# Disappointments: things you thought you'd like but didn't **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 13, 2021, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disappointments-things-you-thought-youd-like-but-didnt/954291 "2021-11-13T13:32:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Orville\_mogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/aeb1de/32.png) [@Orville\_mogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orville_mogul)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2021, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disappointments-things-you-thought-youd-like-but-didnt/954291/103 "2021-11-22T20:33:27Z")
That’s funny. I loved 11/22/63. I found the historical ‘insight’ into the characters to be riveting and was totally absorbed by King’s narrative. FWIW, now that King has largely moved away from his 70s horror genre, I find his storytelling to be better than ever. But that’s me! ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2021, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disappointments-things-you-thought-youd-like-but-didnt/954291/104 "2021-11-22T21:38:16Z")
> [@Orville\_mogul](#): > > FWIW, now that King has largely moved away from his 70s horror genre, I find his storytelling to be better than ever. But that’s me! Like Lovecraft, his non-horror stuff is better than his horror stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2021, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disappointments-things-you-thought-youd-like-but-didnt/954291/105 "2021-11-22T23:28:44Z")
> [@Orville\_mogul](#): > > That’s funny. I loved 11/22/63. I found the historical ‘insight’ into the characters to be riveting and was totally absorbed by King’s narrative. > > FWIW, now that King has largely moved away from his 70s horror genre, I find his storytelling to be better than ever. But that’s me! Huh. You’ve almost got me convinced to give it a third try. 🙂 mmm ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2021, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disappointments-things-you-thought-youd-like-but-didnt/954291/106 "2021-11-23T00:52:14Z")
> [@Orville\_mogul](#): > > FWIW, now that King has largely moved away from his 70s horror genre, I find his storytelling to be better than ever. But that’s me! Later was great, but The Institute and Joyland were letdowns for me. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2021, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disappointments-things-you-thought-youd-like-but-didnt/954291/107 "2021-11-23T01:22:49Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > Later was great, but The Institute and Joyland were letdowns for me. I agree about The Institute, but I really enjoyed Joyland. ---
**Author:** ![LVBoPeep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/858c86/32.png) [@LVBoPeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LVBoPeep)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2021, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disappointments-things-you-thought-youd-like-but-didnt/954291/108 "2021-11-23T01:35:46Z")
> [@Orville\_mogul](#): > > at’s me! Same here- I enjoyed it and his other more recent works such as the Mr. Mercedes trilogy. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2021, 6:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disappointments-things-you-thought-youd-like-but-didnt/954291/109 "2021-11-24T06:50:21Z")
So, a Studio Ghibli film based on a Diana Wynne Jones novel - sounds like it could be as awesome as _Howl’s Moving Castle_, right? “Could” is the operative word there. I was _so_ disappointed in _[Earwig and the Witch](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earwig_and_the_Witch)_. It went nowhere, and then just fucking ended. The protagonist wasn’t the least bit sympathetic, and showed zero character growth. And the animation was _terrible_. Even a disappointment like _Tales from Earthsea_ still had great animation. This was some _Paw Patrol_-level shit. Apparently the book it’s based on doesn’t really have more substance, so I have to wonder why they even chose to adapt it? ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2021, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disappointments-things-you-thought-youd-like-but-didnt/954291/110 "2021-11-25T16:26:00Z")
[Porter](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Porter_(beer)) (the beer). Kind of like Turkish delight is to Lewis I had come across the word in _The Hobbit_ when some of the dwarves visiting Bilbo called for it and, finally decades later my brother had a bottle in the refrigerator. My sister in law literally laughed at the face I made at the first swig. “What’s wrong?” “I’m discovering I Do Not Like porter.” I finished the bottle so as not to waste it but followed it with a bottle of Dos Equis dark to make myself happier. Had I but known that stout and porter are virtually synonymous I would have avoided it 'cause I didn’t like Guiness when I’d tried it earlier. ---
