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Landon Braxell's avatar

Ive had this thought about people like Jimmy Buffet and Thomas Kinkaid, and pop phenomenons like the marvel empire or taylor swift. There is a certain genius in understanding you are mediocre and running with it. I think theres also a genius in populism, in being in tune with what people want on such a mass scale.

The result is often refreshingly non-cerebral art, art that just hits some collection of primal impulses, a move with big explosion, a relaxing beat, a painting of a nice cozy house. Its not groundbreaking but its a nice change of pace if you were previously trying to consume only really good art. Its a simple pleasure, it doesnt demand anything from you.

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Sachin's avatar

sounds about right although I would not put Taylor Swift in that category - doing 4 hour concerts for two years back to back seems superhuman in itself

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Landon Braxell's avatar

Sure, but thats about effort and work ethic, not talent. You can be mediocre talent-wise and still put in effort. I think someone can also be exceptional business-wise or marketing-wise (or in just having an extreme work ethic, like taylor swift) without necessarily being exceptional artistically, which is how id classify Jimmy Buffet for example

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