Great moments in SDMB pretension:
:rolleyes:
[QUOTE=Grits and Hard Toast]
Well, I guess since he really wasn’t intending to call anyone, just wanted to act like he was, he didn’t need a dial tone, so didn’t notice there wasn’t one.
QUOTE]
Or he figured that nobody else would be smart enough to figure out that the phone wasn’t working, since nobody else had a B.A.in Business. 
I was in Amsterdam and was getting a continental breakfast in the hotel. There was a greeter there. Behind me was some guy who I didn’t recognize who was going for the cool rockstar look. Hey, he might have been one, who knows?
Anyway, the greeter greets him with a very polite “how are you this morning”? and the guy replies “not well enough to speak to the likes of you” and walked by. I was hoping the guy would say something to me so I could practice my biting wit but of course, he was far to important to notice me either.
[QUOTE=Axxon2wire]
I was in Amsterdam and was getting a continental breakfast in the hotel. There was a greeter there. Behind me was some guy who I didn’t recognize who was going for the cool rockstar look. Hey, he might have been one, who knows?
Anyway, the greeter greets him with a very polite “how are you this morning”? and the guy replies “not well enough to speak to the likes of you” and walked by. I was hoping the guy would say something to me so I could practice my biting wit but of course, he was far to important to notice me either.
[/QUOTE]
That’s not pretentious. That’s just rude.
The jerk in this story would have been pretentious if his response to a “good morning” from the low-level hotel staff had been to make a big fuss about how hard it was to travel with the band. I mean, all the groupies you have to get rid of, the countless hours of massive tedium signing autographs. And managing your money! I mean, after you’ve bought your sixth gold-plated Mercedes, what are you supposed to do with all that stuff?
[QUOTE=Scribble]
That’s not pretentious. That’s just rude.
The jerk in this story would have been pretentious if his response to a “good morning” from the low-level hotel staff had been to make a big fuss about how hard it was to travel with the band. I mean, all the groupies you have to get rid of, the countless hours of massive tedium signing autographs. And managing your money! I mean, after you’ve bought your sixth gold-plated Mercedes, what are you supposed to do with all that stuff?
[/QUOTE]
Maybe but …
It seemed to be his act fell under b: since he didn’t exactly say it in a way that sounded like he was shooting for rude. He said it in a way that implied that he was simply too important to be talking to the hired help.
Also, his look and mannerisms helped form my opinion.
[QUOTE=M. Meursault]
I was at a Starbucks with my girlfriend. Asked for a coffee for me, and a cream-cheese danish for her.
Barista: What? What’s a Dane-ish?
Me: Huh? A danish?
Barista: OH! You mean DON-ISH!
Me: No, I’ll have a dane-ish.
Barista: No, it’s pronounced don-ish…
[/QUOTE]
Nobody’s recognized the pretension of the term “barista” in this thread?
They pour coffee. Sure, they might mix some crap in with it, but they’re just one very small step above slinging hamburgers at McDonalds.
[QUOTE=Turek]
Nobody’s recognized the pretension of the term “barista” in this thread?
They pour coffee. Sure, they might mix some crap in with it, but they’re just one very small step above slinging hamburgers at McDonalds.
[/QUOTE]
No. No, they’re not. A talented barista is able to pull espresso so it’s not bitter, has just enough crema and tastes as good as it can, while knowing the proper way to prepare each espresso drink. An espresso drink is NOT the same as pouring coffee. I’ve never even been a barista and I am sick to death of people downplaying the skill involved to do the job well.
[QUOTE=Waverly]
Which of you two has been to traditional Chinese dinners, in China, and has been advised on the customs by member of Chinsese society. Show of hands?
[/QUOTE]
I gotta say, no offense intended to Waverly, but I initially thought this was a thread-appropriate joke.
[QUOTE=jjimm]
Or a certain William Luitz that I went to school with, who was at a party I attended in the '80s, posing around drinking a trendy American beer out of a bottle with a trendy coozie. Except he forgot to lock the bathroom door, and I accidentally walked in on him decanting bargain basement British lager into his American bottle…
[/QUOTE]
Buh? He thought drinking American beer would impress people?
[QUOTE=Rilchiam]
Buh? He thought drinking American beer would impress people?
[/QUOTE]
(jjim’s from England, consider the snobbishness reversed. Like driving on the other side of the road. 
)
No, I know he’s from the UK (although I thought he was Irish). But I thought people from the UK, and people from Europe for that matter, scoffed at American beer.
