In relation to music...

Even though folk can't (debatably ) be defined

Folkies are elitist, but each in their own special way.

Some keep to one time period

Some favour some artists over others i.e Carthy over Rusby

Some love modern comic songs, and can't get enough out of parodies

Some won't sing a song or call it folk unless the author is unknown

Some refuse to acknowledge that blowing in the wind has the status of a modern folk song

Some will openly grown in Whiskey in the jar is sung because its too common

Some don't think you can properly understand or feel a folk song unless you are over the age of 60 and insist on giving positive criticism (Not that i'm sour or anything :-P)

Some won't go to a barn dance unless its Playford only

It is a very rare thing to find a folky that openly embraces all types of 'Folk' music and treats them all as equal, Tunng, Kipper, carthy, charp, child, , espers , Lakeman, LAU, Plainsong, DBR, Musical hall, greenday, dylan...


By the fact we have made it a genre in its self it is folk is by definition elitist. Only by scrapping all music genre's and treating all music as equal can you avoid the risk of becoming elitist. And i don't see anyone doing that soon