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AIBU?

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Original poster

To think liking classical music doesn't make me pretentious?

49 replies

Hagothehills · 23/05/2016 09:24

Especially when I've listened to and enjoyed it all my life? I'm not posh or rich by any means but I'd rather listen to Rachmaninoff than Rhiannah. Accused by my neighbour of being pretentious for having classic FM on while I was in the garden! It's a bit out of the blue she's normally lovely Confused

OP posts:
StrawberryQuik · 23/05/2016 09:26

Maybe she was just in a grumpy mood. Shrug it off :)

I like to listen to classic fm while cooking so I can dance round the kitchen and pretend to be a ballerina Blush

RatOnnaStick · 23/05/2016 09:27

She'd hate me then. I've been whacking on Carmina Burana to get my essays written.

randomsabreuse · 23/05/2016 09:28

Classic FM isn't pretentious - she would have a point if it were Radio 3!!

Egosumquisum · 23/05/2016 09:29

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

seeyounearertime · 23/05/2016 09:30

Not pretentious at all.

Music taste is very personal, you'll never meet two people with exactly the same tastes.

Patterkiller · 23/05/2016 09:30

DH works in a very manual blokey industry and listens to opera. He is far from pretentious. She's an arse.

Banderwassnatched · 23/05/2016 09:30

I like dance music, people have said that makes me all sorts of awful things. It doesn't- any more than classical makes you pretentious.

pinkyredrose · 23/05/2016 09:31

Failing to see how it's pretentious! Maybe your music taste highlighted her own lack of culture (in her mind) and she didn't like it so went on the defensive.

queenMab99 · 23/05/2016 09:33

Not pretentious, but unreasonable to have music in the garden where other people have to listen whether they like it or not.

MoonfaceAndSilky · 23/05/2016 09:34

Ooh love a bit of Classic FM, chills me out.
Your neighbour is a bit rude Shock

dodobookends · 23/05/2016 09:35

I'd much rather listen to that than the racket coming from the house two doors down yesterday afternoon...

SheHasAWildHeart · 23/05/2016 09:35

DD7 loves listening to Classic FM on the school run. She really isn't pretentious!

Egosumquisum · 23/05/2016 09:36

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

bitofaconundrum · 23/05/2016 09:39

Can't believe somebody else likes being a ballerina when that Tchaikovsky beat drops Wink

Your neighbour sounds a bit immature to be honest. I only really listen to classical stuff, nobody seems to realise that this is what Rihanna is based on, if in a diluted form.

Piemernator · 23/05/2016 09:40

Classic fm has shit like the music from Harry Potter, I certainly wouldn't class that as pretentious. I would however be pissed off that my neighbour was playing music in the garden regardless of the genre.

Awaits if you don't like noise live in the middle of nowhere comments.

BillSykesDog · 23/05/2016 09:41

Put on some Philp Glass. That'll learn her.

ThisCakeFilledIsle · 23/05/2016 09:44

Need more details really: was it maybe a gentle ribbing on what she thought of as a neutral subject ? I tease any metalheads I know and refer to their beloved music as "that racket".

I have come across people who believe noone could really love opera. At that point I can only shrug my shoulders really but it doesn't bother me.

I find metal unpleasant on the ears but I have seen that plenty of people enjoy it. Maybe the classical audience sitting quietly doesn't provide enough contrary evidence for those people who don't enjoy it to see that others genuinely are having a great experience!

Egosumquisum · 23/05/2016 09:44

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

LarrytheCucumber · 23/05/2016 09:44

Was she trying to be funny (amusing)? It sounds like the sort of throwaway I might make.Blush

Splandy · 23/05/2016 09:47

randomsabreuse, why on earth is radio 3 pretentious?? I love classical music, not keen on classic fm but enjoy radio 3. I was a young single mom and live on a rough council estate, as I always have. I'm definitely not pretentious! I couldn't care less about what music other people listen to and find it strange when people use it as a way of working out what type of person somebody is. Perhaps it was supposed to be a joke. If the two of you are quite friendly, it could have been a misjudged attempt at humour - a gentle ribbing. Or maybe a passive aggressive way of letting you know she can hear your music and doesn't want to.

Splandy · 23/05/2016 09:50

Haha, just seen that I cross posted with another 'gentle ribbing'. It's the kind of stupid comment I might make in an attempt to be funny which goes wrong and causes offence

Original poster
Hagothehills · 23/05/2016 09:51

I don't think she was trying to be funny, I think a pp might have hit the nail on the head with maybe making her go on the defensive? I didn't have it on particularly loud, I couldn't hear it at the opposite side of the garden (not a big garden either) and no one else was out at this point. She came outside, poked her head over the fence pulled a face and said 'aren't you a bit young to be listening to this kind of pretentious music?' I said I've always liked it and she was very Hmm

OP posts:
Egosumquisum · 23/05/2016 09:53

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
Hagothehills · 23/05/2016 09:53

Also as terrible as it sounds I don't really care if she doesn't like hearing my music in the garden in the middle of the day every now and then. She has no problems with keeping us all awake at 3:30am with hers so loud you can feel it in the floor Grin

OP posts:
LineyReborn · 23/05/2016 09:57

I don't think she knows what 'pretentious' means. She probably was struggling for 'portentous' and didn't quite get there. A bit like some of Mahler.