# Do Men Hate Classical Music?



## kingtim

I found this interesting article: http://living.oneindia.in/expressions/factual-expressions/2010/modern-classical-music-230210.html

It says that Men hate classical music. Being a man and loving it, I wanted to see what other people had to say.

Do men hate classical music? Do they love it?

Let's hear from all the men... make your voices known!


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## ozradio

It says men hate modern classical music, to clarify.


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## Head_case

I don't.....


Does that make me less of a man?


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## David58117

The article talks about *modern* classical music. It reasons the lack of a pattern to "identify" is the reason people dislike it, as opposed to the forms of traditional classical music.

Strangely, the only mention of "men" is the article title. I don't think the article means the male gender, rather "men" as in humanity...that's probably why it uses the word "people" in the article.


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## Air

I've seen this article pop up in many of the 'other places', and yes, it is referring to the collective 'men' as in humanity. The article is rubbish anyways. I don't know why anyone would bother with or even care about the opinion of "Philip Ball", whoever he is and whatever his musical knowledge may be.

Regarding classical music and its manliness, I don't think there is an issue. I find the ratio of male listeners to female listeners to be about the same, with a slight edge (probably) to the male population. 

Of course, on this forum, the ratio of males to female is around 10:1!


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## Lukecash12

Are you kidding me, I despise classical music! How dreary...


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## Weston

I love classical music, but of course I am a beagle.


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## scytheavatar

I was wondering in the first place how many woman out there like classical music, heck like any form of music outside the mainstream crap.......


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## TWhite

Well, at least what I read of the article seems to be Much Ado About Nothing. I do agree that the author, whoever he is, must be using the term 'men' as in 'humanity' and not gender-specific. And he is talking about 'modern' Classical music, which seems to me that he hasn't been listening to some of the newer composers, whose music most definitely follows a 'pattern', even if it is sometimes well disguised. 

But then, unless you've very carefully studied Form and Anlysis, a great deal of standard Classical music disguises 'form' extremely well, also. So I really don't know what he's trying to get at. Is he inferring that 'men' prefer to listen to a symphony by Haydn, where the formal structure is clearly presented (for the most part, anyway), as opposed to, say, Lowell Lieberman's Second Piano Concerto, where the form is only discernable on the third or fourth hearing? 

Hey, last time I checked, I was a man, and I like both Haydn and Lieberman. Centuries apart, but they both make darned good music, IMO. 

Tom


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## Polednice

The writer needs to be told that _man_, not 'men' is the word to refer to humanity in general. No wonder there was such confusion! Still, I think men are less likely to listen to classical music than women.


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## Aramis

Polednice said:


> Still, I think men are less likely to listen to classical music than women.


That is very wrong. Women are shallow and simple, even those with musical education listen to the ligtest classical music only (Mozart, some gloomy piano music) and are not able to appreciate real passion and depth of likes of Ludwig Van or Mahler, and that is because they have not received a gift of blazing heart.

There are some exceptions, but the whole thing is not argueable, just like there are women with beards and moustaches and it doesn't change the fact that women doesn't have facial hair in general.


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## Iveforgottenmyoldpassword

Polednice said:


> Still, I think men are less likely to listen to classical music than women.


id have to disagree with that as well, i know just as many men who listen to and play classical music as i do women... if not more.


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## Polednice

I know more women who like classical music. I win.


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## Aramis

Polednice said:


> I know more women who like classical music. I win.


You loose either way because even if you are right you don't win since you have pointed your argument against yourself.


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## Polednice

Aramis said:


> You loose either way because even if you are right you don't win since you have pointed your argument against yourself.


I forgot to inform you that I had a sex change recently.


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## Lukecash12

Polednice said:


> I forgot to inform you that I had a sex change recently.


How'd it go? Did they do a good job of it, or blow you open like a trick cigar?


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## Polednice

Lukecash12 said:


> How'd it go? Did they do a good job of it, or blow you open like a trick cigar?


Well, let's just say that, when I look at myself, even _I_ don't know what sex I am now!


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## Head_case

Polednice said:


> Well, let's just say that, when I look at myself, even _I_ don't know what sex I am now!


That by the way folks, is not a side-effect of listening to Julius Zarebski by the way.

Could this be....the Brahms effect? 

