Take them at their word

[supergee]

Geek Feminism links to a discussion of how John Cage tricked the experts into saying that "4'11"" "isn't music," thus expanding the definition of music at least as far as it should have been. In perhaps the most delayed example of treppenwitz in history, I suggest that the critics should have said, "Yes. This is music. And since it contains at most homeopathic quantities of what people value in music, it may be the worst music ever. Let's never listen to this asshole again."