How do you like yours? Medium well done

[Ohmyscience]

Are some media more substantial than others? I have asked myself and of course with unwarranted bias I love some media much more than others. To me nothing rivals music. Of course any attempt at defending my position would be fruitless. I must have just fell for it unconsciously. However despite that I can't help but think some media are just better than others. It is unfounded to find dance inferior to poetry despite being able to recognize beauty in both?

What do you prefer? Offer your defense.

[FranzS]

Music is a more immediate medium than the written word, because it can be apprehended without any effort: you just have to sit there passively. So I think it is easier to be moved by music, because you can appreciate it in a completely relaxed state. With the written word, some of your attention is being devoted to mental effort, so it's harder work.

You have to separate the emotion you get from art, from the actual merit of the art. I like some dance music too, but most of it has little artistic merit. The record maker is guaranteed an emotional response just through the application of tried-and-tested rhythms and chord sequences. Much classical music is less instantly enjoyable than pop music, because to appreciate it fully, you have to develop a sense of long-term musical structure (this isn't something you need to study, it's just a question of having the music play in the background and at some point it "clicks"). However, the amount of artistry that goes into most classical music is an order of magnitude greater than that of most pop songs.

That's not a snobbish statement: I say it as someone who still listens mostly to pop music. I love classical music, but it requires a certain type of attention from the listener, and can be quite mentally and emotionally demanding.