Stupid Hoe vs. Bohemian Rhapsody, etc.

So this meme keeps popping up on Facebook, wherein some modern pop-lite confection of today (Run the World or Stupid Hoe are the ones I have seen most) is compared to Bohemian Rhapsody. The punchline is invariably that the modern song had five or six writers and producers and Bohemian Rhapsody had one, Freddie Mercury. I guess I just have one question; do the people making this comparison think it makes any sense? Bohemian Rhapsody is widely acknowledged to be one of the best popular songs of all time. Compare it to any random song from the past fifty years and you are likely to find the other song coming up short. But tilting the playing field in this way isn't enough for people. Nope, we have to compare the repetitive choruses of modern music to the intricate verses of yesteryear, as if that were in any way a fair comparison. I call bullshit.

Nicki Minaj dropped this verse in Monster and just destroyed that song

Pull up in the monster
automobile gangster
with a bad bitch that came from Sri Lanka
yeah I’m in that Tonka, color of Willy Wonka
you could be the King but watch the Queen conquer
OK, first things first I'mma eat your brains
then I’mma start rocking gold teeth and fangs
cause that’s what a motherfucking monster do
hairdresser from Milan, that's the monster do
monster Giuseppe heel that’s the monster shoe
Young Money is the roster and the monster crew
and I’m all up all up all up in the bank with the funny face
and if I’m fake I ain't notice cause my money ain't
let me get this straight wait I’m the rookie
but my features and my shows ten times your pay?
50k for a verse, no album out!
yeah my money’s so tall that my Barbie's gotta climb it
hotter than a middle eastern climate
find it Tony Matterhorn dutty wine it
while it, Nicki on them titties when I sign it
have these niggas so one-track minded
but really really I don’t give a F-U-C-K
forget barbie fuck Nicki she’s fake
she’s on a diet but her pockets eating cheese cake
and I’ll say Bride of Chucky is child’s play
just killed another career it’s a mild day
besides ‘Ye they can’t stand besides me
I think me, you and Am* should menage Friday
pink wig, thick ass, give em whiplash
I think big get cash make em blink fast
now look at what you just saw, this is what you live for
Ah, I’m a motherfucking monster!

Now, I can understand not liking this because it's vulgar, or because it focuses on dissing and money and sex rather more important things (like "scaramouche doing the fandango"?) but to claim it has no value rhythmically or artistically is bullshit. The whole verse is filled with allusion, stuttering rhythms, hyperbole and generalized awesomeness. If that's not your bag, fine, but don't claim it is invalid because you don't like it. I don't understand why people feel that entertainment is some sort of zero sum game, where liking Beyonce or Nicki Minaj means you can also like Queen.

Also, shout out to this image comparing Best Friend to Sing About Me (Dying of Thirst) that I found while briefly researching this post.

If you've never heard "Monster", here's a link to Nicki's verse. Trigger warning on the whole video for disturbing violent and sexual imagery, though the part I link to here is relatively mild.