Things you don't understand the appeal of

[DKW]

I'll start off with a few that have perplexed me for years:

Smoking. Okay, let's pretend that there's no social stigma and no restrictions...oh yeah, and no danger of dying, either. Granted all that, why smoke in the first place (other than already being addicted)? For that matter, taking the health risks into consideration, what does smoking offer that can't be achieved by safer, cheaper means?

Mountain climbing. Man, where to begin? Spend hundreds or thousands of dollars to garner the necessary equipment and travel to highly remote and often undeveloped, if not uninhabited, parts of the world. Make camp in a home base which almost invariably has meager facilities. (If you have to stop in a local town along the way, lord help you...sanitation is still a foreign concept in may parts of the world.) Set inviolable start and stop times for the various parts of the climb, with a good chance that you won't reach the top (especially if there are a lot of other climbers on the mountain). All along the way, you have to take care of all your needs, including the, ahem, sanitary ones. If it's a high mountain, you also have to deal with the threats of frostbite and high altitude enema, both of which can kill in a matter of hours (not to mention falling, which is even faster ). Plus you breathe so hard due to the thin atmosphere that you need far more water than normal, plus you can hardly eat anything since that requires oxygen, leading to loss of muscle mass (up to three pounds a day). And all this doesn't even consider the social consequences (mountaineering has wrecked more than a few marriages). Know what the worst part is? There are hardly any records anymore. Everest has long since been conquered, taking the Seven Summits is far from uncommon, and even the 8000-meter challenge has been met by more than a dozen climbers. Sheesh, you couldn't pay me to do this!

Golf. "A good walk spoiled" is being generous. How can anyone enjoy a game that's not only outrageously expensive (you can equip an entire softball team for the cost of one set of clubs) and requires an inordinate amount of land, but is absolutely hellbent on punishing and penalizing its players from start to finish? (Whose noodle-noggined idea was it to put bunkers in the freaking fairway??) And don't even get me started on the official rules, which are the most ludicrous, counterintuitive piece of crap I've ever seen this side of the child tax credit laws. Need I even mention that this game is friggin' hard? Just about anyone, with enough practice, can sink a 3-point basket or bowl two strikes in a row. In golf, making par is pretty much the domain of the elite.

Dog shows. One question...what exactly do these dogs do? They're called man's best friend for a reason, you know. Even dressage horses have to go through various motions and obey the rider's commands; it's not just standing around and looking pretty.

Day trading. You know, if I'm going to spend the whole day looking over a bunch of numbers on a computer, making phone calls, making dozens of deals on the fly, and generally getting my underwear in a complete wad, it will not be for a pursuit where there's even the SLIGHTEST chance that I will not make money out of it, let alone a pretty good chance that I'll actually lose money.

Pencil-and-paper roleplaying games. After setting a good time for all the players and the DM (or its equivalent), getting all the necessary equipment, and getting all the rules memorized and clarified...it boils down to one person who has complete, utter control of the game and can run it in the most petty, sadistic, exasperating manner imaginable. (From the RPG discussions I've seen on this board, that certainly seems to be the case.) Really, now, I hate to be rude, but I must ask, what kind of idiot would willingly put up with this?

Tekken. This series makes Mortal Kombat look like Hip Hop Mania. Yes, it really is that bad.

[mblackwell]

high altitude enema

I don't understand the appeal of daytime soap operas. Bad acting, incredibly stupid plots, horrible characters; I'd rather watch grass grow.

[Freudian Slit]

I like dog shows. I know they don't do anything except run around, but its so cool seeing all the different breeds. I don't know, maybe you have to be a dog freak to enjoy it.

[DKW]

Blargh!! Sheesh, I knew if I posted enough I'd eventually make one of these incredible screwups...

For the record, it's high altitude edema. More specifically, High Altitude Pulmonary Edema, which affects the lungs, and High Altitude Cerebral Edema, which hits the brain. Both are caused by climbing too fast. Of course, you don't know how fast "too fast" is until you actually get HAPE or HACE, and did I mention that these can kill you in a manner of hours?

Oh, and I heartily recommend Into Thin Air, Jon Krakauer's account of a disastrous 1996 Everest expedition he was on. His stay in Lobuje struck me as infinitely more disgusting than any enema that would be available at 26,000 feet.

(Okay, I believe that'll do for a recovery...in fact, let me add one that I missed.)

Breast implants. What would possess a woman to put an untested, inorganic, completely unnatural substance in her breasts which, by some accounts, doesn't even feel right? And this even before the health hazards became known. Even with the safer saline implants, this is still an expensive procedure that very few women do primarily for their own self-image...plus she'll be bombarded by "Oh my god, are those REAL????" cracks for the rest of her life. Really, who wants this?

