Agree or disagree, and to what extent: popularity is not a measure of quality

[Travelman6]

I strongly agree. I've heard people say "Well they wouldn't be so popular if they sucked" but I think it is possible. What do you think?

 

[SubbaBub]

The two are completely unrelated. Many things are popular specifically for their poor performance. Usually from people that aren't directly affected by the poor performance.

 

[Deepster]

I do think the topic you’re analyzing will have a pretty wide variance but overwhelmingly I do think popularity does not guarantee quality.

Marvel movies. Chain restaurants. Musicians.

 

[Palatine]

Two different things.

 

[Travelman6]

Two different things.

But so many people behave as if they aren't.

 

[storrsroars]

I do think the topic you’re analyzing will have a pretty wide variance but overwhelmingly I do think popularity does not guarantee quality.

Marvel movies. Chain restaurants. Musicians.

I'm gonna go a bit pedantic here...

From a business standpoint, "quality" is actually simply the characteristic of delivering expected performance repeatedly and reliably. The Malcolm Baldridge awards were all about that. Under that definition, McDonald's - and pretty much most all fast-food chains - qualify as "quality" because the manufacturing process is built around repeatability of product. It's why your Big Mac in Fargo tastes the same as your Big Mac in Miami (or your Royale in Paris).

Then you have the definition of quality as being the standard of something as compared to other things of a similar kind. And there you have to define the universe. It would seem obvious that Five Guys is better than McDonald's if you're talking hamburgers. But if you're talking cheap meals, then you're measuring against Burger King and Wendy's (Wendy's wins hands-down for me, but McD's revenue says it's tops, so maybe it's the quality of parents being able to take their kids out for something simple, cheap and fun). Or you might include KFC and Taco Bell in that universe if 'cheap' is the prevailing quality being measured. That's probably what keeps Taco Bell solvent because there just aren't that many post-college folks around who actually like Taco Bell over alternatives.

Same for cars. Honda and Toyota are generally considered better quality than Ford and Chevy. But not Mercedes-Benz (which is perceived better than BMW for engineering, but perhaps not some attributes that stick drivers prefer).

So, in the non-manufacturing application, the "universe" to which "quality" is being ascribed becomes important. Trap music sucks to most humans. But to trap music fans, they can argue over which trap artist is best and have it be a valid argument. Same with MCU movies. I don't watch them, but if you go on the BY movie thread, I'm in the distinct minority.

And then you have presidential candidates...

 

[SubbaBub]

Quality is about meeting and exceeding a set standard. Yes, repeatably and consistently. In this context, we should be assuming a high level of excellence as the standard to be met.

A consistent C student is meeting standards and consistently passing their classes. No one would consider that a quality record of academic achievement.

C students can certainly be popular as can A students but there isn't a correlation between grades and popularity.

 

[Deepster]

You can define quality as meeting and exceeding a set standard. Unless it's something like music.

Take a song like Biz Markie's "Just a Friend". It's popular. What's the "set standard" for a music single? There are no quality controls like an assembly line hamburger. The folks at Julliard wouldn't sign off on it. So is it quality or isn't it?

 

[HuskyHawk]

Shaun Hill, one of the best brewers in the world on Macro beer

I actually find myself drinking Miller High Life or Budweiser because those beers are perfectly crafted. They’re soft and there are off flavors, but they’re intentional. There are flaws that they intentionally put in the beer in order to continue the flavor profile, but those beers are really easy to drink. Not all beers are easy to drink.

Quality is subjective. Those beers are super popular, and incredibly consistent. Like Heinz Ketchup and McDonalds French fries. That is a hallmark of quality. Yet others would view quality differently, focusing on uniqueness or expense. A Toyota Corolla is more reliable than a Ferrari and is made in very high volumes. Yet the Ferrari engines are built by hand by a single person and the seats are hand stitched. Which is "quality"? Both could be. As we saw with the watch thread, the expensive automatic watches are examples of quality craftmanship, yet they can't keep time as well as cheaper quartz watches.

Music, films and art are even more subjective.

 

[CL82]

Shaun Hill, one of the best brewers in the world on Macro beer

Quality is subjective. Those beers are super popular, and incredibly consistent. Like Heinz Ketchup and McDonalds French fries. That is a hallmark of quality. Yet others would view quality differently, focusing on uniqueness or expense. A Toyota Corolla is more reliable than a Ferrari and is made in very high volumes. Yet the Ferrari engines are built by hand by a single person and the seats are hand stitched. Which is "quality"? Both could be. As we saw with the watch thread, the expensive automatic watches are examples of quality craftmanship, yet they can't keep time as well as cheaper quartz watches.

Music, films and art are even more subjective.

I once did a brewery tour at an Anheuser-Busch brewery. Afterwards they lined up a bunch of beers for everyone. I sipped each one of them and then looked at my wife and said I've never seen so much beer that I have no interest in drinking. Now flavor is inherently personal but I'm not a big fan of the Anheuser Bush line.

 

[B1GEast]

Just cause it's popular doesn't make it right

Just cause it's right doesn't make it popular

 

[nwhoopfan]

At least in terms of entertainment (music, movies, tv), popularity is very little indication of quality IMO. They aren't mutually exclusive, but might not be much overlap. Granted I have some weird and obscure tastes, but I'm often confounded by stuff that is popular.

 

[Kolumbo]

Popularity is a measure of quality, inversely. Today it seems the more popular, the lower the quality. That would be the starting point.

Of course there are many variables and interpretations. McDonalds burgers are extremely popular but probably the worst in quality. I may drive a Chevy or Toyota but I would love to drive a Mercedes. Does that make Chevy and Toyota or Mercedes more "popular?" We buy what we can afford but what the masses can afford isn't the best quality.

 

[HuskyHawk]

I once did a brewery tour at an Anheuser-Busch brewery. Afterwards they lined up a bunch of beers for everyone. I sipped each one of them and then looked at my wife and said I've never seen so much beer that I have no interest in drinking. Now flavor is inherently personal but I'm not a big fan of the Anheuser Bush line.

Neither am I. Yet it’s made more or less flawlessly (perfect consistency) in massive volumes at multiple locations. That is actually very hard to do.

 

[CL82]

Neither am I. Yet it’s made more or less flawlessly (perfect consistency) in massive volumes at multiple locations. That is actually very hard to do.

Is consistently bad a good thing?