# Are there books/movies/shows you will not read/watch because of their titles?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-books-movies-shows-you-will-not-read-watch-because-of-their-titles/549995
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [August 11, 2010, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-books-movies-shows-you-will-not-read-watch-because-of-their-titles/549995 "2010-08-11T23:21:05Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)
#### Post date: [August 11, 2010, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-books-movies-shows-you-will-not-read-watch-because-of-their-titles/549995/1 "2010-08-11T23:21:05Z")
I just finished a book called [How to Avoid Falling in Love with a Jerk](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0071548424?ie=UTF8&tag=httpwwwgoodco-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0071548424&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2). I found it at the library and picked it up because the title was so funny.
But I almost hesitated to put it in my “currently reading” list on Goodreads because it looked so… insulting to the guy I _am_ in love with (not a jerk, by the way. The book says so!)
Are there books you won’t read, movies or TV shows you won’t watch, or anything artistic you won’t consume based solely on the title?
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### Author:  [@Geek\_Mecha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Geek_Mecha)
#### Post date: [August 11, 2010, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-books-movies-shows-you-will-not-read-watch-because-of-their-titles/549995/2 "2010-08-11T23:31:14Z")
The Pursuit of Happyness.
I understand why it’s spelled that way, but it makes my eyeballs bleed to see it spelled that way, and I hate how morons across the country are now confused over the real word’s spelling. Even if I wanted to see the film, I’d be mildly irritated over the title the entire time I was watching it.
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### Author:  [@Cat\_Fight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Fight)
#### Post date: [August 12, 2010, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-books-movies-shows-you-will-not-read-watch-because-of-their-titles/549995/3 "2010-08-12T00:12:29Z")
I avoided Gilmore Girls for quite a while, assuming it was about a bunch of sisters or private school girls. I guess I was half right. But I’m happy I caught it before it started royally sucking.
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### Author:  [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MPB_in_Salt_Lake)
#### Post date: [August 12, 2010, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-books-movies-shows-you-will-not-read-watch-because-of-their-titles/549995/4 "2010-08-12T00:49:13Z")
I don’t know if I have posted this before, but when I first saw the initial promos for Desperate Housewives, I really believed (seriously, I thought a show with a title such as that would be as big as a flop as Kelsey Grammar’s “Hank”) that no one in the entire world would ever possibly watch a show called Desperate Housewives…
Shows how clueless I am.
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### Author:  [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)
#### Post date: [August 12, 2010, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-books-movies-shows-you-will-not-read-watch-because-of-their-titles/549995/5 "2010-08-12T01:09:24Z")
It was ages before I read _The Lies of Locke Lamorra_. The title gave me the impression of a really bad unicorns-and-enchanted-forests fantasy. Then I was stuck in a South African hospital with an infected lion bite, and I didn’t have much to do, and my mom was kind enough to give the fantasy section at a local bookstore a look-over.
It’s a great book. But I still think it’s a stupid title.
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### Author:  [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)
#### Post date: [August 12, 2010, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-books-movies-shows-you-will-not-read-watch-because-of-their-titles/549995/6 "2010-08-12T01:49:12Z")
Cougar Town.
I understand it’s not so much related to the title any more - and that it’s even a pretty good show - but I just cannot.
mmm
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### Author:  [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)
#### Post date: [August 12, 2010, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-books-movies-shows-you-will-not-read-watch-because-of-their-titles/549995/7 "2010-08-12T01:55:40Z")
I never watched:
Beverly Hills 90210 - It just sounds like it’s about rich people.
Vampire Diaries - It sounds lame.
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### Author:  [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)
#### Post date: [August 12, 2010, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-books-movies-shows-you-will-not-read-watch-because-of-their-titles/549995/8 "2010-08-12T02:21:45Z")
Ditto on Cougar Town and Vampire Diaries. Also Gossip Girl – it sounds teenager-ish.
I didn’t watch The Wire for a couple years because of the title. Thought it was something for techies.
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### Author:  [@Taomist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taomist)
#### Post date: [August 12, 2010, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-books-movies-shows-you-will-not-read-watch-because-of-their-titles/549995/9 "2010-08-12T02:23:24Z")
I’m gonna have to say ‘No’, though an off-putting title will likely make me not look any further into it. I _will_ have to say that I sure wish some of the titles of what I did read were…better.
Great writers, great books, great stories…and titles that all sound like fantasy bodice-rippers or pre-teen drama skits =/
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### Author:  [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)
#### Post date: [August 12, 2010, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-books-movies-shows-you-will-not-read-watch-because-of-their-titles/549995/10 "2010-08-12T02:26:37Z")
My parents won’t watch _Beetlejuice_ because the title reminds them of squashed bugs.