[sewalk]

Piercing. Anything beyond the ears just perplexes me. Why anyone would willingly subject themselves to this kind of torture puzzles me (OK, I know why some people do it). Even multiple piercings in each ear doesn't make sense to me. Anything on the face is a definite turn-off. I've never had any first-hand experience with anything in various other body parts, but I'm not anxious to find out. I could really care less. Whenever I see anyone with a pierced tongue, the first thing I think of is Chris Rock's observation in No Sex in the Champagne Room. My cousin had her navel pierced and developed an infection. She went to the emergency room and asked that it be removed. She was offered a treatment regimen that would allow her to keep it. Her response? "You're not f**king listening to me. Take the f**king thing out, right f**king now!" Kind of sums up my attitude.

[Eliahna]

Sports

All the sports that I have ever come across. I don't get them. I don't enjoy watching them or playing them - or hearing about them. Since childhood, I have been puzzled by the fact that everyone else in the world seems to like sports, but I hate them. I just don't see why anyone would bother competing to see who can do whatever the best. If they were testing the most knowledge or the fastest intelligence, or something worthwhile, I might get it, but who can swim fastest? Bo-ring!

Here in Australia, our sporting personalities are treated like Gods. People look up to them, respect them, and want to name things after them. I think scientists, doctors, authors, humanitarians are the real heros, and I can't abide seeing them overlooked in favour of some guy who was really good at cricket (sorry, Sir Donald, you seemed like a nice guy, but you were not made a "Sir" for being really nice.).

[Rosebud]

I was going to say soap operas too when I first saw this thread.

And I agree about the paper and pencil RPGs. I know the people who play them have a blast, but I've never been able to get into it. I'll admit maybe it's because I suck at them.

Wearing a lot of make-up on a daily basis. And I mean a lot, like full, heavy foundation and powder even aside from the usual eyes/lips/cheeks stuff. It seems like way too much effort to expend in the early morning to me. I could see doing it for special things, but every day I just don't get. I know a woman who does this and on the rare days when she skips it, people think she's ill because they haven't seen the real color of her skin in months.

[Medea's Child]

Things I don't get:
Daily appearance work. Not cleanliness, but actual effort toward changing what you look like on a daily basis. (This includes high heels) I'll do it for a theatrical performance (parties included) but not on a day to day basis.

Really loud music Not an occasional "I need this turned up" for a good song, but if everything you listen to you cannot talk over, I don't get it. I love music. I live for music. I will sometimes *have* to rattle windows with a good piece or two. But a constant assalt on my ears is not a good thing.

Pain comedy People in pain don't really ammuse me.

Dangerous Drug use Smoking, heroin, its all in here. Why? I mean, its your brain cells, lungs, sanity, money, whatnot, but I just don't understand.

Things I do get
RPGs Its fantasy/adventure novel writing for lazy people. And a truly sadistic DM will lose players. If the players are not having fun they will leave. This means a DM needs to set things up that are challenging, but not unfair. Its a tough balance and everyone fails sometimes. All in all, with a good group its very entertaining.

and in limited use Brest implants Not planning on it, but self image is important. I read an article (there's a cite for you.) written by a woman who did the deed. Her reasoning and expeiance. She had two different sized breasts and wanted some sence of happy, perky normality. ended up a C cup and was delighted by the whole deal. I guess I can understand "improving" your body for fun more than destroying it.

[Zap_Rowsdower]

I have to agree with sports, I find nothing more uninteresting than watching (in the US) spoiled millionaires playing football, baseball etc. I get bored and would much rather go outside and do something myself like ride my bike or whatever.

Cars--I do not understand the love some people have for cars. For me they all pretty much look alike. Nowadays they come equipped with lots of extras I do not want, but have to pay for. I also do not understand the need for cars that can go from zero to 200 in a second when the highest speed limits are 75. I know several people who get cars they really can not afford, and if it was possible would go to bed with them if they could.

[Turbo Dog]

Beets

Visible Panty Lines

Rock Climbing

Sliding down bannisters on roller blades

Skateboarding

Baggy "gang" clothing

Stupid haircuts

Colored contact lenses

Jennifer Lopez

Rap music

Vegemite

To name a few off the top of my head.

[YWalker]

Originally posted by DKW
Blargh!! Sheesh, I knew if I posted enough I'd eventually make one of these incredible screwups...

But you've got to admit, when you did it, you did it with STYLE. The imagery that "you also have to deal with the threats of frostbite and high altitude enema, both of which can kill in a matter of hours" created in my mind was priceless --- I can just see a mountain climber/patient shrieking "No, Nurse, please! Not the high altitude enema! Anything by that!"

Other than that, I pretty much agreed head on with most of what you'd said. (I've never heard of Tekken.) I'm not a big fan of regular dog shows, but I really enjoy watching the agility and obedience trials.

