Peter and Joe are right--social singing has disappeared from our culture. Christmas carols were the last bastion, and that seems to be slipping fast.

I suppose that in its way, this fussing about RUS is a an acknowledgement of the fact that people sing so little that they no longer even know the words--but the whole "Seattle/San Francisco/Bedford Falls Song circle isn't good enough for the real singers anymore" discussion comes off as petty egoism.

In a way, it reminds me of the things that classical musicians used to be accused of saying about how folk songs were not real music, and that hoots were just an excuse for bad singing.