poptimism

Blend of pop +‎ optimism

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈpɑptɪmɪzəm/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈpɒptɪmɪzəm/

poptimism (uncountable)

1. The belief that pop music (or pop culture in general) is worthy of professional critique and interest.

   Synonym: popism

   Antonym: rockism

   • 2022, W. David Marx, chapter 10, in Status and Culture, Viking, →ISBN:

     Rockism lost, and poptimism won. All cultural snootiness is now tedious.

   • 2025 September 28, Rachel Aroesti, “In an era of AI slop and mid TV, is it time for cultural snobbery to make a comeback?”, in The Guardian‎^[1], →ISSN:

     Soon poptimism—an ideology that maintained that authenticity was a pose and conventionally unserious music (and, later, film, TV and books) had inherent value—became the status quo.

• poptimist