I realize that this puts me way outside the mainstream, but I just don't do the whole makeup thing. I feel that the cosmetics industry exists to make women feel insecure and bad about themselves, and then reap tremendous profits from them. I refuse to participate. I hear that this may be costly professionally, but I haven't found it to be an issue yet. I can see why most women do participate in it --- but I think it's primarily because the brainwashing has worked so well on our society as a whole. Yes, it may make you look better, but I find it sad that I have friends who feel they cannot leave the house and show themselves to the world unless they have spent 15 minutes putting that gunk all over their faces. I much prefer being a "What you see is what you get" type of person.

Zap_Rowsdower, I know where you're coming from on cars. I am totally unimpressed by them, and don't understand guys who think that a fancy car will bring on the chicks. (I'm even more confused by a few women who genuinely seem to be impressed by cars.) When I see someone in a Porsche or Jaguar, it just screams conspicuous consumption at me. You can buy a perfectly nice car for $15,000 - $20,000 or so which will transport you comfortably at legal speeds. I just don't see how on earth the incremental cost difference between a Toyota and a Porsche could be justified unless the owner just wants to use it to say "I'm richer than you are."

I also don't get spectator sports, particulary the demi-God status that we confer upon professional athletes. The only spectator sports I enjoy is watching my two sons play soccer. It's much more entertaining than pro sports. There's actually suspense --- Will the kid see the ball coming straight at him, or is he too busy checking out the roly-poly in the dirt? Will he head toward the right goal? Not "That guy makes $800,000 just for putting on his uniform. He sure as hell BETTER catch that pass!"

[Saint Zero]

Conforming with the rest of the non-conformist crowd.

Comedy.

Smoking: If you want to kill yourself, get a gun and blow your brains out, it's quicker.

Skateboarding down Hand-Rails, Bannisters, and whatnot: See my comments on Smoking.

[Johnny L.A.]

Pro Wrestling. Fake, fake, fake! Do people actually believe these things aren't scripted?

Jerry Springer. A couple of friends were in the audience on Friday night's show. I don't know why. Anyway, I watched the show because they were in the audience. For a glimpse of them I had to sit and watch a bunch of Lower-Epsilon Semi-Morons (or whatever Huxley called them) yelling at each other for infidelities. Aside from the sheer stupidity of the "contestants", I was appalled by the utter meanness of many members of the audience. This show has also got to be scripted.

Knick-knacks. Little porcelain or glass figurines that clutter up shelf space. I don't get it. Or Beanie Babies. Yeah, I have "stuff", but it's good stuff!

Dog shows. One question...what exactly do these dogs do? They're called man's best friend for a reason, you know. Even dressage horses have to go through various motions and obey the rider's commands; it's not just standing around and looking pretty.

A horse show is a bunch of horses showing their asses to a bunch of horse's asses showing their horses. I guess the same thing can be said about dogs' asses.
[quote]Pencil-and-paper roleplaying games...
I haven't played D&D in a long, long time, but I see the appeal. The Dungeon Master is gratified by people spending time in the world s/he spent hours and days creating. The players are gratified by matching wits with the DM. And I think that fantasy is healthy.

Breast implants. And large breasts in general. Why? Small breasts are much more attractive IMO, and seem to cause (I wouldn't know, being a guy) less discomfort.

Meanness. Come on. Being mean is a waste of energy. What's with mean people?

[YWalker]

Originally posted by YWalker
.... Anything by that!"
[/b]

Uhhhhhhhmmmmmmm...

Anything but that.


.....slinking away........

[Sublight]

The "wazzzaaaap?" ads. Heard about it, saw one on the internet. Why was this popular?

Julia Roberts.

Brand goods that have the designer's name printed all over them. Louis Vuitton, DKNY, Fendi, etc. Some high-end fashion items actually look good, but LV et al. are just butt-ugly. Besides, if you're going to use my body as a billboard, I expect you to pay me, not the other way around.

Religion, but that's a subject for a muuuch longer GQ/GD/Pit thread.

As for wrestling, I've gotten to like it recently. And as for Johnny L.A.'s comment

Pro Wrestling. Fake, fake, fake! Do people actually believe these things aren't scripted?

Perhaps some do, but most know it's an act. I like wrestling for the same reason I like Jackie Chan and Jet Li movies. I know that Jackie and Jet aren't really beating the snot out of their co-stars. I'm impressed with the level of physical skill they've attained (IMO, convincingly and entertainingly pretending to beat the snot out someone is a lot harder than actually beating the snot out of them), and I enjoy watching the performances they put on. Sure, the between-fight antics are a little cheesy, but are you going to tell me you watched Police Story for the dialogue?

--sublight.

[Gilligan]

Dancing – My wife likes to go, so I’ll do it for her, but I get zero enjoyment out of it. Not because I don’t think I’m good at it, or embarrassed or anything like that. I just don’t see what people get out of moving around just because there’s music playing.