[QUOTE=zweisamkeit]
No. No, they’re not. A talented barista is able to pull espresso so it’s not bitter, has just enough crema and tastes as good as it can, while knowing the proper way to prepare each espresso drink. An espresso drink is NOT the same as pouring coffee. I’ve never even been a barista and I am sick to death of people downplaying the skill involved to do the job well.
[/QUOTE]
Gimme a break. The espresso machines are automatic.
I have been a barista, long before the advent of Starbucks, and long before anybody thought of calling me a “barista” instead of a “girl who worked at an espresso bar.” Yes, doing it well does take a bit of skill, but for the most part, it’s pretty easy.
[QUOTE=Hypno-Toad]
The antidote to this was the frat boy who came in and asked, “Dude, which wine will get me the biggest buzz for the money?” So I directed him to the box of “red flavored” wine of the bottom shelf. Even I knew that.
[/QUOTE]
What’s wrong with that? Man knows what he wants. He’s putting on no airs- he wants to be stone drunk, and wants to do that cheap, and is willing to admit that he doesn’t know a darn thing about wine.
[QUOTE=appleciders]
What’s wrong with that? Man knows what he wants. He’s putting on no airs- he wants to be stone drunk, and wants to do that cheap, and is willing to admit that he doesn’t know a darn thing about wine.
[/QUOTE]
Nothing’s wrong with that. I think that was the poster’s point. The antithesis of pretension.
[QUOTE=Rilchiam]
No, I know he’s from the UK (although I thought he was Irish). But I thought people from the UK, and people from Europe for that matter, scoffed at American beer.
[/QUOTE]
I am English - I was living in Ireland for about a decade but have now come back. Back in the 80s, we didn’t see many American beers over here. Bud was known to be a bit pissy, though even now there’s still a market for it, but Coors and Schlitz and “rare” stuff were achingly fashionable.
[QUOTE=jjimm]
Bud was known to be a bit pissy, though even now there’s still a market for it, but Coors and Schlitz and “rare” stuff were achingly fashionable.
[/QUOTE]
There’s no way I can address this without coming across as incredibly pretentious myself. :smack: 
I guess the best way to put it is to compare it to the fact that the best-known and best-selling British beers in America are probably Bass and Newcastle.
[QUOTE=Merkwurdigliebe]
A faux-punk, hipster wearing the economist as an accessory in a desperate effort to appear a bit more deep. Or maybe just as a signal saying, “Hey I’m smart! That’s reason enough to give me more consideration than the next guy!”
[/QUOTE]
Huh. Round here you see shitloads of people reading The Economist, and it doesn’t signify anything other than:
-Our newspapers are shit
-Reading a news magazine once a week is a hell of a lot easier than wading through a newspaper every day.
So unless he’s trying to come across as lazy or a picky reader, he wouldn’t do well in London
[QUOTE=OneCentStamp]
I guess the best way to put it is to compare it to the fact that the best-known and best-selling British beers in America are probably Bass and Newcastle.
[/QUOTE]
Whats wrong with Newcastle Brown Ale? But yes, I remember when Michelob was ‘the’ beer to drink for a while. Funky shape bottle, twist-off cap, gold foil, bit unusual but not hard to find - everything a beer needs
[QUOTE=Missy2U]
We have this one guy who has been hanging at our dive bar for some time now. He has no problem sitting on a bar stool, talking on his cellphone and saying stuff like, “yeah, put the ten g’s in escrow today if you want me to facilitate this deal” and basically being a self important fuckstick.
Dude, you work for your dad! You LIVE WITH YOUR DAD! You’re 50 years old! We ain’t BUYIN’ IT! We all KNOW BETTER!
[/QUOTE]
If you’re 50 and working for/living with your dad, you’re pretentious hanging anywhere. Go home, drink some hot Postum and tend to your stamp collection.
When I was 15 (and small for my age), I was asked to give a chess simultaneous display to the public.
There were several high-ranked players like myself, taking turns.
So at one point one player signalled to me to take over.
I came forward and said to the queue “excuse me, please”.
The chap at the front frowned at me. “I” he said proudly, “am waiting to take part in this chess display”.
“Fine” I replied, “I’m giving it!” 
[QUOTE=OneCentStamp]
There’s no way I can address this without coming across as incredibly pretentious myself. :smack:
I guess the best way to put it is to compare it to the fact that the best-known and best-selling British beers in America are probably Bass and Newcastle.
[/QUOTE]
But isn’t that just a function of availability, not quality?