Though a very infrequent poster, I have been reading this board – GD and BBQ Pit in particular – for enough time now, to form what I think is an educated opinion of the overall tone found here.
And that would be best expressed as one of maturity, which of course is quite consistent with the theme of Fighting Ignorance that is the raison d’etre of this corner in cyberspace. Yes, I’ve also seen plenty of the silliness and lighthearted banter that always accompanies human interaction, yet, for the most part, said exchanges are not based on divisiveness or exclusivity. Meaning that other than the occasional consensus in sending someone to the “Jerks’Club” I am not aware of any other all-inclusive delineating categories – other than a bit of intelligence, or in lieu of, plain common sense.
Normally, I wouldn’t give a rat’s ass about someone as mortified as djlovin seems to be on the subject of ‘coolness.’ As it is, I have enough youngsters around me to cover said topic in much more depth than I previously thought possible. And quite frankly, I am very antagonistic to the harmful notion that “coolness quotient” defines a person in any meaningful way. Quite the contrary really, the one applying such a vapid standard is the “uncool” one in my book. Just one more in the herd of imbeciles that deny individuality as the real barometer to a person’s character. Not the kind of person I expect to find here…and the reason I decided to add my voice to Fenri’s OP. I too, find Mr. Hip quite annoying.
Some claim that djlovin’s posts are written in irony; a purposeful study in overwrought hipness thereby denying the original intent and “wooshing” by all of us squares. Me, I disagree, for I haven’t seen any depth to his craft. Unless of course, liver damage and endless prattle about what we should read, watch and drink are considered paradigms of irony and self-deprecating humor. If there’s any irony to be found, is that at 45, I look at those traits as significant signs immaturity and self-doubt – and hopefully, so will he at my age.
Definition of ‘cool’? Having a brain…and using it.
Read much Oscar Wilde? Told everyone what to do at any given opportunity, but with irony. Big advocate of liver damage, too.
Not all of dalovindj’s posts are about hipness or whatever. He’s perfectly able to converse in a normal manner. This, to me, gives lie to his hepcat persona.
And me? As fucking uncool and unhip as all git out.
Well, I like hearing intelligent people with good senses of humor discuss the art of drinking or the finer points of pop culture with wit and sarcasm. Thus, I find dalovindj a cool guy to have around. Perhaps the gimmick could use a bit more rest in between use, just to keep it fresh.
Then again, I think there’s a point to social acceptance. Not that it should outweigh personal expression, of course. However, there’s room enough in life to fit both in.
For example, if I was getting married, I’d want to wear a tuxedo. Not that a tuxedo is inherently appropriate for a wedding, but society has deemed it wedding-wear, and decided that that particular arrangement of clothing is esthetically pleasing. Since I’m part of society, these notions have attached themselves to tuxedos in my mind, and thus I see wearing one as being cool (to me). That’s not to say that I really would think ill of another person if he decided to wear a muu-muu. He would also be communicating something by purposely defying social conventions.
Same with drinking. I generally like (leaving aside that 40 of Schlitz) to drink things that make me feel cool. Basically, what I look for is a drink that strikes me as manly. I don’t really believe certain drinks are more appropriate for men than for women, but I do find myself enjoying the experience of a good single malt scotch, or a Wild Turkey on the rocks at least in part because of the implications society has placed on them.
Social attitudes attached to objects are merely another means for us to communicate with one another. Dalovindj strikes me as the sort who likes using that means of communication to create art. Or at least humor.
Really, the only bad thing I have to say about the guy is that I once tried to pronounce his screen name as if it was all one word, and it got stuck in my head all friggin’ day.
The last line of your post had me laughin’ hard. Thanks for the positive words.
Everyone has been so vocal here in this and a couple other joints floating around this here pit. I do hope you’ll go over to this thread and input your two cents there as well. Consider it teaching me a lesson or two.
DaLovinDJ in five words: Be nonconformist just like me!
I’ve seen this mentality frequently in 14-year-old girls. It makes me ill, but you know, I can kind of understand, having been an unpopular 14-year-old once. But I grew out of it by the age of 16. I saw it a lot at college too, and it gets much more pathetic with advanced age.
DaLovinDJ is supposedly 25 years old. That is truly pathetic. I had hoped that by this age, most of my peers would be past drinking, watching, and listening to only what others consider “cool” or “hip.” It’s a waste of time, and it makes you boring and stale.
I hope you’re happy. Oscar Wilde just had a grand mal seizure in his grave. Have you read any Oscar Wilde? Sheesh. That’s like comparing Britney Spears to Aretha Franklin.
