who’s horrified?

i was watching a clip of Patrice O’Neal on a panel show the other day and he said “comedy is 50% people laughing and 50% horrified.” that got me thinking, is music the same? does the best art resonate with half of the people while the other half don’t really get it?

i think horrified might be the wrong word for music. 50% vibing, 50% confused. i think that’s a worthy goal as a creative. if your art falls too squarely to appeal to everyone “getting it,” it’s gonna lose it’s edge. meanwhile, if you’re purely there to shock and awe, it’s not really for an audience at all then. a little divisiveness goes a long way to get people talking. food for thought.

btw, i’m off to burning man on weds. wish me luck!

-felix