Lawns – Some of my friends are fanatics about this. They’ll talk at lunch about their mowers, what they do about weeds, are you going to water or do you think it will rain. I’m like, it’s grass, and not even the good kind.

[Fletch]

Smoking: You smell terrible, your clothing, car and home stink, it is really bad for your health.

Drugs: These are a really bad idea, how many strung out, homeless drug addicts who have wasted a talented and gifted life do you have to see to learn these dudes are bad news.

Soap Operas: There are enough trying times in everyones life, why watch them as entertainment?

Pro Wrestling: An insult to ones intelligence.

Jerry Springer: This is a combination of Soap Operas and Wrestling.

"Reality TV": A combination of Jerry Springer, Pro Wrestling and Soap Operas.

Authentic English Croquet: A boring lawn game taken to the 1000th power of boring.

[drm]

A few things come to mind right off hand.

Lobster - not spectacular, yet expensive?

Fashion Shows - Paper thin woman in ugly clothes?

Smoking - where to start...

Drinking - drink something that tastes terrible, wake up with a headache?

Strip Clubs - blue balls...nuff said.

I'm sure there's more, can't think of them now though.

[elfkin477]

Reality TV - Let's watch a bunch of greedy people do stupid stuff for money, whoo yeah, that's entertainment.

Mini Vans- Most, though not all, people who drive them drive badly. I think they realize this, and think they will be safe, but screw the people in cars they run into. Mini vans are ugly and gas guzzling, so if those things don't bother them, and they want safe they should stick to tanks.

Cell Phones - Not the phones themselves, but the williness to be at others beck and call constantly puzzles me, particularly people who don't use them for work.

Hugh Grant - A goof and a sleeze, he'd be no where without his accent.

NPR - I know, it's supposed to be "intellectual" to listen to NPR, but I hate it. I'd rather be plebeian and listen to music, than be intellectual and bored and/or pissed off(I never heard such unadulterated liberal crap being spewed in my life but on NPR during the election mess) by their programming. With luck, I will never again work in an office that insists on listening to it.

Retro "fashions" - I just don't get it at all. They were ugly the first time around.

Salad with fattening dressings - Why take something that you're supposed to be eating for "your health" and drown it in liquid fat? It's not better for you than the turkey sandwich you're denying yourself for lunch.
[/b]

The Dave Matthews Band - Sure, he has a message. A message a hundred other less whiny bands have sent before.

[Guinastasia]

Ditto Smoking

Drinking-what the HELL? It makes me sleepy. I like the taste of some drinks, but other than that, if I want to party, I would think caffeine would be better.

Again, Golf-boring as all hell, unless you're watching someone who throws hissyfits. That's the only time it's interesting.

Bowling? What the fuck? Why not make it more challenging-set up the pins so that they're in a row in which you have to roll the ball THROUGH WITHOUT hitting/knocking down any?

Rap music-especially as it seems that's all anyone blasts on their car stereos-another thing I don't get. Someday, I swear, if I ever get my license, I will only blast classical, folk and swing right back at these people.

Fancy cars. As long as it's comfortable, safe, reliable, who cares? Although, I did enjoy riding in a friend's BMW. REALLY comfy, with a sun roof-which is nice.


Another-convertibles. What the HELL? They hurt my ears, give you windburn, and my hair is usually so tangled I need to untangle it with a chainsaw.

Thongs-I spend most of my time trying to keep that part OUT of there. Why would I want to encourage it?

[Guinastasia]

Dammit, just thought of another one-
Hot foods. I mean the kind that burn your tongue-what's the point? I like my food warm. I like it spicy, in that it's tangy, zesty, and has plenty of flavor. But why would I want to cause myself pain while I'm eating? That's just dumb.

[KneadToKnow]

Men who enjoy making women feel like sh*t. Fortunately, the only women who find them attractive are the kind I wouldn't want anything to do with anyway.

Clothes designed to make the wearer look like a crack whore.
Being stylish is great and all that, and by all means if you've got it, flaunt it. But why should anyone want to look like Courtney Love? Because she's so pretty? Please! She's the love child of a hazardous waste container and an empty condom wrapper. Step back for a second and look at what you're saying about yourself!

Parents who let their 15-year-old daughters wear such clothes.
Were you never teenagers yourselves? Do you not know what's going on inside those boys' minds?

Drugs.
I've had more than my share of problems, but I've never been the kind to take the half-assed solution. You want to see something you've never seen before and get away from all your troubles? Take thirty or forty of those damn pills and put us all out of your freaking misery, dipshit.

[BlackKnight]

Cars - If it gets you from point A to point B in relative comfort and safety, that's enough.

Women wearing makeup - 90% of the time, the women would look better without it.

