[Revolting cat!]

And lastly, what would you have people do to the heretics that violate your rules?

I don't want to flame you, or insult you, m'Lord, but this is close to a flame, isn't it?! But to answer your question, if I were an editor, I wouldn't publish them. But in publishing and cultural matters nowadays, economics trump aesthetics, don't they. It's the lowest common denominator that wins. Garth Brooks vs Kieran Kane. Dan Brown vs Alexander Hemon. Sell and sell more, the crowd calls out for more, as the song goes. It's just too bad that we no longer care to recognize that there are levels of cultural products and that we sniff at anyone who disses popular culture. We measure quality by quantity. *5% of everything is crap says Sturgeon's Law, and ifit'spopular there is something wrong with it said wisely one of cat's relatives.

I thought this forum was a place to reflect on these things and not just follow the basest emotions and keep declaring that Eddie Van Halen, say, is this century's Mozart.

[Revolting cat!]

85% percent of everything is crap, says Sturgeon's law.

[Borges]

I thought this forum was a place to reflect on these things and not just follow the basest emotions and keep declaring that Eddie Van Halen, say, is this century's Mozart.

Or the equally idiotic corollary that if Mozart were alive today he'd be writing good ole rock and roll!