I was scrolling FB earlier and this guy has this HUGE post with a link to some Justin Beiber music video. He wrote about how he isn’t a “pop culturalist”,or something, especially when it comes to music, he always does better than the Beebs (I’m 100% rephrasing, of course) but he just liked this song.

Okay.

I mean, like it if you like it. Literally nobody cares. And I don’t mean that in a rude way but like.. if you rock out to Justin Beiber every now and then, no one cares, and if they do – fuck em *maybe literally, while Justin Beiber plays in the background* **only if they consent, of course, to the fucking… sneak in the soundtrack**

Like what you like (within reason, I don’t promote harmful behavior here). Let others like what they like. I feel like I’ve written about this before but it’s always so weird to me when people feel bad or are made to feel bad for a musician or tv show or whatever that they are into.

I unapologetically can sing along to more than a handful of Spice Girl songs. I still love and am genuinely creeped out by episodes of Courage the Cowardly Dog. I sleep with my favorite blanket and at least one stuffed animal every night. If any of my friends ever tried to make me feel guilt or shame for that, or anything else like that, they can 100% fuck off.

One of my besties loves the One Direction (hey girl hey!). I don’t. Nothing against them. They are adorable boys, making catchy pop music. It’s just not my scene. But it’s hers, so while I don’t personally dig it, I’m totally fine with her digging it. Live and let live, y’all. Ain’t nobody gonna shoot you because you like a Justin Beiber bop, so this like… fear of liking stuff (usually uber mainstream, popular stuff – heaven forbid we like something that literally millions of other people like – we clearly can’t or we’ll be stripped of our cool badges….) is just so surreal to me. I’m old as fuck. Peer pressure is just like… the last thing I feel the need to entertain.

Also, don’t like what you don’t like. For me, Game of Thrones, Marvel movies, college football… I just could not care any less about these things. I don’t bash the kajillion people who do love these things. I actually use to plan grocery shopping trips around football games because I knew there would be fewer people out and about.

Life is just so much bigger than these things. I understand you can connect with your tribe, partially, because of these things. I went to an EDM show a few weeks back and I saw the community there, that came together because of the music, and that’s amazing. But I really hope every single person at that show knows and loves someone who totally doesn’t get that genre.

I don’t want my life to be just straight shots of tequila. That is gonna be boring and it’s gonna fuck me up, bad. I want my life to be colorful, tasty, wonderful cocktails with multiple ingredients. You’re the bartender of your life, play, experiment, mix it up, y’all. Cheers!