Saturday, August 7, 2010

People's Choice

Recent applications of scientific aesthetics to the field of religion, allowing respondents to pick-&-mix their preferences for various possible components and variables, have established that the Most Wanted religious symbol in Australia -- scientifically proven to appeal to 72% of viewers -- would be a 2/3-size Jack Nicholson, wearing boardshorts and shades and an expensive watch, crucified on an inflatable mattress.

This important result was obtained by Komar and Melamid's People's Choice methodology. Recall that this approach resulted in
the "most wanted" and "most unwanted" paintings of 11 countries. The artists commissioned polling companies in the 11 countries [...] to conduct scientific polls to discover what they want to see in art.
In 1996 Komar and Melamid extended the project into the musical field, with a survey designed to delineate the world's Most Wanted song; also the Most Unwanted song, which most of you probably have on your playlists already. As yet there is no accompanying video.

UPDATED: Bonus Most Unwanted religious symbol here.

5 comments:

zombie rotten mcdonald said...

The most unwanted music is over 25 minutes long, veers wildly between loud and quiet sections, between fast and slow tempos, and features timbres of extremely high and low pitch, with each dichotomy presented in abrupt transition.

But Supper's Ready is quite popular!!

However, I welcome the application of statistical methodology and marketing research to art and music. It is about time someone started actively striving to bring about the utopia depicted in Player Piano.

ifthethunderdontgetya™³²®© said...

Yo, I'm ropin' up my saddle for the long long ride
Every time I see the desert there's something inside says
Yo, yo, this is the life
Give me open land and a big ol' knife
To get some bear, deer, even a snake
I light me a fire, do the shake and bake
I say yo, yo, I'm a cowboy now.
~

tigris said...

An operatic soprano raps and sings atonal music

Nuts.

Smut Clyde said...

I am disappointed by the absence of the Loophonium from the list of unwanted instruments.
It goes without saying that the composition Needs More Cowbell

Another Kiwi said...

However no more Cowell is needed in the Music Industry