Religion - As has been said, elaboration on this point is GD territory.

First-person shooter games - I just don't get it. Why not play a real, game like StarCraft or Diablo? Or Nibbles?

Mayo, secret sauce, et al. - Everything that is edible tastes better without these. Why they come standard on most burgers is beyond me. They all taste horrid, IMHO.

Dogs - A stupid slobbering beast that thinks you're God but isn't house-trained? No thanks. _{Why don't you just get a husband instead?}

Cats - An obnoxious self-absorbed piece of arrogance that you're not legally allowed to kick, even though it deserves it? No thanks. _{Why don't you just get a wife instead?}

[Ross]

I can think myself into appreciating virtually anything. All you have to do is reason that, essentially, 100,000 Frenchmen can't be wrong. Then you throw yourself at Whatever, headlong, until it starts to seem like great fun. Note: none of this actually means it IS great fun, objectively, just that it can be appreciated as such by the human brain, if committed/desperate enough.
Cite: comic catchphrases. These are no more funny than the laughing policeman machine at the circus, where you're expected to laugh just because someone else does, and a machine, at that. You still start laughing eventually, though. Vic Reeves' catchphrases are among the dumbest in the world and I still chortle away like everyone else.

But hey...

Masochism?

I don't think so. You want to hit me with what? Where?

And people pay MONEY to have this done to them?

You don't have a list of their names and addresses, do you...?

[irishgirl]

i think people have covered a lot of my pet hates
(knick knacks, baggy pants, soap operas, stick thin fashion models, obvious designer labels on clothes)

but you seem to have missed

televangelists
nuff said

the orange order
protestant culture...wtf?

bagpipe bands
see "protestant culture"

eyelash curlers
you think men look at your EYELASHES?

fishnet stockings
uh, guys, why? i'll either wear pantyhose, or i won't, i don't want to do it half-assed.

people on diets
grow up. eat properly, excercise, don't binge and then starve in the hope of losing the weight permanently. you won't.

rant over..happy face back on again.

[sewalk]

One thing I'll say about cars. My dad picked up a 1994 Porsche Speedster this past spring and man it is cool! It is a royal blast to drive and looks awesome. It is stripped down for speed. No sound insulation, no door handles on the inside, just a pull-strap that doubles as a latch release. The tonneau cover is carbon fiber. It is just beautiful. A true automotive work of art. It is basically a 911 Cab with a chopped roofline.

As far as first-person shooters, I felt the same way until I gave in to my ex-roommates incessant needling me to play Half-Life with him. We loaded up a cooperative mod (Sven CoOp) for it and it totally changed me on FPS gaming. Playing with other people against the computer is a blast and it helps to eliminate most of the problems with multi-player deathmatch games. I still don't care for any of the others, but I am totally hooked on HL.

[pesch]

Baggy Fashions and Cereal Bowl Haircuts. Neither look cool. Both make you look dopey, which is the function that parents are supposed to fulfill. And by your show of independence, you're actually saying that you're following the rest of the herd, and an easily exploitable one at that.

Smoking Nothing new here, except I used to smoke a pipe. Cigars smell nice, but Lord they taste nasty. And halfway through one, I feel like throwing up.

And while we're on the subject, snuff. "Just a little pinch between cheek and gum." What's up with that? I'm going to put chunks of bitter leaves in my mouth, have it burn a whole through my lining, and dribble for the rest of the evening. And don't get me started with the good old boys and their packs of Red Man.

Deliberate stupidity, especially when someone expresses their opinion beginning with "Well, I don't know anything about [politics, current affairs, the movie or tv show under discussion]." You're going to waste my life telling me what you think, you don't bother to expose yourself to the issue at hand, and you're proud to tell us you f-----g waste of carbon and oxygen?

_{Ahem . . . sorry, thought I was in the pit there for a moment.}

Television. By this, I mean the practice of turning the set on, and leaving it on all evening. I can understand watching shows. I can understand watching all night. But I know some _{in my family} for whom the set offers nothing but background noise. Forget trying to think, forget enjoying quiet, just turn on the set and waste your life away.

[Phallyn]

Contemporary music. The whole reason I listen to music is to hear someone more talented than myself. People like Nelly do not impress me -- his sole claim-to-fame is that he can say the word "nigger" forty-seven times in one song. So what! I can cuss in six different languages (seven, if you count American Sign Language), what the hell can Nelly do?

Janet Jackson I used to like her back in her "I'm sexy but I'm no ho" days, but lately all her songs sound the same. And that "I was really married but I didn't want anyone to know I was until we got a divorce" deal gives me the uncomfortable feeling that she's finally succuming to the general wierdness that the Jackson clan seems to exude.

