it? Did Halo 3 stop being a mainstream game after Modern Warfare 2 dethroned it in terms of 24 hour sales?

What defines something as mainstream has to do a lot more with everything other than how well it did in terms of sales/revenue. A poorly performing Judd Apatow movie is still going to be more mainstream than a very well performing indie flick. It's about the process and the content, not just the popularity/sales.

 

[DragonChi]

Because mainstream music sucks,and mainstream games pwn big time

What he Said ^^

 

[Contextualizer]

mainstream music is a 12 years old singing about love and a girl who got knocked the fuck out saying she needs a bad boy....Justin beaver and Rhinaiaiaia....like common.... and when the same 10 songs are played constantley...it sucks

While mainstream games are 12-21 (and beyond!) year olds shooting people in the head over and over again with slightly changing set pieces and hilariously shallow story arcs?

For hundreds of thousands of collective player hours?

 

[super_smash_jesus]

well, the majority of mainstream games and music don't sit well with me. I like my preferred styles, and everyone else is entitled to their own opinion, even if it is wrong or against my own :S

that said, there is no excuse to have a miley cirus gamertag unless you are a 12 year old girl, or are trying to be ironic. if it is the latter case, your point in the entire thread is moot.