I think a lot of this stems from the attitude of the contemporary music business which sees music as a commodity, rather than an art form. This is also true of the movie business. In spite of these types of business apparatchiks, somehow, good quality seems to surface upon occasion.

Art has become a commodity in the US. Live music is just TV flesh to be turned on and off or background for talking. I realize this is a generalization but there does remain the American Idol attitude that somehow appealing to the largest and maybe lowest common denominator defines what is important. In spite of this, good quality art forms and performers manage to surface in pop music, jazz, folk or classical.

The mediocrity is probably in the minds of the business people who should not be in the music or entertainment business at all but see it as a way to make a "killing". Unfortunately, many times, their tastes prevail. They sell it to the media and that's all we get to hear or see.

This is probably where the majority/mediocrity idea comes from. Fortunately, it's not always true.

Frank Hamilton