Of all the little blonde bimbettes that have descended on us lately, only Christina Aquilera can actually sing. This harkens back to the whole "impress me, damnnit!" problem I have with rap music. Hey, I'm a teenage girl with blonde hair! Give me a microphone & pay me 50 million dollars, and I'll get up on stage and shake my ass too. Sure, I can't sing, but that never stopped Britney Spears.

[Mangetout]

Caviar: for a start, it's fish eggs, not only that, but it tastes like salty ball bearings, a definite case of the emperor's new clothes there if ever I saw one.

[mangeorge]

I agree with;
Make-up. Women really do look better without it.

Clothing and accessories with the maker's name displayed. Somebody PLEASE explain to me the appeal of wearing a shirt with DKNY printed on it. And why pay extra for the privilege?

One of my own;
Trying to be like Dennis Miller. I mean the guy's funny and all, but it's an act folks. I'm talking about people who make snide, smart-assed remarks about other people. Constantly.
Peace,
mangeorge

[Odesio]

Originally posted by DKW
I'll start off with a few that have perplexed me for years:

Smoking. Okay, let's pretend that there's no social stigma and no restrictions...oh yeah, and no danger of dying, either.

It's some sort of rush. Same reason why people drink hard liquor.

Mountain climbing. Man, where to begin? Spend hundreds or thousands of dollars to garner the necessary equipment and travel to highly remote and often undeveloped, if not uninhabited, parts of the world.

There are many different levels of mountain climbing. Those folks who climb Everest are far and away from most recreational climbers. There are plenty of beautiful places in the United States to climb. Colorado and California spring immediatly to mind.

Golf. "A good walk spoiled" is being generous. How can anyone enjoy a game that's not only outrageously expensive (you can equip an entire softball team for the cost of one set of clubs) and requires an inordinate amount of land, but is absolutely hellbent on punishing and penalizing its players from start to finish?

Some games might be fun to play even if they aren't fun to watch. I can't really understand why anyone would watch golf but I can understand why they'd play. As far as cost goes. If you invest in a good set of golf clubs they can last for many many years. That goes for the equipment of just about every hobby out there. And if it is something that improves the quality of my life, and recreational use qualifies, then spending the money seems reasonable.

Dog shows. One question...what exactly do these dogs do? They're called man's best friend for a reason, you know. Even dressage horses have to go through various motions and obey the rider's commands; it's not just standing around and looking pretty.

Most dog shows I've seen, not that I've seen a whole lot, involve obstacle courses and obedience test. I didn't know there were any for dogs to just look pretty.

Day trading. You know, if I'm going to spend the whole day looking over a bunch of numbers on a computer, making phone calls, making dozens of deals on the fly, and generally getting my underwear in a complete wad, it will not be for a pursuit where there's even the SLIGHTEST chance that I will not make money out of it, let alone a pretty good chance that I'll actually lose money.

Maybe gambling isn't legal where they are?

Pencil-and-paper roleplaying games. After setting a good time for all the players and the DM (or its equivalent), getting all the necessary equipment, and getting all the rules memorized and clarified...it boils down to one person who has complete, utter control of the game and can run it in the most petty, sadistic, exasperating manner imaginable. (From the RPG discussions I've seen on this board, that certainly seems to be the case.) Really, now, I hate to be rude, but I must ask, what kind of idiot would willingly put up with this?

Just about any hobby becomes less enjoyable when certain people are involved. The idea is to avoid those people entirely. I can understand the lack of appeal an RPG can have for most people. But I've enjoyed them and made some pretty good friends along the way. Uh, real friends not friends of my player character.

Marc

[BabaBooey]

I don't understand the appeal of bitching about what other people enjoy, so long as it isn't hurting other people. Oh, and Tekken is one of the best games ever created. I think if you put some time into it, you would realize that, rather than just picking it up not knowing what you're doing and not playing it again.

[Guinastasia]

Actually, if you put on your make up correctly, it should look like you AREN'T wearing any. Make up should be used to enhance-(I have to wear it-I look terrible without it). Just a little bit.

Another thing I don't get-shock value. Like Howard Stern. How is that funny? It's just trying to get a rise out of people, it's not daring, or risky, it's just being an attention whore.

[Bill H.]

* Pit Rants and (in general) being offensive for the sake of being offensive
* Smilies
* Those "Hi Opal" posts

[sk8rixtx]

Penis.

[Oncle Bière]

Collections of Lincoln pennies where the proud owners will scoff at other coin collections as insignificant because they have more than one subject.

Darts

[City Gent]

"Rave"/techno. Why don't you just make a recording of a machine gun and amplify it about tenfold?

