Last night we watched the 1990 movie Ghost, w/ Demi Moore/Patrick Swayze/Whoopi Goldberg. I’m not sure why I had always avoided it. Likely because we had young kids at the time, and weren’t watching a lot of adult movies. But I also think I had a negative impression of it as a sappy romance. And part of me tends to shy away from things just because they are super popular (and hyped.)
Now, by no means is Ghost fine cinema IMO. But I’ve certainly pissed away 2 hrs watching far worse. Sure, a lot of it was predictable, but it was nevertheless downright enjoyable. I had no idea there was as much action, suspense, and humor. In fact, the sappy romance aspect was IMO not so much the predominant part.
Wondering if you had similar experiences. Have you avoided movies, music, foods, travel for whatever (or no) reason. But then, when you DID experience it, thinking it was not so bad and, in fact, was enjoyable.
I had edamame for the first time last night mixed in with some stir-fried rice. I’d never tried them because I hate beans. Turns out they’re legumes, and I like green beans, so I gave it a go. Combined with all the rest of the stuff, they were indistinguishable as bad or good. A little ignorance fought.
Jeans with stretch fabric. Baggy & loose-fit were popular when I was younger (and setting aside my oversized mid90s raver pants which were never popular) and then those skinny jeans came around, little more than faded blue lycra. But now, more conventionally proportioned jeans can have a little more give and still look great and fall without being too clingy.
Yes, though beans have always been legumes. Edamame is something I always try to keep stocked since they keep really well frozen, can heat with just an electric kettle, and only need a little flake salt for prep. They’re also a food I’ll eat beyond the point of discomfort so single frozen packages is a nice, hard limit.
I was 14 and not familiar with Tex-Mex or Mexican food. (They are slightly different cuisines)
My parents took me on vacation and we drove throughout Texas visiting attractions like Six Flags and Big Bend National Park. We even went to Laredo Texas and crossed into Mexico to shop. My parents stopped at a lot of authentic Tex Mex restaurants and we ate in Laredo Mexico. I always ordered a burger or chicken fried steak.
Returning home, we stopped at one last restaurant near the Texas/Arkansas border. It wasn’t even a Tex Mex restaurant. But they had a few Tex Mex choices on the menu. Yeah, I ordered a plate. LOL I loved it.
KIDS. Are sometimes exasperating. Nearly 10 days in Texas and New Mexico. I wouldn’t try authentic Tex Mex.
Today, we have several local restaurants run by Mexican families. I eat there regularly. Unless it’s too spicy. But most places let their customers choose mild or hot. My favorites are Enchiladas and Tamales. I also like an authentic Burrito stuffed with refried beans and rice. sopapilla with honey for dessert
I spent decades avoiding Indian food, finding the appearance and aroma both unpleasant. Occasionally my co-workers would go out for lunch and choose an Indian restaurant and I would find an excuse to avoid it.
Then…I went to India for work and had no choice about what I was going to eat. I came home totally changed, and I find the stuff to be quite delicious.
I realize that we were spoiled rotten during that trip, as we ate in good restaurants in multiple parts of the country–I have not found anything in the US that compares. But it’s pretty close, especially in the Northeast, where we have a significant Indian population.
When I was in college, I was in a rock band and pretty heavily into all kinds of music. At the time, I remember saying I liked all music, with the exception of Opera and Country. (Not entirely accurate, as Johnny Cash I Walk the Line was the first album I ever bought, and I liked Hank Williams and some country punk. But mainly my reaction to the 80s “big hat” country.
Fast forward 40 years and I play acoustic classical and oldtime music. Still don’t care for opera singing, but the vast majority of the music I enjoy playing and listening to certainly has some element of twang and shit kicking. Especially after seeing Ken Burns’ EXPANSIVE definition of country, it is hard to imagine that I once expressed disdain for what is now my favorite music - bluegrass, oldtime, and older country.
Mamma Mia, which I avoided for years because it sounds just so naff. And it is, but it’s also joyous.
Game of Thrones I avoided for about 8 years because I hate fantasy stuff with mythical creatures. But turns out it’s more like a historical saga. Loved it.
I only like a very few Rolling Stones songs, and none of Frank Sinatra’s famous songs. But I had a similar experience with both. Having heard a relatively unpolished performance by them I came to the conclusion that they would both be great if they did a rough set at a small bar.
In fact, this is my personal definition of something that’s “not that bad.” If it were playing/showing across the street for free would I go see it? Previous to hearing those tracks, I would have said no to Sinatra and the Stones even given an intimate performance space (unless the stones were guaranteed to play Paint it Black, Sympathy, and Miss You). But now I think that they were “not that bad”, to the extent that it would be worth my while to see them live but not to go out of my way for it or anything.
That reminds me, I had been avoiding guacamole since I was a kid, mostly because I just thought it looked like green glop. Then I moved to California after college, and it’s kind of hard to avoid here. So rather than constantly having to ask for no guac on my burritos, I figured I would try it. It was long enough ago that I no longer remember the exact moment I tried it, but I kind of like guac now.
My two most prominent foods that I used to assiduously avoid were sauerkraut and sushi.
