There's an underlying assumption, in all rants like this, that it's the primary 'duty' of all folk music enthusiasts to popularise the medium. Usually the ranter doesn't appear to like folk music very much and wishes that it were more like contemporary pop music. He/she then assumes that if folk music were more like contemporary pop music it would be more popular. Hence, if folkies are to fulfil their duty they must make folk music more like contemporary pop music.

My first response to such tiresome tosh is f**k off and don't presume to impose 'duties' on me - who the f**k do you think you are? My second response is that I've spent most of my adult life enjoying folk music and imagine that it probably will survive, in some form or other, after me. If it doesn't - so what? That's evolution for you and I refuse to lie awake at night fretting about it.