"My tastes are eclectic"
About this Quote
A celebrity saying "My tastes are eclectic" is a velvet-rope way of taking control of the room without looking like you’re trying. Dinah Shore delivers a line that sounds breezy and self-effacing, but it’s also a quiet flex: eclecticism implies range, discernment, and a life lived across scenes. It’s not a claim of expertise; it’s a claim of access.
In Shore’s era, a mainstream entertainer had to thread a needle. You were expected to be broadly likable, reliably “American,” and non-threatening on television, yet still interesting enough to feel aspirational. “Eclectic” is the perfect mid-century shield. It dodges the tribalism of taste (Are you highbrow or lowbrow? jazz or show tunes? modern art or mahogany?) and replaces it with a personality brand: I’m open, I’m curious, I’m not boxed in. That matters for a woman in show business, where “type” can become a professional prison. Eclectic tastes subtly refuse typecasting without sounding combative.
There’s also a whiff of diplomacy. Shore’s career was built on reaching everyone at once, smoothing over differences with charm. Eclecticism becomes a cultural technique: liking a little of everything is a way to keep the audience from feeling judged. The subtext is social fluency - an ability to move between tastes the way a skilled host moves between guests, making each feel chosen. It’s not just what she likes; it’s how she stays in the center.
In Shore’s era, a mainstream entertainer had to thread a needle. You were expected to be broadly likable, reliably “American,” and non-threatening on television, yet still interesting enough to feel aspirational. “Eclectic” is the perfect mid-century shield. It dodges the tribalism of taste (Are you highbrow or lowbrow? jazz or show tunes? modern art or mahogany?) and replaces it with a personality brand: I’m open, I’m curious, I’m not boxed in. That matters for a woman in show business, where “type” can become a professional prison. Eclectic tastes subtly refuse typecasting without sounding combative.
There’s also a whiff of diplomacy. Shore’s career was built on reaching everyone at once, smoothing over differences with charm. Eclecticism becomes a cultural technique: liking a little of everything is a way to keep the audience from feeling judged. The subtext is social fluency - an ability to move between tastes the way a skilled host moves between guests, making each feel chosen. It’s not just what she likes; it’s how she stays in the center.
Quote Details
| Topic | Witty One-Liners |
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