Frank Kogan

That is to say, if rockism is about contempt in some fashion -- for a piece of work, for an audience, often both -- the problem with rockism can only be whether or not that contempt is misplaced, either because when you try to dismantle it it comes apart (poor craftsmanship) or when you try to put it back together in a new circumstance you find the pieces won't go together the way you want them to.

In the former category, dismantling "but they don't write their own songs!" usually just makes the argument fall apart. But let's say this IS a valid criticism that reflects your values: does it apply when you start talking about a different kind of music, a different production method, or a different sensibility? Does my dad, who only listens to classical guitar music and for whom skill and excellence in performance are key, really get to level his skill-and-excellence gun at Ashlee?