I don’t see DaLovinDJ offering any serious insight into the role of the critic or the subjectivity of art or society’s obsession with youth (although DaLovinDJ strikes me as something of a Dorian Grey-esque character). And I certainly am not in awe of his epigrammatic contruction or his biting sarcasm. Oscar Wilde presented a slightly exaggerated version of his popular culture and society so as to denigrate them; any man who insults someone for not drinking a certain drink or watching “cool” movies is worthy of Wilde’s scorn, not reflective of it.
So sayeth the English major. I wasn’t going to get involved until I read that.
dj, I think you’re cool beans, for the most part, and I more or less understand where you’re coming from. Or from whence you come. Or some shit like that.
I shall share with you some words from my sainted father: “It’s not so much what you say, but how you say it.” Or, to break it down like Dr. Phil (that’s the name of that guy on Oprah, right?): I think you use too many “you” statements, when you could communicate more effectively with “I” statements. To complete the cliché trifecta: You draw more flies with honey than vinegar.
That is, an adversarial tone won’t get you very far here. Rather than starting out by laying down your thesis as if it is the received Word of God (or John Coltrane, or Eric B), you could skip right past that, and go straight to the tone you usually adopt by your third post or so into the thread, when you’re explaining to all the people who took umbrage with your first post what your intent was and how you just wanted to know what people thought about whatever the subject is.
The best thing about these boards, when it all works right, is that above all we respect each other. Part of that comes from knowing that no matter how bad we think we are, we no sooner start to flex a little than we are put in our place by someone who really knows what he or she is talking about. You mentioned elsewhere something about the first rule of improv being never to apologize for anything. The first rule of the SDMB (again, when it all works right) is almost precisely the opposite, because otherwise you’re never going to learn anything, and we’re all about the learnin’ here.
Anyway, stick around. I, for one, like having you here.
Geesh how pathic. This is the Pit. You rip a guy a new one because he posts different. How kind of you, Redfury to come out of your lurking mode to enlighten us with your wisdom. I’m not sure how I made it through life this far without direction and guidance from you.
If you don’t like the way the guy posts then wooohooo…the most famous words used on the SD…take a guess???
How this thread ever made it to two pages is a wonder in itself. Everyone is not going to like every poster, what a bore that would be if we all liked each other. It would be group hug crap all over the board. The only decent thing about this thread is the fact that we do have respected posters that aren’t afraid to state their opinions.
Laugh your butt off, dj cause I know that is exactly what you are doing.
For what it’s worth, I really like Dalovin. He was one of the first people I thought of when the WTC was hit, since I’d just read his thread about being outed from his apartment.
::shrug:: Whatever- we all have on-line personas. Dalovin’ sounds like a nice person. Reminds me of The Lady’s Man. (From SNL)
Yes dear, I have. I’ve read a lot of Oscar Wilde. Do I really have to post a standard legal disclaimer (as with the Lenny Bruce/George Carlin comparison) every time I use an example, or can I count on you folks to read between the lines and realize that I’m not saying “dalovindj is the Oscar Wilde of our time?”
If “insulting someone for not drinking a certain drink or watching ‘cool’ movies” is done for the sake of humor, and “in fun” (as dalovindj has admitted more than once, and Christ, but I’m getting tired of pointing it out,) and perhaps a little for the sake of poking fun at popular culture, I think Oscar would approve.
Let me reiterate (one more time, just so y’all can soak this up.) Here it is, straight from the horse’s mouth, as it were:
Note the distinct lack of hipsterness in the above post. Tell you anything? Like perhaps that he really is just having a bit of deadpan fun?
Yeah, but see, I don’t think it’s funny. When I think “deadpan fun,” I think Milossarian, who IMHO always provides the most biting, sharp, scornful sarcastic comment as just the right time. When I think flat-out humor, I think JarBabyJ, who never fails to make me laugh my ass off. There are at least twenty posters I could name of the top of my head who never fail to make me laugh. DaLovinDJ does not make me laugh. If anything, I roll my eyes a lot.
But I’m not hating on him or anything. I just don’t appreciate his humor. I think his obsession with being hip and educating the teeming masses is pathetic, whether he is joking or not.
But hey, we all have different senses of humor. If he makes some of us laugh, more power to him. I’m not advocating his departure - I’d just like him to realize that not all us (or ever many of us, maybe just a few) care about his opinion of “hip” and it’s gotten really old, really fast - which is exactly what Fenris was saying in his OP.
