# Generalisations/Memes you hate? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 20, 2017, 10:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/generalisations-memes-you-hate/796795 "2017-09-20T10:42:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![GreedySmurf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a698b9/32.png) [@GreedySmurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreedySmurf)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2017, 10:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/generalisations-memes-you-hate/796795/1 "2017-09-20T10:42:13Z")
Just curious mainly about any ‘Accepted wisdoms’ or Generalisations that annoy you. Sure, many are played up for humorous value, but still bother me a little. Personal example which I just saw again, and prompted the post, is that apparently every husband/boyfriend finds it awkward purchasing ‘feminine hygiene’ products? Maybe I’m the odd one out, but I would have no idea the number of times I would have bought tampons for my wife, if I happen to be the one going to the shops. So what gets your goat? ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2017, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/generalisations-memes-you-hate/796795/2 "2017-09-20T12:15:01Z")
The whole “women like bad boys” thing. I mean, I’m sure some _do_, but there is a vast gulf between milk toast and reprobate. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2017, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/generalisations-memes-you-hate/796795/3 "2017-09-20T13:33:17Z")
Men as bumbling idiots when it comes to housework, daycare, meals, etc. in my 19 years of marriage I was primarily responsible for packing lunches and getting my kids up and on the school bus in the morning. Plus, I cleaned bathrooms, vacuumed and did all the outside work. I’m very tired of seeing commercials on TV that treat men like idiots, which many often do. ---
**Author:** ![Jennshark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Jennshark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jennshark)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2017, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/generalisations-memes-you-hate/796795/4 "2017-09-20T14:16:23Z")
Commercial for cleaning products that feature bratty children making a big mess. Mom chuckles at their antics then sets to work cleaning the floor/toilet/counter/etc the little ratasses violated with markers/flour/poop/etc. Just bleccchhh. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2017, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/generalisations-memes-you-hate/796795/5 "2017-09-20T15:31:21Z")
Any negative generalization about “kids these days” coming from _parents of said kids_. Like, come on - if they are twelve and what they do is so shitty, who was doing a shitty job of raising them for twelve years?!?! ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2017, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/generalisations-memes-you-hate/796795/6 "2017-09-20T16:19:45Z")
Businesses that display the Jesus Fish on their vehicles/in their advertising. ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2017, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/generalisations-memes-you-hate/796795/7 "2017-09-20T16:35:09Z")
> [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > Businesses that display the Jesus Fish on their vehicles/in their advertising. Most recent example I saw was a home contractor’s van with a Christian theme and a blurb “We also do carpentry!” Well if you’re a carpenter, that’s gotta represent the ultimate celebrity endorsement, right? ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2017, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/generalisations-memes-you-hate/796795/8 "2017-09-20T16:41:53Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > Men as bumbling idiots when it comes to housework, daycare, meals, etc. I saw [this Tide commercial](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yECbdPvPpI4) a few days ago and I found it quite refreshing to see a commercial that has a dad performing a household chore without him being a bumbler or the idea that it’s somehow unusual or novel that he’s doing it. ---
**Author:** ![Moriarty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moriarty/32/49_2.png) [@Moriarty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moriarty)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2017, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/generalisations-memes-you-hate/796795/9 "2017-09-20T16:54:31Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > Any negative generalization about “kids these days” coming from _parents of said kids_. > > Like, come on - if they are twelve and what they do is so shitty, who was doing a shitty job of raising them for twelve years?!?! The Baby Boomers once popularized “don’t trust anybody over 30”. So it drives me nuts when those Baby Boomer retirees complain about the “youth”. (In truth, it would drive me nuts regardless of who said it; the whole idea that the younger generation is too degenerate/lazy/coddled tracks back for [generations](http://mentalfloss.com/article/52209/15-historical-complaints-about-young-people-ruining-everything)). ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2017, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/generalisations-memes-you-hate/796795/10 "2017-09-20T17:17:34Z")
The generalization that homeschoolers are socially inept, cloistered, etc. when in fact in many regards a lot of homeschooled students interact with a broader range of age and international backgrounds than others. Also, not sure this is really a generalization, but the “Just ignore the bully” methodology that every bully is 1) a bullying victim himself or 2) only out for attention and if you leave him alone he’ll leave you alone. It’s a lazy attempt to dismiss the problem. Also, if a bully is physically violent, how do you “ignore” that? ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2017, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/generalisations-memes-you-hate/796795/11 "2017-09-20T17:51:48Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > I saw [this Tide commercial](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yECbdPvPpI4) a few days ago and I found it quite refreshing to see a commercial that has a dad performing a household chore without him being a bumbler or the idea that it’s somehow unusual or novel that he’s doing it. Very nice! ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2017, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/generalisations-memes-you-hate/796795/12 "2017-09-20T18:32:31Z")
The generalization / belief that meteorologists have no clue what the weather is going to do, and that their forecasts aren’t any better than random guesses. The reality is that our meteorological models are pretty damned good today, and weather forecasts (at least in the 2-3 day range) are pretty accurate, the vast majority of the time. But, it’s human nature to only notice / remember those times when the forecast was wrong. In addition, most meteorologists will err on the side of caution: they’d rather be incorrect in predicting a major weather event that proves to not occur (or not be as severe as predicted), than to incorrectly predict that the weather won’t be threatening, when it turns out to be so. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2017, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/generalisations-memes-you-hate/796795/13 "2017-09-20T18:49:36Z")
I despise crying kids in public places…really just babies , I guess, People do you not know when it’s time for Baby to to eat or nap. Really? Don’t decide to do your weekly shopping at \_\_that\_\_time!! ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2017, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/generalisations-memes-you-hate/796795/14 "2017-09-20T19:21:51Z")
I was actually going to start a thread about the endless follow your dreams, Carpe Diem, You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take, memes that seem to be posted on Facebook by some of the least successful people career wise that I know. I much prefer a very well thought out career path and I understand that in my industry and particularly at my firm that nothing happens quickly and careful career planning is far more important that dreams or positive thinking, ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2017, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/generalisations-memes-you-hate/796795/15 "2017-09-20T21:33:49Z")
I hate “It is easier to seek forgiveness than to ask for permission”. It’s a cute way of saying,“I really don’t give a shit about your permission-if you don’t like what I did that’s all on you”. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Terrific](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tom_terrific/32/342_2.png) [@Tom\_Terrific](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Terrific)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2017, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/generalisations-memes-you-hate/796795/16 "2017-09-20T22:31:57Z")
One I haven’t heard in a long time, thankfully is" that violence doesn’t solve anything." I used to hear that from people who fought in WWII. Another one was that “it takes two to have a fight”. Bullshit. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2017, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/generalisations-memes-you-hate/796795/17 "2017-09-20T23:14:15Z")
Money doesn’t buy happiness. Fuck that meme. ---
**Author:** ![Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hilarity_n.suze/32/6223_2.png) [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilarity_N.Suze)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2017, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/generalisations-memes-you-hate/796795/18 "2017-09-20T23:40:00Z")
I am so so tired of “When you assume you make an ASS out of U and ME.” Goddamnit I said I surmised. Make something out of that. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2017, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/generalisations-memes-you-hate/796795/19 "2017-09-21T00:05:41Z")
The term “hot-air balloon” used to denote any and all balloons capable of carrying human passengers, as if gas balloons had never existed. Even the _New Yorker_ has fallen into this careless error. ---
**Author:** ![anomalous1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e56c9b/32.png) [@anomalous1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anomalous1)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2017, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/generalisations-memes-you-hate/796795/20 "2017-09-21T01:05:30Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > Men as bumbling idiots when it comes to housework, daycare, meals, etc. > > in my 19 years of marriage I was primarily responsible for packing lunches and getting my kids up and on the school bus in the morning. > > Plus, I cleaned bathrooms, vacuumed and did all the outside work. > > I’m very tired of seeing commercials on TV that treat men like idiots, which many often do. THIS! It drives me insane. Same with TV sitcoms, making men out to be impulsive idiots who NEVER think about their actions. In practice, from what i’ve seen, its the exact opposite. Men are calculated and like things done to specification and the right way. :mad: [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/generalisations-memes-you-hate/796795.md?page=2)