What is good taste?

[jake-the-peg]

Not examples but a definition

And where does the idea come from?

[VillageVicar]

�Good taste� would be defined as conforming to the generally accepted standards and manners decorum of a greater or lesser society.

Hopefully this helps

Fr Bill

[VillageVicar]

Sorry...I didn't contribute as to where it came from...in its earliest origins, the 'standard' was established by either the patriarch of a society or a ruler who dictated the standard. This can go back to the beginning of time.

Be well

Fr Bill

[ruby27]

Value attributed to signifiers that are in relative short supply that my acquisition of or access to, demonstrate that I am wealthy and cultured, whilst your are a miserable oik.

Our love of a class/caste/hierarchical society.

How can I demonstrate that not only am I wealthy, but I am so wealthy that I do not need to be directly involved in commerce. I have evolved from that level and now have the leisure time to study the Arts. Having studied the Arts I now have an appreciation of the esoteric, which you, you miserable oik do not have. I need to have tangible evidence of my and others credentials to fit into a certain class which ensures the exclusion of others.

[naomi24]

Ruby, if I may say so, a very blinkered vision. Good taste doesn't necessarily come from money. The poorest people can have decent standards and are often fully aware of what is tasteful and what is not. Sadly, your post undermines the intelligence of the ordinary working man.

[chompu]

Naomi
I agree a very narrow viewpoint. I studied The Arts in my degree and still have a strong interest in the subject. I better start searching for my wealth I seem to have misplaced it.
I think taste is subjective and therefore good taste difficult to define.
Chompu, working class boy.

[naomi24]

Chompu, you sound like a pretty tasteful chap to me. I'm sure with your intelligence, your wealth will come.

[ludwig]

In defence of ruby, she's probably answered the bit about where it comes from. I'm sure the concept was invented by the Rich/Intellectual/Priveleged people to distinguish themselves from the hoi poloi.
'The choices we make and the things we can afford are superior to and set us apart from the vulgar proletariat'. It's probably an ancient greek or Roman concept.

[jake-the-peg]

It feels like a renaissance sort of idea, that an appreciation of certain arts or ideas made you as an individual somehow a better person

Does it really I wonder? Is an appreciation of Virgil make you a better person than an appreciation of car mechanics?

I think it's fairly clear that there's no direct corrolation between money and taste.

In fact terms like "Nouveau riche" imply almost a negative corrolation.

Is it possible that it'sjust an idea that was seized upon by old money to distinguish themselves from new?

[Octavius]

Good taste may be difficult to define, but it stifles creativity and is the enemy of comedy.

A person of little means may think their good taste includes an appreciation of the arts and opera, a person of generous wealth may find Westlife and the Beano floats their boat. It is a subjective approach and good taste is measured on their individual aspirations, pleasure and satisfaction. One person�s good taste is another�s crime against the senses.

In respect of comedy, Fr Bill probably has it about right, since in this context it is about general and combined levels of acceptability, pleasure and (dis)satisfaction.

Bad taste creates many more millionaires than good taste.

[ruby27]

I believe good taste is entirely subjective, as it is a concept that is socially constructed (my opinion), rather than being an objective reality that is an innate quality some people have and some don't. Therefore, what is deemed tasteful or not will be located in a context which will change over time, within cultures, class or any other kind of social grouping. Any form of grouping or classification will have the outcome of helping people have a sense of shared understanding and belonging, as well as a means to exclude and differentiate from others. So the 'in' people will appreciate good taste, the 'out' people will not.

[ruby27]

naomi24 and chompu

Well my use of a Marxist paradigm to explore the concept of good taste isn�t going to offer the widest range of possibilities is it!

[Octavius]

No, the �in� people are just arrogant enough to assume that they possess good taste. The �out� people are just not following cyclical trends like sheep. As I said, good taste stifles creativity since the �in� people will just go on believing in their idols and their own pre-destined self importance without any regard for individuality or personal imagination.

[ruby27]

So Octavius

What about those people who have the 'good taste' to realise that good taste is a load of pretentious rubbish only fit for the sheep to slavishly follow and aspire to. Are they free to be creative and inspirational?

[Octavius]

To people with good taste, they will be seen as having bad taste.

[jake-the-peg]

So if taste is entirely subjective why is beauty and proportion so universal?

Most of us can tell when colours clash, there have been studies showing babies prefer symmetry in human faces and I know of no cultures that venerate rubbish tips over mountain forrests?

Surely there's at least a cross-over between good taste and asthetic appeal?

[beryllium]

Definition:

hegemonism.

[Octavius]

Possibly jake, but then so could sound. Not many people consider thrash metal to be in good taste, but there are some who do ....etcetera ad infinitum. Discordiant tunes hurt the ears and make your brain hurt, but some people love expressive jazz where each "artist" plays a completely different tune all at the same time. Good taste, not on my nelly.

If a colour clashes, according to Trinny & Suzannah last week this is fine if you want to make an impact and a statement. This week however they say it is tasteless and vile.

Good taste, bad taste and no taste at all is the personal processes and organisation of ones own taset preference. Hegenism is a good word, but it is more about self-righteousness. All Americans have that doctrine, and we all know they have REALLY bad taste!

[Hellyon]

Good taste is a nude posed artfully with a feather, bad taste is a nude posed with the whole chicken.

Joking aside, Taste I believe was once much more closely linked with class and breeding. These days those lines have become mmuch more blurred as there are por people with immaculate taste and very wealthy people who demonstate poor taste - you need only look at WAG's weddings in Hello/OK magazine. Even breeding is no longer an indicator as you need only look at Lady Isabella Hervey/Tara Palmer Tompkinson etc so I think now that taste like art is in the eye of the beholder.

[China Doll]

Good taste tends to lead to a crushingly boring sex life.

I don't think you can define it but it comes from within and is less to do with your red wine preference, whether the brown goes with the blue and any other cliche I can think of.

To me it's about knowing how to appreciate something for what it is without having to validate to all and sundry why you like it. However you should be able to define why you don't.

[beryllium]

Is good taste not breaking one of the 10 commandments?

Thou shalt not covet?