Some words from the all wise guru and arbiter of “hip”
*“I may not be the arbiter of cool, but I am an ambassador. Seriously, check out How to Speak Hip, and I think my conversations about “being hip” will reveal their humorous intentions more clearly. It’‘s all just good-hearted diggin’ on the art of living life. No offense intended to anyone, regardless of their tastes.”
“The main point really ends up being that to try to be something you’re not is foolish. Another point, however, is that there can be an art to everyday mundane things. It will vary from person to person, as art must, but life CAN be lived with art and style in mind. And this is not a bad thing. The more you discuss the various opinions on any issue, the more knowledge you have to pull from when you make the decision of what is right for you.”
“The last line of your post had me laughin’ hard. Thanks for the positive words. Everyone has been so vocal here in this and a couple other joints floating around this here pit. I do hope you’ll go over to this thread and input your two cents there as well. Consider it teaching me a lesson or two.”
*
While many people here and elsewhere are sniping at each other and trying to rip the DJ a new one he seems to have remained composed and hasn’t really uttered a harsh word towards anyone. He probably IS laughing his ass off.
I seriously doubt that many other posters (myself included) wouldn’t have fired back with both barrels. Damn, I would have put on the asbestos lined suit and fired up the trusty flamethrower.
For that, he gets a cool point from yours truly. But then again, who am I to determine what’s cool?
For the record, I enjoy his posts even though my brain has cramped up on occasion in trying to decipher some bits here and there.
Hey Straw-Man, I mean Diane, I think you need to quit listening to the voices in your head and read what I actually wrote. I never presumed to speak for everyone but instead voiced my distain at dalovindj’s arrogance by belitting Ogre’s defense of him.
Beats the hell out of a “me too” post.
My thanks to Ogre for answering my question in a less fecal-driven manner. True, Carlin and others began to become more appreciated over time. Dalovindj’s been here a whole month. Forgive me for not fawning over his smug arrogance right out of the gate.
However, what you said was that Ogre was indeed the only one to find dalovindj amusing. See your quote:
By saying that, you are simply wrong. Diane and others had responded to the thread already to show that they read them in a humorous light. As she said, you were presuming to speak for the rest of us.
Oh Dear Lord, please tell me you aren’t always this stupid.
Go back and read your post, pull your head out of your rauncy asshole, then run along and find that message board that caters to those who can’t comprehend their own words. I’m sure it exists out there someplace you just have to do a Google search or something.
This is certainly one post too many on this topic but for ultress, I’ll oblige.
He/she writes:
The above is yet another example of poorly executed sarcasm. Two reasons come to mind. One, it is totally lacking in originality and subtlety, thus limiting the effectiveness to nothing more than a “I know what you are…” childish retort. Then again, not knowing the age of the poster, perhaps it is appropriate. But one would guess that even a child would have some sense of content…which brings me to reason number two. Correct me if I’m wrong – and I have no doubt you will – but I believe that in your haste to point out the obvious, you chose to attack the messenger and not the message. See, I was addressing the topic of this thread and put forth my reasons for agreeing with its premise. You, OTOH, chose to fire an angry little salvo with no relevance to the issue being discussed. Your prerogative no doubt, as it’s mine to point out the lack of substance in your reply to me.
Beyond that, I can’t see how my choice of delurking to voice my opinion at this particular moment is any business of yours. But if you absolutely must know why I did, I’ll offer that as a father of an eleven-year old boy, I am very much involved in instilling him with values that go well beyond the mere superficial dogma of hipness. I’ve also seen first hand the emotional damage that it can do to some children – hipsters can be quite vicious with the ‘uncool’. Thus when I found someone so apparently obsessed with those values here, I felt my comment was in appropiate.
Of course, I’d already said as much in my original post but from your reply, I gathered you weren’t much interested in what I had to say. Since I have no reason to believe this time around will be any different, make what you will of my response. Yours is the last word on this matter.
I’m way too old to give a hoot about flamewars and I believe Mr. Djhip has recieved all the air time I’m willing to grant him on this subject. Should I find any other posts of his that spike my interest, I’ll be delighted to engage in further conversation. Hopefully, of a more positive nature.
Redfury, you are right. Get your head out of your butt and join the group. On the other hand, I really don’t care what you have to say when it doesn’t add to the conversation. Are you an IRA agent? And don’t worry about my age, needless to say by your post I’m older than you and have a lot better sense of humor.
Now move along like a good little newbie and see if you can learn something.