That generic "fashion" music that's always playing in the background during fashion shows, makeovers, etc. You know what I'm talking about: "...boomp-cht boomp-cht boomp-cht boomp-cht...". For some reason they play similar music when a new guest is introduced on shows like Ricki Lake. It's kind of funny when you think about the history of it - years ago, when you actually had to have done something of note to appear on TV, they'd play music related to your area of fame (theme song to your TV show, or "Hail to the Chief" for the President, etc.) Now, when they introduce the sociopath du jour on Ricki Lake, they still play a song, but since the person is famous for nothing, the song they play is about nothing.

"Boyz II Men"-type music, with all that harmonizing and crap. "Oh, baby, I'll do anything to show my love, and I cry all night when you are away, and you are a queen..." And I left my testicles at the toll booth on I-78.

[Moe]

Malcolm in the Middle. I just don't get it. I watched the first episode with eager anticipation built up from a lot of hype. I couldn't laugh no matter how hard I tried. I had concluded at that point that the show would never make it to a second season, if it even made it through the first.
Then I saw that there's a whole stack of emmy nominations glistening from it like brass chains on a middle eastern hookah.
So I watched it again, and couldn't even make it through the whole show.
Please somebody explain this show to me.


-women who own 15 pairs of shows and go shoe shopping

[teppei]

celery
and don't try to tell me it doesn't have a flavor; it does, and it is called dung.

grateful dead
I'm sorry, I tried to like them. but, they truly honestly suck. and not just because they're boring; every song sounds exactly alike. while I'm at it, I'll put elton john and the rolling stones on the list as well. They really don't make me think: wow, I could listen to their music all day and be content; it's more like: well damn, I have the perfect insomnia cure. I don't care if they were pioneers of modern music.

the Left Behind series
some of the worst writing ever. I recall there being a humerous thread about just this topic; I don't recall the location, however.

[Bearflag70]

Constant small talk... SHADDAP ALREADY!

and televised baseball

[rowrrbazzle]

Sports. I'm another person who just doesn't see the appeal. Why should sports figures be so admired and well-paid for doing something that has no real use in most people's lives? And I'm supposed to waste my time watching them do it? And cheer them on?

MST3K. Lousy movies with comments you could get from your average junior-high student. You need a scripted TV show for this?

"Reality" TV. Who cares?

SUVs. Dangerous gas-guzzling tanks. Just what we need.

[DKW]

BabaBooey - Look, disagree with my posts all you want...but don't you ever try to deny me the right to start a discussion, understand?

You thought I was kidding about Tekken? You thought that I made my judgment without actually playing Tekken (okay, Tekken 3, but let's not split hairs even further here)? Sheesh, and I thought the poster who claimed that I was a homosexual was several parsecs off base. (In the interests of not starting another damn flame war, I will avoid the "putz" icon here, even though I think it's appropriate.) For the record, I've played Tekken 3 extensively for the Playstation; I own it, in fact. Here's what I discovered: The controls are awkward and unlike any other fighting game I've ever played. It's really, really hard to remember anyone's attacks. The system is really hard to get used to. I later discovered that a movelist takes up a whole page...and that's not even taking into account the endless chains, reversals, counters, etc. etc. It's not a fun game to learn. And judging from the kind of play these games have gotten in the arcades I go to, I'm not alone in this sentiment.

Oh, as far as "bitching about what other people enjoy" goes (and I remember something about how these things have perplexed me for years)...let's hear your defense of smoking. Or day trading. Or golf...and I don't mean the PGA, I mean amateur golf. The kind that doesn't pay for its troubles.

All I'm saying is, don't talk smack unless you can back it up.

Sheesh...OP bashing. I've seen everything.

MGibson - Oh, sorry. I should have said hardcore mountain climbing. Really, if you haven't already, you should give Into Thin Air a read. The things these people voluntarily put themselves through is incredible. And that's even before tragedy strikes.

[Typo Negative]

Originally posted by Bearflag70
and televised baseball

Oh, you poor, misguided person....


All of mine have been mentioned.

Baggy clothes
rap musi
reality tv
golf
celery(and cooked broccoli, for that matter)
SUV's(except the Pathfinder, it's pretty cool)
The Grateful Dead

and my own addition

shoes designed to make you look taller
One, you're not fooling anyone. Two, if you're wearing platform sneakers, you must be stopped! I guess I can understand high heels, I just think they're stupid. But when I see women(to be honest, mostly teens) wearing these monstrosities on their feet, I just want to tell them that guys really do not care how tall you are!!! And I get a 'frankenstien' vibe.

[Harvey The Heavy]

Diet Soda - How can anyone drink this crap? It tastes like industrial waste. If you're that concerned about your waistline wouldn't water or OJ taste better?

"Friends" - I can't believe a show this unfunny made it past 13 episodes.

The Horoscope - Grow up.

Jewelry - I don't see the point of spending thousands and thousands of dollars on a piece of metal with a rock in it. At least a Porshe has some use. Jewelry seems to serve no purpose other than to announce to the world how much disposable income you have to piss away.

