Users who "snob" themselves

Lately, I've noticed a trend where Last.fm users are using their “about me” section to apologize for their taste (or perceived lack thereof). These “taste disclaimers” range from brief blurbs to lengthy diatribes, but most of them can be reduced to one of the following:

1. “My taste is diverse and well cultivated, but don't deny me my guilty pleasures!”
2. “I love pop, but I listen to serious music too. Don't you dare forget it!”
3. “I listen to whatever the hell I want, and I don't care what you think of me!”

I have to admit that I find most of these disclaimers entertaining and always stop to read them, but I still wonder why they're so common. Does a big part of the Last.fm userbase really feel their taste needs apologizing for? Most of the profiles I've seen this kind of thing on show quite a bit of balance --- I have a hard time believing they've ever gotten flak for their taste.

Also, of the three options above, #2 strikes me as the strangest. These users have an interesting self-snobbery thing going on, where pop music is inherently shameful and its presence somehow discredits the other more “respectable" music they listen to. Honestly, if you like something, just play it! There's no need to apologize, especially since honestly tracking one's own taste is a big part of what Last.fm is supposed to be about. (Or is it?)

Thoughts?

Seems to me it makes sense, if they're not being too serious about it... sometimes you might think you'll never like X song or Y band, you think it's really bad (to you), but you find yourself liking it one day, I understand how that might make one self-conscious. So one might think "hahahah omg I can't believe I enjoy this stuff, oh well, still think it's crap but I like it".

Actually being seriously DEFENSIVE about it is weird, I agree.... you'd have to have some serious self-consciousness problem, with an elitist image to uphold lol. Being music snobs to begin with. Can you imagine it? It'd be like a homophobe realizing they're gay "zomg I like THIS?!? What ever will my metalhead friends think?!"
I hope they're mostly young people, maybe they'll grow out of it.

"So one might think "hahahah omg I can't believe I enjoy this stuff, oh well, still think it's crap but I like it". "

That's pretty much what I think whenever I hear Ke$ha. She sounds like a total amateur but some of her songs are catchy as hell!

Yeah, I'm a number 3 person in general xD (Not on my about me section though.) Don't understand how that's snobbing yourself though. There are certain types of music people snob and even if you like those types of music, you can still recognise them and predict that people will sneer. I mean, cheesy pop music and anything mainstream gets slated. I don't have to snob it to notice that.

I understand that it's sometimes not very deep, but I don't only like deep things. I like those songs for other reasons, like they make me happy or they remind me of when I was younger or I just like reminding myself that I'm not a snobby-hipster-troll.

Candyheart33 said:

I understand that it's sometimes not very deep, but I don't only like deep things. I like those songs for other reasons, like they make me happy or they remind me of when I was younger or I just like reminding myself that I'm not a snobby-hipster-troll.

This! Haha.