In which case, you need a healthy dose of acerbic and dissonant 21st century classical music to regain your manhood


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## Iveforgottenmyoldpassword

you guys are silly


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## Lukecash12

somerandomdude said:


> you guys are silly


Are you mocking me???


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## HarpsichordConcerto

kingtim said:


> I found this interesting article: http://living.oneindia.in/expressions/factual-expressions/2010/modern-classical-music-230210.html
> 
> It says that Men hate classical music. Being a man and loving it, I wanted to see what other people had to say.
> 
> Do men hate classical music? Do they love it?
> 
> Let's hear from all the men... make your voices known!


This thread topic is as stupid as the original article.


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## Lukecash12

HarpsichordConcerto said:


> This thread topic is as stupid as the original article.


Why? We're all men, and we all hate classical music. It's like a law of nature. Men can't be true intellectuals, can't quite grasp emotions, and like to drink beer and wear the same shirt more than two days in a row. Did I miss any other stereotypes? Actually, I forgot that during childbirth, men tend to go home and have a nice, cold pint to get away from it all. We are all natural soccer hooligans, wear mismatched socks, snore loudly, always wake up in the morning like a bear coming out of an exorcism, and did I forget to mention that we really, *really* like beer? Can't get enough of it. Lagers, Pilsners, Ales, Pilferers, Stouts, and any wild home brew we can whip up.


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## Bgroovy2

I only listen to classical music when my wife allows me too


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## HarpsichordConcerto

Last night at my dinner party, I hired a musician over to play Bach's harpsichord music. I bought a French instrument, built around 1750. But I accidently dropped my beer and dinner onto the harpsichord's sound board. Never mind, just buy another period instrument. There are plenty around. Cheap too.


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## Polednice

Lukecash12 said:


> Why? We're all men, and we all hate classical music. It's like a law of nature. Men can't be true intellectuals, can't quite grasp emotions, and like to drink beer and wear the same shirt more than two days in a row. Did I miss any other stereotypes? Actually, I forgot that during childbirth, men tend to go home and have a nice, cold pint to get away from it all. We are all natural soccer hooligans, wear mismatched socks, snore loudly, always wake up in the morning like a bear coming out of an exorcism, and did I forget to mention that we really, *really* like beer? Can't get enough of it. Lagers, Pilsners, Ales, Pilferers, Stouts, and any wild home brew we can whip up.


Oh, of course! That's why I _like_ classical music - it's because I have a limp wrist, I'm bitchy, superficial, have a feminine voice and like to sport rainbow-coloured flags!


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## Iveforgottenmyoldpassword

Lukecash12 said:


> Why? We're all men, and we all hate classical music. It's like a law of nature. Men can't be true intellectuals, can't quite grasp emotions, and like to drink beer and wear the same shirt more than two days in a row. Did I miss any other stereotypes? Actually, I forgot that during childbirth, men tend to go home and have a nice, cold pint to get away from it all. We are all natural soccer hooligans, wear mismatched socks, snore loudly,* always wake up in the morning like a bear coming out of an exorcism*, and did I forget to mention that we really, *really* like beer? Can't get enough of it. Lagers, Pilsners, Ales, Pilferers, Stouts, and any wild home brew we can whip up.


i like this line, very poetic.


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## Iveforgottenmyoldpassword

HarpsichordConcerto said:


> Last night at my dinner party, I hired a musician over to play Bach's harpsichord music. I bought a French instrument, built around 1750. But I accidently dropped my beer and dinner onto the harpsichord's sound board. Never mind, just buy another period instrument. There are plenty around. Cheap too.


im so sorry to hear about your beer


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## World Violist

I love classical music, as well as the modern kind. I mean, seriously, the statement that men hate modern classical music is ridiculous. Have these people never heard of Pierre Boulez???

(Edit: among other men, of course... Pierre was just the first one who came to mind)


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## emiellucifuge

World Violist said:


> I love classical music, as well as the modern kind. I mean, seriously, the statement that men hate modern classical music is ridiculous. Have these people never heard of Pierre Boulez???
> 
> (Edit: among other men, of course... Pierre was just the first one who came to mind)


Well if we survey the top classical conductors I think the ratio of men to women is about 50:1.