**Author:** ![echoreply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/echoreply/32/3641_2.png) [@echoreply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/echoreply)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2021, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disappointments-things-you-thought-youd-like-but-didnt/954291/111 "2021-11-25T16:38:04Z")
Radiohead. People have told me how amazing they are, and so maybe every 5 years since 2000 I’ve given them a try, but walked away bored. Maybe if instead of the big buildup about how they’re the greatest, people just told me, “hey, here’s a fun band I like,” I would have been able to listen without all of these raised expectations. They do seem like something I should like. All those expert recommendation systems popular a decade ago or so said, “based on the music you like, we think you should try Radiohead.” It’s not that I hate it, I might not even skip a song if they come up on a mix, I just really didn’t care. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2021, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disappointments-things-you-thought-youd-like-but-didnt/954291/112 "2021-11-25T16:41:26Z")
> [@echoreply](#): > > Radiohead. Everything you said mirrored my opinions. I do not get the adoration they get from some. ---
**Author:** ![Esturionette](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9d8465/32.png) [@Esturionette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Esturionette)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2021, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disappointments-things-you-thought-youd-like-but-didnt/954291/113 "2021-11-25T23:53:35Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > a little container of salt with truffle shavings in it. That reminds me of the time I got the same thing from a friend, who had received it as a gift from her posh customer. Not being a keen cook, she had no use for it. I was beside myself with excitement. I love mushrooms and had never tried a real truffle before. At home, I opened the jar and was hit with a gym sock smell so strong I couldn’t breathe. Once you got used to it though, it was not wholly unpleasant. I added some to gravy that night and thought it made it delicious. The trouble started after - it proved impossible to store this substance in a way that wouldn’t offend my husband’s delicate sense of smell. I ended up double bagging the jar and putting it in a box at the bottom of the deepest cupboard, and still sometimes he would walk into the kitchen and wonder what had gone bad. I, on the other hand, never seemed to remember the jar while cooking, since it was so out of reach. With shame, I must admit that I was pressured into putting the truffle in the trash eventually. I still think about it sometimes. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2021, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disappointments-things-you-thought-youd-like-but-didnt/954291/114 "2021-11-26T17:58:31Z")
Turkey liver. I learned that yesterday. The Mrs. had pulled out the liver from our dinner turkey and decided to saute it in butter for the dog and cat to enjoy, but once it was done, I wanted to try a tiny piece. I’m not a huge fan of beef or pork liver, tho I have on occasion enjoyed braunschweiger. But I have at times REALLY enjoyed duck and goose pate, trout liver mousse, chicken livers. I popped a very tiny bit into my mouth, chewed, and experienced the flavor. My wife and our friend who was joining us for dinner were about to do likewise when I yelled at them; “No, don’t! It’s horriblaarggh!” Spitting it out in the sink, I grabbed a nearby glass of ginger lemonade and gargled and rinsed my mouth out with it to subdue the foul excrescent taste. This caused both ladies to laugh hysterically for the next 4 minutes. The cat wouldn’t eat the turkey liver either when offered, but the dog really enjoyed it. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2021, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disappointments-things-you-thought-youd-like-but-didnt/954291/115 "2021-11-26T20:20:47Z")
> [@Biggirl](#): > > NYC Street Cart Honey Roasted Cashews. All the other roasted nuts are sooooo good but the honey roasted ones fill the streets with their sweet, sweet orgasmic scent and. . … they do not taste at all like they smell. Roasted chestnuts fall into the same category: smell like heaven, taste like unflavored gruel. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2021, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disappointments-things-you-thought-youd-like-but-didnt/954291/116 "2021-11-26T20:22:58Z")
At this time every year, my father buys chestnuts from the supermarkets and roasts them at home, and then greatly enjoys eating them. He always offers them to me, but I’ve never liked the taste. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2021, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disappointments-things-you-thought-youd-like-but-didnt/954291/117 "2021-11-27T00:41:56Z")
