Why Nynke de Jong Likes the Top 2000

Just before the new year somebody asked if I already had written in my blog about the Top 2000 - the hitparade put together on the basis of lists made by hundreds of thousands of listeners and broadcast completely between Christmas and New Year's Eve. I had not. And before I could even start to think about what I would like to write, Nynke de Jong wrote it for me. She wrote a column in NRC Next on 31/12 of which the message could have been mine. For those of you reading Dutch: it's here. For those of you not reading Dutch, a bit of literal translation:

"The Top 2000 is not a music list. They make you think so, those jokers from Radio 2. I have to admit: it looks like a music list. Al those songs in a row, the order of which everybody wants to discuss. Because why is Robbie Williams' 'Angels' higher on the list than 'A Day in the Life' of the Beatles? Well? Which audio-handicapped took care of that?

But the Top 2000 is not about music at all. It's all about memories. It's a list with 2000 memories from random Dutch individuals. (...) It's the list of Fat Freddy from Nijverdal, who in the summer waved his long hair at every barn party on Kiss' 'I Was Made For Loving You'. And during headbanging by accident collided with the head of Beatrice. Beatrice, the nice saturday morning assistant of the bakery in Hellendoorn. They kissed behind the party tent, and now they sit on the couch together every evening and he makes some toast while they watch 'Memories' together on the tv.

(...) And that is why one cannot discuss about the Top 2000. Because I may have a tendency to vomit while listening to Marco Borsato, but Erica from Loppersum wants to hear it on her cremation, so I can imagine that she thinks I should shut up my big gob or otherwise just turn off te radio.

And she's got a point there. That's why I do not complain. I grant Fat Freddy and Erica their memories. Even if I have to listen to godforsaken Enya for that."

What can I possibly add to that?

Hail Nynke!!


PS
Something else that was written - without me knowing it - on behalf of me: a reader's letter in my paper pleading for some understanding - the paper wrote about a woman who texted a nasty remark about the fatness of the woman in front of her, and the reader rebuked her for that. Hail, Hester Schaaf!!