My parents used to make a dish called “cabbage bunch”(?) that was basically cabbage rolls of ground beef & rice wrapped in a leaf of cabbage, all of it topped with sauerkraut and baked. (there may have been more; that’s my childhood recollection of watching Mom make it). Anyway, the baking cabbage and sauerkraut would stink up the house something fierce and I never could get over the smell enough to actually eat sauerkraut because I assumed that like most things, it must taste largely like it smells.
Fast forward to college, and a roommate announces “We’re having beer, brats and sauerkraut when we’re watching the football game on Saturday!” So in order not to look like a wimp, I just steeled myself to choke down some of the ass-smelling wilted cabbage. First bite, I realized I’d been mistaken- it doesn’t taste like it smells, and it actually tastes pretty good, kind of like a pickle (which it is).
Sushi took a few more years. Not that I had a lot of opportunity to try it until several years after college, but I went out of my way to avoid it for a few years until a couple of girls in my social circle invited me to go eat sushi with them. And again, not wishing to look like a ninny, I accepted and it turned out that I liked that too.
Now I’m far more willing to try stuff that I’m not sure about; those two lessons have stuck with me ever since.
In TV/Movies, I can only really think of one thing, and it was mostly teenage/college age me being sexist and ageist. I wouldn’t watch “The Golden Girls” first run because I wasn’t interested in watching a show about a bunch of old ladies. When I started dating my wife, she was a big fan, and I started reluctantly watching it with her. Turns out it’s unusually hilarious for a sitcom.
As a child, my memories of him were “the guy who died of a heart attack while sitting on the toilet”, “Fat Elvis”, and “that guy in the rhinestone-covered jumpsuit who looks like a bargain-basement Liberace”.
A few years ago, I worked the night shift, and my boss decided to put the lobby music on a Golden Oldies channel. It turns out, Elvis had a beautiful voice, and his musical style has aged quite gracefully.
I think I may have posted about at least two of these here, but what the hell.
Music
Taylor Swift. C’mon, man, I’m in my 60’s. Over the winter, when I was posting about gaps in my musical knowledge and the process of filling them , I grudgingly listened to Midnights and 1989 (Taylor’s version) and was just blown away. I’m almost looking forward to winter, when I’ll catch up properly.
Country Music. Being British and only ever hearing the worst commercial pap, I’m not surprised I was biased. But I learned - and there’s plenty out there for me to love.
Elvis Presley. (Nods to @mbh) Well, if you’re my age, he was truly awful. It took me a long time to find the good - well, great - stuff. I once had an argument with a colleague (in a Chinese Restaurant in Belgium) about Presley, with me saying, yes, I used to hate him too, but that’s only because of how old I am. “Go on, how old are you?” I asked. Turned out that we were born on the same day. Hell of a way to win an argument.
Abstract Art
Bear with me. It didn’t help that I had no understanding of what abstract art is. And… we were in Malaga, Picasso’s birthplace, and there was a huge Picasso/Calder show on. Now, I’m disinclined to pay 20 Euro to spend a morning looking at stuff that I know I don’t like (sigh). However, it was free on Sunday - which happened to be the last day of the show. So we waited until late on when the lines were shorter and… wooooah - Instant convert. And the museum shuts in an hour… Man, was I pissed off at myself. Love it, absolutely love it.
I grew up refusing to even consider looking at the vile things.
Fast forward to age 45, my ex was making a list of the foods I didn’t like shortly after we’d met. When we came to vegetables, she wouldn’t take ‘none’ for an answer, so she named the ones she regularly ate and I classified them as either “No way” or “I’d rather die”. She quickly determined that the issue was not the taste but the gag-inducing fibrous feeling. 6 months later, I ate slow-cooked eggplant, zucchinis and bell peppers several times a week.
One day, we were at an Italian restaurant and I ordered a tagilata di manzo, which arrived covered with parmesan flakes (yummy), balsamic vinegar (yummy) and rocket (the horror). For some reason, I thought I might as well try it, and immediately exclaimed “Wow, that stuff’s delicious”. My ex smiled at me as if I had just discovered that I had two hands…
Anchovies aren’t bad. Anchovy paste isn’t bad. True that there’s a bit of a fishy flavor with it, but to me it occupies the same umami niche as soy sauce and bacon, where most of the enjoyment comes from the umami/salty aspect rather than any particular flavor.
I started putting anchovy paste in chili and it’s a lifechanger.
I avoided it because I heard that the plot was light on the fantasy and heavy on the intrigue. But I hadn’t seen new fantasy in so long that I eventually couldn’t resist. The stuff at King’s Landing was exactly as I had expected, but it had slightly more fantasy and non-city-of-thieves-related human elements to it that it became enjoyable for me as well.
My mom listened to two kinds of music: Elvis and Country & Western. This naturally caused me to dislike both.
But over the decades I have warmed to Elvis (and C&W)
I recently watched a video of him singing Suspicious Minds at a concert, and was amazed at his energy, charisma, and the kindness he showed. It is easy to see why his fans loved him.
That’s the cut I thought of, too. Elvis was before my time but a recording like that demonstrates why he’s deservedly bigger than life. And the band is just scorching.
I loved it.