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d21lewis on 01 September 2011
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DeadNotSleeping said:

@Everyone who disagrees with my claim: If not sales/profit, what would you consider to be the best objective measuring stick for quality?  I have yet to hear a single proposal.  Most people are just disagreeing outright, using their own opinions as evidence enough.  How should I be able to tell the difference which opinion is correct?  I get the feeling that people are disagreeing simply because they believe something to be high-quality but it's financially less successful than things that the same people consider low quality.  I urge you to explore beyond the limits of your own personal preferences and explain how one can recognize quality in something that you detest, or at least admit that you could be absolutely wrong when you believe that something is very good. 

@People who appreciate my grammar: thank you.  If I must sound insane, at least I appear lucid.

You're welcome!

I don't think there is a measuring stick, though.  Quality is subjective and as such, can only be measured by the person who's doing the evaluating.  When you go to see a movie because the trailer looked interesting and after the fact, you realize that you didn't enjoy it, you still paid your money.  Even though you didn't enjoy the experience, you just voted with your wallet for the wrong candidate.  If anything, it shows that the marketing agency did a better time convincing you that this would be something you enjoy.

Art:  Michael Jackson has created drawings and paintings that are valued at millions of dollars.  Do you think that who he was and the fact that he died may have something to do with the sudden value of his art?

Music:  In the early 2000's, "Boy Bands" dominated the radio and made tons and tons of money.  Groups that were around at the time like Blues Traveler, Santana, and Green Day paled in comparison, when it came to sales.  A decade later, these financially less successful musicians are still in demand or still get music played heavily on radio stations.  The pop groups (who had people that paid radio stations to keep their songs in heavy rotation) are mostly nowhere to be found.  Was it the quality of the music that made people like Ke$ha (whom I actually like, to be honest) and Justin Bieber into powerhouses or was it the quality of their marketing and image consultants that made the demand for them?

My house:  I'm just kidding.

I was going to give examples of television and movies and specific examples of each (including actual sales figures) but I don't really feel like doing research right now.  I'll just say that a dedicated fanbase with money can give a false impression.  I've actually bored myself.  I'll let some of our heavy hitters come in and argue with you if they want.  I'm out!