I couldn't agree more about the cellphones. I don't even like having a phone in my house. People ask me, "Well, don't you want people to be able to get ahold of you?" NO!!!!!!

[slortar]

Whoohoo...it's the elitism thread...


I work for a company that's involved with dog shows. Like any hobby you find things to enjoy about it the more you're involved. On the comformation side, breeders seem to enjoy them because they're involved in breeding the "perfect" example of their breed over the years. They like showing off their favorite dogs. The performance side is just damn fun. If you've ever seen agility trials, you'll know what I mean. It's pretty darn hysterical to see some of those dogs go through their paces.


Uh, well I'd better contribute my own. Eucher. Don't get it. Don't like it. Certainly don't understand the need for tournaments. Yuck.

[Johnny L.A.]

At least a Porshe has some use.

Yeah, porsches are fun, but not very practical. That's why I sold mine and got a Cherokee. Now I can carry more than one passenger and a verbal message.

[poohpah chalupa]

Originally posted by Medea's Child
Things I don't get:
Really loud music Not an occasional "I need this turned up" for a good song, but if everything you listen to you cannot talk over, I don't get it. I love music. I live for music. I will sometimes *have* to rattle windows with a good piece or two. But a constant assalt on my ears is not a good thing....

Amen.
In clubs or restaurants, where you have to yell at the person you're with sitting next to you, to be heard. Why is this necessary? Also, why is there the need to crank up your car stereo with the windows rolled down? Just so everyone is forced to listen to the crap you listen to? And why don't I ever hear good music out of these cars?


...and, I'm sorry, but Sushi...I'm Japanese and I still don't get it.

[miamouse]

Pornos: Close up shots of the least attractive body parts set to crappy music, crappy lighting, and crappy actors.

Foot Fetishes: Even when people have good looking feet, they're still not all that appealing.

The Lincoln Navigator, et al.....: OK this I REALLY don't get. A luxury automobile equipped for use to play in the mud. I think that BMW, Lincoln, Cadillac and Mercedes (as well as anyone who's bought them) have all just sold out. Just buy a ford.

Equally aggravating is the fact that they don't make any family cars large enough that aren't made to be SUV. It's all a scam, "Let's stop making cars that fit a normal family, but instead, take a similar car, give it a gas guzzling engine, make cosmetic changes to it so that it looks like a tonka truck, and charge X amount of money more."

[Superdude]

Originally posted by Saint Zero
Comedy.

Well, as the resident stand-up comic, I'll be more than glad to try to enlighten you, if you tell me what it is you don't get. Is it sitcoms? Stand-up? Improv? How Carrot Top ever made a career?

[Kaitlyn]

"John and Emma" morning radio shows with no music: I have six radio stations preset on my car stereo, chosen for the different kinds of music they play. Except in the morning, when all you can get is "Bob and Tom", "Jamie and Danny", "Steve and Brian" etc., which I think are syndicated, and the others have local clones with two hosts making jokes and talking to callers. Dammit, if I wanted to listen to talk radio, I'd switch to AM. When I turn on the radio I WANT MUSIC.

Watching 'Pan and Scan' movies: All real movie fans prefer widescreen. Why anyone would want half the picture chopped off baffles me.

Breast implants just for size: I understand reconstruction, or evening out uneven breasts. But just to increase size when there is no medical problem? Hmmmm, how to put this delicately? My fiancee wears a bra, but it's strictly out of social convention; on her it serves no practical purpose. And I think she is exquisitely beautiful just as she is.

Various strange fashion trends:
Pants worn low on the hips with boxers hanging over the top.
Visors worn backwards and upside down.
"Shorts" that hang down to mid-calf.
Paying three times as much for the same clothing for privilege of having the word TOMMY on it.

Posting false business hours: Why claim you're going to be closed for the weekend, then stay open as usual?

Not conforming in exactly the same way as your friends

Being a "long time" fan of a sports team: I can understand being a fan of a particular player, or of a particular team at one time. But team members change over time. The 2001 Cubs are an entirely different team from the 1980 Cubs, yet there are people who are Cubs fans regardless of who happens to be on the team at any one time, just because they're the Cubs. And long time college fans make no sense at all, especially when it is for a college one didn't attend.

SmokingI understand why people smoke; it's addictive. What I don't understand is why anyone starts smoking. It is unpleasant when you start, it shortens your life, it makes you less healthy while you're still around.

Vandalism: I understand theft. I disapprove, but I understand. You actually get something when you steal it; you end up better off. But vandalism gains you nothing, it just harms others. The outside of my classroom gets spray-painted every couple of weeks, and the custodian paints over it within a couple of hours. The only thing the vandals accomplish is inconveniencing our custodian for 15 or 20 minutes, at the same time risking going to jail or juvy. I cannot see any upside.