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### Author:  [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)
#### Post date: [August 12, 2010, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-books-movies-shows-you-will-not-read-watch-because-of-their-titles/549995/11 "2010-08-12T02:31:38Z")
**Harry Potter and the Sorceror’s Stone** - did not speak to me at all culturally, whereas I would have been somewhat intrigued if they had kept it as **Philosopher’s stone** (i.e. WTF is a “Sorceror’s Stone”?)
**About a Boy** - Apparently from the synopsis it’s about a man and a child who bond and grow partily over the Nirv…Wait, WHAT? If it hadn’t been called that, again, it would have spoken to me a bit and informed me a bit about the premise.
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### Author:  [@Superhal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superhal)
#### Post date: [August 12, 2010, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-books-movies-shows-you-will-not-read-watch-because-of-their-titles/549995/12 "2010-08-12T02:33:36Z")
_Legend of the Fall._
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### Author:  [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)
#### Post date: [August 12, 2010, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-books-movies-shows-you-will-not-read-watch-because-of-their-titles/549995/13 "2010-08-12T03:11:53Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#):
>
> I never watched:
>
> Beverly Hills 90210 - It just sounds like it’s about rich people.
>
> Vampire Diaries - It sounds lame.
Win win! In my book, you were right.
I’ll bet I could come up with more of these for a new thread:
_ **“Are there books/movies/shows that you have luckily not watched because of their titles?”** _
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### Author:  [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)
#### Post date: [August 12, 2010, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-books-movies-shows-you-will-not-read-watch-because-of-their-titles/549995/14 "2010-08-12T03:16:46Z")
Naked Lunch
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### Author:  [@robardin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robardin)
#### Post date: [August 12, 2010, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-books-movies-shows-you-will-not-read-watch-because-of-their-titles/549995/15 "2010-08-12T03:21:35Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#):
>
> Naked Lunch
As Nelson Muntz said after leaving a movie theater he and some kids snuck into to see this as an R rated movie: “I can think of at least two things wrong with that title!”
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### Author:  [@fusoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fusoya)
#### Post date: [August 12, 2010, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-books-movies-shows-you-will-not-read-watch-because-of-their-titles/549995/16 "2010-08-12T03:32:18Z")
I avoided watching **Buffy The Vampire Slayer** during its entire run…because…it’s called BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER! It also didn’t help that I saw the trailer for the film that started the series and it looked beyond awful. Actually, I still haven’t really taken the plunge, but according to that “I’m finally watching Buffy” thread, I should have held out just a couple more episodes (I watched about halfway into season 2, and it seemed almost as lame as the title).
That goes double for **Angel**. Come on, I’m NOT watching a show called Angel.
And while we’re on the subject of Whedon, I didn’t give **Firefly** a chance when it was on the air, because what kind of wuss trekkie names his ship “Firefly”? (before somebody hurls a brick at me, I know much better now).
I also have a hard time giving any interest in a show/movie named after the main character. Veronica Mars, David Gale, Hank? I don’t know who these people are, but their names don’t make me want to watch you.
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### Author:  [@Eleanor\_of\_Aquitaine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eleanor_of_Aquitaine)
#### Post date: [August 12, 2010, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-books-movies-shows-you-will-not-read-watch-because-of-their-titles/549995/17 "2010-08-12T18:58:57Z")
I avoided _Buffy for a long time because of the title and the goofy premise, and because I didn’t think I’d be interested in a show about high school kids. Now in the last several years I’ve watched not only Buffy, but Veronica Mars, Freaks and Geeks_, and _Glee_.
I keep seeing good reviews for _The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society_, but the title is unbearably cutesy so I haven’t picked it up. Ditto for _The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie_.
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### Author:  [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)
#### Post date: [August 12, 2010, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-books-movies-shows-you-will-not-read-watch-because-of-their-titles/549995/18 "2010-08-12T19:06:44Z")
> [@Ludovic](#):
>
> **About a Boy** - Apparently from the synopsis it’s about a man and a child who bond and grow partily over the Nirv…Wait, WHAT? If it hadn’t been called that, again, it would have spoken to me a bit and informed me a bit about the premise.
The book the movie is based on actually does have a large Nirvana-based subplot that didn’t make it into the movie.
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### Author:  [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)
#### Post date: [August 12, 2010, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-books-movies-shows-you-will-not-read-watch-because-of-their-titles/549995/19 "2010-08-12T20:05:15Z")
**Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants**. My instincts were spot-on from what I hear.
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### Author:  [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)
#### Post date: [August 12, 2010, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-books-movies-shows-you-will-not-read-watch-because-of-their-titles/549995/20 "2010-08-12T20:59:44Z")
> [@Morbo](#):
>
> **Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants**. My instincts were spot-on from what I hear.
That and _Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood_.
This thread reminds me of a story, though. Early on in my marriage, my new father-in-law gave me a book as a Christmas gift: _The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Beer._ For the record, I thought it was a cool book and a nice gift. I later learned that my mother-in-law had not wanted FIL to give it to me, lest I think he considered me a Complete Idiot and become insulted.
I’m glad he didn’t listen to her.
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