But other people might like simplistic lyrics or they...
Modern art.
You said "the entire reason that art is created: to express beauty. Not to make a crude statement" You're assuming that. People make art for all kinds of reasons. Some people do it to make money, Some people do it to send a message, Some people want to be famous, Etc. That's just what you think it should be for. Art is subjective. If there was transcendent beauty, We'd have proof of it. You said "You reject bad music because it is bad music" No, I reject certain music because I don't like it. I do have objective standards, But they're based on my opinion. I like music with lyrics that I think are clever. But other people might like simplistic lyrics or they might have a different definition of clever. "Everyone finds the golden ratio beautiful in some way. Studies have shown that even human faces follow the golden ratio" This is categorically false. This would assume that everyone in the world is aware of the ratio and if there was something in the world that people universally agreed upon, It would be headline news. "The $10 million hunk of stone I referred to was the piece of modern This would assume that everyone in the world is aware of the ratio and if there was something in the world that people universally agreed upon, It would be headline news. "The $10 million hunk of stone I referred to was the piece of modern art that was just a rock. Not the David. I actually find the David to be a marvelous work of art. " My mistake. "My final point is that artists have recently been lazy" You can't possibly know that. Just because their art looks easy, Doesn't mean they didn't work hard on it. Good debate.