THe one woman being a possible Marin Alsop and the 50 men being most other conductors imaginable.


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## Lukecash12

somerandomdude said:


> i like this line, very poetic.


Why thank you 



> I love classical music, as well as the modern kind. I mean, seriously, the statement that men hate modern classical music is ridiculous. Have these people never heard of Pierre Boulez???
> 
> (Edit: among other men, of course... Pierre was just the first one who came to mind)


@world violist: We forgot one little, itty bitty thing. Men make up for a vast majority of the great composers and musicians in history.


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## Polednice

emiellucifuge said:


> Well if we survey the top classical conductors I think the ratio of men to women is about 50:1.
> 
> THe one woman being a possible Marin Alsop and the 50 men being most other conductors imaginable.


Sian Edwards


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## World Violist

Lukecash12 said:


> @world violist: We forgot one little, itty bitty thing. Men make up for a vast majority of the great composers and musicians in history.


Well, this is about modern classical music, which to me is referring to music being composed during a person's lifetime. A lot of conductors don't tend to conduct a lot of modern music (Toscanini, Wand, etc. only got about as far as the composers who died during the time they (the conductors) were young.

Although these days that is not much of a rule anymore.

...nevermind.


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## Nagamori

What an awful article. It's like 150 words and horribly written. I doubt it does very well to represent this person's argument, but it sounds pretty dumb as well. Although I think we can dismiss that "[modern] classical music is impossible to listen to", as no sane person would argue that.


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## kingtim

You guys crack me up. I like classical music, but I would qualify as a single celled organism.

Ozradio is right, it does only specify modern classical


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## dieter

A good friend of mine once said: " Women hate music." What I know for sure is that my wife and 18 year old daughter can't stand any volume, that they'd much prefer total silence.


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## omega

OP: Obviously not. Or I'm female and I don't know it.


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## clockworkmurderer

6 years later and men still hate classical?


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## Klavierspieler

I hate classical music, but I'm a eunuch. Dang the Vet! Dang the Vet!


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## SimonNZ

Lukecash12 said:


> Why? We're all men, and we all hate classical music. It's like a law of nature. Men can't be true intellectuals, can't quite grasp emotions, and like to drink beer and wear the same shirt more than two days in a row. Did I miss any other stereotypes? Actually, I forgot that during childbirth, men tend to go home and have a nice, cold pint to get away from it all. We are all natural soccer hooligans, wear mismatched socks, snore loudly, *always wake up in the morning like a bear coming out of an exorcism*, and did I forget to mention that we really, really like beer? Can't get enough of it. Lagers, Pilsners, Ales, Pilferers, Stouts, and any wild home brew we can whip up.


That bit gave me my best laugh of the week. Thank you.


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## Abraham Lincoln

If all men hate classical music does this mean that the composers were all women? (And so many lesbians?)


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## Xenakiboy

If haven't cycled through all your posts yet, but does this mean that I, and everyone else on this forum are in fact: Woman? and Beethoven, Haydn, Schoenberg and Paul McCartney where all woman? never knew! :lol:


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## Pugg

Abraham Lincoln said:


> If all men hate classical music does this mean that the composers were all women? (And so many lesbians?)


Perhaps an idea to make a new poll? :lol:


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## GreenMamba

Xenakiboy said:


> If haven't cycled through all your posts yet, but does this mean that I, and everyone else on this forum are in fact: Woman? and Beethoven, Haydn, Schoenberg and Paul McCartney where all woman? never knew! :lol:


No, it means the original article was using "men" to refer to mankind or people in general, and the music they dislike was supposedly Modern Classical. "People hate Modern Classical." But we don't need another argument abut that, so I should just shut up.


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## kartikeys

I know men who are not very fond of 
modern classical music. They love the 
old music.


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## Ilarion

Blessed Lukecash12,

In re to your post #22 in this thread.............

"Like a bear coming out of an exorcism" 

WUT? A-ummmmm...Lukecash12, Of course, you know the thing about 4+ months in la-la land, don'tcha?


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## Pugg

kartikeys said:


> I know men who are not very fond of
> modern classical music. They love the
> old music.


Not all though


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## georgedelorean

Of all the men I've ever known, the ones who didn't like it were less than cultured. They've been few and far between however. Who knows how they think nowadays!


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