Psych Professor Urges People to Check their Beatles Privilege – IOTW Report

Psych Professor Urges People to Check their Beatles Privilege

Do you like the Beatles? Then, according to Dr. Adam Rodriguez, you may have “privilege” relating to the most famous music group of all time and your taste in music.

Dr. Rodriguez, who is “an Assistant Professor within the Clinical Psychology Department at Notre Dame de Namur University,” penned an article in the Huffington Post called, “How Can You Not Like The Beatles?

He begins his article by explaining how he could never get into the Beatles and that he could only name a few of their songs. His friend, an avid fan, decided to burn Rodriguez a CD of their albums.
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“After the first two albums, I found it simply was not for me,” Dr. Rodriguez writes. “I told him that the songs seemed fine, I just did not really like them all that much.” His friend was surprised.

Then it hit Dr. Rodriguez. His friend had Beatles “privilege.” According to Rodriguez, his friend is part of the “dominate group” of people who agree on an opinion.

“When one is a member of the dominant culture, that person enjoys particular power and privileges, including the freedom to not have to consider other perspectives,” he writes, continuing, “My friend has enjoyed the privilege of not having to consider that there are people in the world that don’t have the same relationship to music, food, art, or culture that he does. He has the privilege of not being forced to consider perspectives that are not his own.

“Here’s what my friend did not consider: He grew up a white middle-class male in the 70s and 80s, to parents who grew up on the Beatles and were immensely influenced by them and other rock and roll bands.”

In the end, Dr. Rodriguez urges his readers to realize that there is nothing wrong with someone who does not like the Beatles, and to check their Beatles privilege.

“Liking or not liking the Beatles cannot be assumed, and it certainly is not a character issue. It is influenced by a multitude of factors, including the cultural influences that I grew up with,” he explains.

34 Comments on Psych Professor Urges People to Check their Beatles Privilege

  1. “Beatle Privilege”? OM effing G, really? Have we finally exhausted the vast pool of legitimate problems facing the world today?

    No, we haven’t. This daybed-flouncer is perplexed by the fact that, even with a doctorate degree, the lowest-hanging fruit on the tree of trouble extend far beyond his diminutive intellectual and emotional grasp.

  2. Yep – the irony is strong in that one. He can’t see that he is a product of the PC regressive culture that touts tolerance and blasts profiling – while proceeding to place everyone in little groups with a big intolerance chip on his shoulder.

  3. when I encounter someone my age who does not know about or enjoy the same cultural memories of me, I often good naturally kid them about leading a sheltered life. No offense is ever meant and I seriously doubt none is ever perceived. I think this guy would be the one who would act offended that I pointed out we were exposed to different things while growing up.

  4. I just realized I’m surrounded by a lot of people who have McDonald’s privilege. Having not eaten at McDonalds for nearly 27 years, I’ve been subjected to microagressions for many years from people who actually enjoy Big Macs and can’t understand why I don’t. I need a safe space… boo hoo hoo

  5. The Beatles were at the best OK, some of their music is vey good and a lot of it is so so. But then again a lot of pop music and rock and roll from the 50’s thru the 70’s was also the same. It’s just that us aging baby boomers have heard this music over and over again so many times because of our constant exposure to it that it’s become elevator music now to our generation. A lot of it repeated over and over has made us wax nostalgic for the good old days when we were younger. What’s going to happen when the last of the boomers finally dies and there are no more oldies channels (50’s to 70’s music) to listen to? Will the younger generations have their own moldie oldies or just keep listening to our music? Will the last boomer still sing the Fish cheer, gimme an F etc. or listen to the Stones, I’m waiting for their geriatric tour or when they start to play indian casinos, the same for The Who and a lot of the other bands. Will we all finally die out in a blaze of glory singing Imagine by John Lennon (never in my case, I hate that song) or give Peace A Chance etc. Or listen to In A Gada Da Vida etc. Or will they finally grow up and quit acting like Peter Pan? Unfortunately, far too many of them still don’t get it and are carrying on like it’s the 60’s all over again. We’ll just have to wait and see. Meanwhile everyone must get stoned over and over and over again until we fade away into oblivion like Timothy Leary after a bad acid trip. And I will admit I still listen to a lot of it but I prefer 50’s music (except for Pat Boone and a lot of Elvis who is overrated at best) and Doo Wop because it’s a comfort thing and it’s become mostly background noise anymore to the story of our/my generation of boomers.

  6. i don’t like any classic rock. not really because i think it sucks, i’ve just heard about every goddamn song over and over again for the last 35 years. and then, when some wrinkly, aged rocker comes out with new material, it is invariably some hackneyed “blues rock” abomination.

  7. My reason for not being a Beatles fan is simple: the music of the Broadway stage got me first. To this day I’d rather listen to Robert Preston singing “‘Til There Was You” (from “The Music Man”) than listen to John Lennon butcher the very same song.

  8. Ill tell you this much, when I’m really old I am buying a car that will have the complete exterior covered in outward facing speakers.
    There will be an amplifier that defies the laws of physics.
    Then I’m going to the Black neighborhoods and warm up with some Andy Williams and some Perry Como, and the like.
    Then I’m going to check me some of my Frank Sinatra privilege at about two hundred decibels.
    Better pet the dog now ’cause you won’t see him for a week.

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