> [@MrAtoz](#): > > > [@Jophiel](#): > > > > Once upon a time in the late 80s, my mom was asked (via phone cold-call, I believe) to be an early watcher for some TV pilot. We would be told to turn to a certain channel and watch the show at the designated time and then answer some questions about it. It seemed all very fun and exciting and almost like doing some civic duty to be part of what would potentially become a weeknight lineup. > > Sometime in the late 90s I had a similar “evaluate a TV pilot” experience. Mine was on a videotape, which they mailed to me. It played like a regular half-hour sitcom, and included commercials. I was instructed to watch the whole thing, including the commercials, and not to fast forward through any of it. > > At a designated time, they called me and asked me about 45 minutes worth of questions. There were one or two questions about the pilot itself (which was God-awful), and then the rest of the questions were about the various commercials–how well I remembered them, what I thought of them, would they make me more or less likely to buy the product, etc. It soon became obvious that this wasn’t about the sitcom pilot at all, it was a survey about TV commercials. Talk about your bait and switch! > > That sitcom has never seen the light of day, so far as I know, and you can all be pretty glad of that! I assume the show was _Dads_. I got the same thing twice. Awful show – I could see why it wasn’t picked up. > **[Dads (TV Movie 1997) ⭐ 3.0 | Comedy](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0799994/)** > > 30m ---
**Author:** ![velomont](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8491ac/32.png) [@velomont](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/velomont)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2021, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disappointments-things-you-thought-youd-like-but-didnt/954291/118 "2021-11-27T01:21:07Z")
Led Zeppelin’s “The Song Remains the Same” movie. Back in the day I expected this to be so cool, profound and important (or something). I had convinced two others to join me; good lord what an embarrassing fiasco. We left after about 20 minutes. ---
**Author:** ![lobotomyboy63](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobotomyboy63/32/2900_2.png) [@lobotomyboy63](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lobotomyboy63)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2021, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disappointments-things-you-thought-youd-like-but-didnt/954291/119 "2021-11-27T02:12:24Z")
I remember going to see “Cannonball Run” back in the day after reading a piece about the actual race in _Car and Driver._ This was my introduction to “all the best scenes of the movie are in the trailer.” I’d caught Robin Williams in Mork and Mindy but _Popeye_, really? In the bargain bin I found “Mean Streets,” Scorsese directing. Couldn’t finish it. Has anybody mentioned Al Capone’s vaults yet? Evel Kneivel at Snake River Canyon? Season 2 of “Dead Like Me?” ---
**Author:** ![Bonum\_Legatum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bonum_legatum/32/6183_2.png) [@Bonum\_Legatum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bonum_Legatum)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2021, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disappointments-things-you-thought-youd-like-but-didnt/954291/120 "2021-11-27T14:09:14Z")
I the same vein, the “Opening of the Titanic safe” special hosted Telly Savalas. The brought some safe onto the stage, opened it and brought out a pristine, modern cashbox. (But then again, I wasn’t expecting much.) ---
**Author:** ![Skunkdog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c2a13f/32.png) [@Skunkdog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skunkdog)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2021, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disappointments-things-you-thought-youd-like-but-didnt/954291/121 "2021-11-27T14:36:10Z")
The music of _Steely Dan_ comes to mind. I have friends that worship the group and I can certainly appreciate the musicianship of all the people involved in their albums. I just don’t care for most of their songs and actually change the radio station when I hear one come on. ---
**Author:** ![echoreply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/echoreply/32/3641_2.png) [@echoreply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/echoreply)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2021, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disappointments-things-you-thought-youd-like-but-didnt/954291/122 "2021-11-27T18:23:33Z")
The _Dead Pilots Society_ podcast, which does table reads of scripts that were turned down. I like the people involved, I like many of the people who bring their unproduced scripts, and I like the idea of “see how elitist Hollywood is, here are some gems they wouldn’t even give a chance.” It turns out I wouldn’t have ordered a pilot for any of them either. Some had a funny joke or two, or maybe the kernel of a good idea, but it was usually real obvious why they were rejected, and it had nothing to do with “won’t play in flyover land,” but that they were bad. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disappointments-things-you-thought-youd-like-but-didnt/954291.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disappointments-things-you-thought-youd-like-but-didnt/954291.md?page=7)