{Let Rachel Flotard of Visqueen take the sting out of your heart. Send your love advice questions her way at loveishard@threeimaginarygirls.com.}

Rachel,

my girlfriend and i are music snobs, that's sort of what brought us together. we share scorn and disdain for shitty music like billy joel and the eagles. or so i thought: the other day i was looking through her dresser for a vcr tape and came across a billy joel cd!!!! what the f#&k? now i don't know what to do. on one hand i guess i feel sorta bad because i definitely hate that crap, and if my snobbery pressured her into agreeing with me, then i'd rather let her know that she should feel free to speak up about what she likes and doesn't like. it's not like i'd dump her because she owns a billy joel cd. but then again i don't want to confront her because it could look like i'm busting her in some way, like 'look what i found you LIAR!' what should i do?

billy joel still sucks

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Dear BJSS,

So your girlfriend’s got Billy Joel in the drawers. Big deal, so did Christie Brinkley and look how hot she was in Vacation. I guarantee, music snobbery be damned, you were not a rock encyclopedia launching out of your mother’s womb. Tastes have to be developed. You can’t go from Piano Man to Iron Man without some choppy weather on the top 40 party boat.

Maybe you should say: "Hey honey, while I was rooting through your shit looking for some mystery VHS..."

And then stop right there.

1. Cut out looking through people’s crap when they’re not around.
2. If your instincts tell you she’s not voicing her true opinions for fear of cred-exile from her BOYFRIEND, your problems are bigger than most erections on a Wham video shoot.

Don’t blame her. She didn’t start the fire. It was always burning since the world’s been turning. Even if she’s squirreling away Nagel paintings and Peaches N’ Herb greatest hits; if you can’t communicate and hurtle this problem you’re doomed to a life of couples therapy waiting rooms pumping Maniac or Footloose.

PS. "Tell her about it. Tell her how you feel right now just tell her about it" - Billy Joel

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{When she's not providing solace for the lovelorn, Rachel can be seen and heard playing for her band, Visqueen. But don't let that intimidate you! Send your love woes her way!}