# Did Bob Dylan deserve the Nobel Prize for literature???. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 1, 2016, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-bob-dylan-deserve-the-nobel-prize-for-literature/770404 "2016-11-01T22:02:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2016, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-bob-dylan-deserve-the-nobel-prize-for-literature/770404/1 "2016-11-01T22:02:59Z")
A “yes or no” question. Is his POETRY Nobel Prize worthy? ---
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2016, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-bob-dylan-deserve-the-nobel-prize-for-literature/770404/2 "2016-11-01T22:09:04Z")
Sure, why not? Let’s face it, the Nobel Prize for Literature is quite meaningless anyway. Contemporary prizes, however prestigious, don’t decide the worth of literature. Posterity alone will be the judge of that. How many past Nobel Prize winners for Literature will be read or even remembered a few centuries down the line? I’m guessing very few of them. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2016, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-bob-dylan-deserve-the-nobel-prize-for-literature/770404/3 "2016-11-01T22:09:29Z")
But neither did a lot of the other Nobel Laureates. But the prize is usually awarded to a second-rate hack who writes with “political courage” or something, so I suppose Dylan fits that criterion. Song lyrics, when not set to music, nearly always meet the minimum criteria for “poetry”. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2016, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-bob-dylan-deserve-the-nobel-prize-for-literature/770404/4 "2016-11-01T22:12:18Z")
Dylan deserves the literature prize a lot more than many of the peace prize winners deserved theirs. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2016, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-bob-dylan-deserve-the-nobel-prize-for-literature/770404/5 "2016-11-01T22:31:53Z")
I voted Yes, of course. You forgot: that’s not the point; he shouldn’t have been considered. I disagree with that, but it has been on of the POVs argued for in the aftermath. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2016, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-bob-dylan-deserve-the-nobel-prize-for-literature/770404/6 "2016-11-01T23:01:18Z")
I’m not convinced: I would have given it to Cohen sooner than Dylan, but I’m still exploring Dylan and trying to figure this out. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2016, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-bob-dylan-deserve-the-nobel-prize-for-literature/770404/7 "2016-11-02T00:03:57Z")
Who is deserving of the Nobel Prize is exactly equivalent to what charges justifies impeachment: any damn thing that Congress can get the votes for. Would I have thought of Dylan in this context? No. Does he “deserve” it? Sure. In the entire world how many people have had more impact through their words? ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2016, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-bob-dylan-deserve-the-nobel-prize-for-literature/770404/8 "2016-11-02T00:08:03Z")
He’s a better choice than Pearl Buck was. What other living poet gets quoted more frequently? ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2016, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-bob-dylan-deserve-the-nobel-prize-for-literature/770404/9 "2016-11-02T01:03:58Z")
God said to Abraham, “Kill me a son.” Abe said, “Man, you must be putting me on.” God said, “No.” Abe said, “What?” God said, “You can do what you want, Abe, but the next time you see me coming you better run.” Abe said, “Where do you want this killing done?” God said, “Out on Highway 61.” The Torah, in a nutshell. The rest is commentary. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Memnon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f1d935/32.png) [@Memnon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Memnon)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2016, 7:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-bob-dylan-deserve-the-nobel-prize-for-literature/770404/10 "2016-11-02T07:28:28Z")
Nope. Not while Philip Roth is still alive. Or Paul Simon, for that matter. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2016, 7:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-bob-dylan-deserve-the-nobel-prize-for-literature/770404/11 "2016-11-02T07:43:17Z")
Nope. Or “Hell, nope!”, even. I’m an “Idealism-ist” not an “Ideal-ist” when it comes to the Prize, and I don’t see cynical Dylan meeting that criterion. ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2016, 8:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-bob-dylan-deserve-the-nobel-prize-for-literature/770404/12 "2016-11-02T08:29:16Z")
In a world where Kissinger and Mother Teresa get peace prizes, Dylan getting the literature prize is positively life-affirming. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2016, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-bob-dylan-deserve-the-nobel-prize-for-literature/770404/13 "2016-11-02T13:33:35Z")
Sure. Even if I agree than Cohen or Simon arguably deserves it “more”, that doesn’t mean that Dylan doesn’t deserve it. I’ve no problem with him winning it and consider him in the same tier as other great lyricists. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2016, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-bob-dylan-deserve-the-nobel-prize-for-literature/770404/14 "2016-11-02T14:18:52Z")
> [@Novelty\_Bobble](#): > > In a world where Kissinger and Mother Teresa get peace prizes, Dylan getting the literature prize is positively life-affirming. And yet Gandhi never received the peace prize. In short, the selection process is imperfect, as are most things. So I’m OK with Bob Dylan winning this. ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2016, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-bob-dylan-deserve-the-nobel-prize-for-literature/770404/15 "2016-11-02T15:43:40Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > And yet Gandhi never received the peace prize. In short, the selection process is imperfect, as are most things. So I’m OK with Bob Dylan winning this. Quite, heck I’d be happier with Dylan getting the peace prize ahead of Henry K and the poison dwarf. ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2016, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-bob-dylan-deserve-the-nobel-prize-for-literature/770404/16 "2016-11-02T17:25:40Z")
> [@Novelty\_Bobble](#): > > Quite, heck I’d be happier with Dylan getting the peace prize ahead of Henry K and the poison dwarf. Maybe so, but the best way to judge worthiness is not to say, “Well gee, other recipients suck more than this guy.” I voted no, because I don’t think Dylan’s lyrics are all that earth shaking. Kris Kristofferson wrote better lyrics. Hell, so did Tom T. Hall.