Here’s some “Ask the <blank>” threads I would like to see:
Ask the emu
Ask the Objectivist
Ask the guy who’s had everything handed to him on a silver platter his whole life and he feels no guilt whatsoever about anything he’s ever done
Ask the Mod
Ask the girl who likes to ask the guy who likes to ask why the girl likes the guy and and not the other girl because the other girl asked the guy why the guy doesn’t like the first girl as much as the guy who likes the other girl likes to ask the girl why
For some undefined reason, I find those threads annoying too. Dunno why. But I just skip over them. I almost always get the urge to pop in and say “Why makes you think you have anything I’d be interested in asking about?”
However, since many people respond, I assume that there are others who DO have questions. So like I said, I just skip over them.
I generally like the “Ask A Whatever” threads. What I don’t like is when someone starts one, and then everyone else immediately tries to start one too. Those “me too” threads seem like people who got jealous that someone else was getting all the attention. Can’t you wait like a week or something before posting?
I’ve got to agree. Though all of these threads aren’t pure drek, I’ve got a pair of gripes that applies to many of them.
First, you have to operate on the premise that the ______ you are asking is in large part representative of ______’s in general. It’s not always true. Take a look at little miss, ‘If my husband did physically correct me, then he must have had a good reason.’ I can’t accept that this is all that common a sentiment, and if indeed it isn’t, we aren’t learning anything constructive.
Secondly, I suspect that some of these threads are actually “Ask me while I pose as a ______ in order to make a point.”
The “Ask A Muslim” thread had a very ironic outcome, IMO. The original poster turned out to be fairly narrowminded and ignorant about anything other than her own sheltered American concept of Islam (which is somewhat less forgivable considering that she chose it, whereas many Muslims know only what they were born with). The most intelligent and insightful observances came from people who joined later, and many of them weren’t Muslim.
So these types of threads can be illuminating, but not always due to any virtues of the OP.
I don’t mind the “Ask A…” whatever threads about obscure, technical, or widely misunderstood topics, created by knowledgeable posters. But the identity politics can irritate me sometimes. I mean, really… “Ask A Gay Black Man?” Are gay black men so mysterious that people need a thread to help them figure it all out? Who is this supposed to help, exactly? Someone who’s thinking of becoming black but wants to collect all the facts first?
Glad to see there are a coupleof people who agree with me.
I felt much the same as the OP, and in fact started a similar pit thread calling them attention whores a few years back, IIRC. But I’ve read out some interesting things from these threads.
I still think it’s attention whoring, but it’s not completely useless attention whoring.
Another vote here for “I like them”. Or, if they’re something in which I’m not interested, I ignore them. There was an “ask the hairdresser” one that I found a lot of good info on. And an “ask the personal trainer” one that, as a fellow instructor, I found interesting as well.
No different than in real life when people discuss their different skills and areas of expertise. Or do you blow a gasket at that also? “NO, no one is allowed to talk about ANYTHING about themselves around me”!!!
Most everyone has at least one area in which they are pretty damn good, why NOT share that? It’s a normal part of carrying on conversations with other people. The only difference here, is the way in which the information is introduced to fellow “conversationalists”, that is, in a more formal “here I am, and this is what I know” kind of way.
And, as others have said, if you don’t like 'em, don’t open the thread, no time wasted there.
And how, once they’ve opened themselves up to questions by stating “Ask the _____” do you propose that they "ignore shortcomings, warts or otherwise distastful aspects?
That wouldn’t happen by the mere offer of “ask the______”, but by their possible ignoring of questions asking about the less pleasant aspects of their area of expertise, and from what I’ve read in these threads, they share their job/area of expertise, warts and all when asked and frequently without being asked.
Secondly, people who are trying to “put themselves and their agenda in the most favorable…blah blah blah” don’t need a special thread to ignore their own shortcomings etc.
Black gay men have a large number of specific issues that arise both from the intersection of oppressions from outside their communities, and from racism on the part of other Queers and from homophobia on the part of other black people. There are a number of topics relevant specifically to black gay men, whether North American (such as the down-low), Caribbean (e.g. extreme homophobia in reggae and dancehall culture), or African (e.g. legal persecution).
Hey Kiwi, are there a lot of tourists in New Zealand? I’ve heard the fishing is really good there and after seeing Lord of the Rings, I wanna come for a visit. Is the fishing any good? Are there any places one can freely hike that look like the landscape in LotR? Is there a National Parks system? Thanks for any help.
Sometimes I fantasize about starting my own “Ask a . . .” thread. I imagine myself as the center of attention, boldly taking on all comers, dazzling the world with my command of my chosen subject matter and my brilliant ripostes to malcontents who disparage my unique point of view.
Then hard reality intrudes. What would I ask people to ask? I have no interest in religion. I have no exotic ethnicity, philosophy, or lifestyle upon which to expound. I’d rather slam my nuts in a car door than defend my politics in GD. And as for my personal life, I just don’t think that “Ask an Actuarial Student” or “Ask a Nerdy Middle-Aged Bald Guy” would draw that many posts.
I was going to cry a bit about the OP hating me but then I did a quick count. I have 49 threads to my name.
Only three threads did better reply wise than my “Ask me” thread. One involved the word “sex” (as in gender, but that’ll get everyone’s attention) and two were pit rants on popular rant topics.
One thread on the internet friendly topic of computer language equalled it.
So I can bask in the vindification of public opinion. Rare for me.
Oh yes, my thread is here. Here here here! Click on it, because without your attention I’ll cease to exist.
Don’t most of the “Ask The” threads come from other threads where people are incessantly asking the person about whatever it is?
I always thought about doing an “Ask the Stripper” thread, but I think people already see me as an attention-whore, and that topic is so overdone anyway. Plus, I’m not technically a stripper anymore ('cept twice a month ).
