High Fidelity: What came first, the music or the misery?

“What matters is what you like, not what you are like" or so says Rob Gordon, the protagonist of High Fidelity. In this episode, we look back at the 2000 film starring John Cusack, and ask if there's value in the idea that our favourite songs, films and books reveal who we are. We talk about music snobbery, cultural gatekeeping and the politics of taste in the original film and the 2020 television remake starring Zoë Kravitz. 

Films and TV referenced in the episode:

Say Anything (1989)

High Fidelity (2000)

High Fidelity, Hulu (2020)

500 Days of Summer (2009)

Almost Famous (2000) 

The OC (2003-2007)

Other links mentioned and clips used in this episode: 

6:00 - Opening scene of 500 Days of Summer

10:30 - John Cusack, NYT interview (2020)

17:00 - The Rap Against Rockism, Kelefa Sanneh (2004)

19:40 - Beam Me Up Softboi Instagram account

20:27 - Men Explain Music to Me, Kim Kelly

22:49 - James Acaster, Perfect Sounds, BBC Sounds 

33:31 - Janet Jackson, I Get Lonely 

38:21 - Fan Girls, Hannah Ewens

38:30 - Jessica Hopper tweet

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