# I hate this product and, **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [November 30, 2005, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-this-product-and/333408 "2005-11-30T17:41:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![Wolfian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/7ea924/32.png) [@Wolfian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolfian)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2005, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-this-product-and/333408/121 "2005-12-03T18:04:52Z")
> [@Ranchoth](#): > > What? That’s not the _American_ way of dealing with adversity—if you can’t do something, you use an _overpowered machine_ to do the job as quickly and violently as possible! They should be grinding the paper-mache bastards to smoking pulp under the wheels of their electric wheelchairs! They could try hooking their little supplemental oxygen lines together into a crude flamethrower to BURN their way to the goods! Best episode of Battle-bots, ever! ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2005, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-this-product-and/333408/122 "2005-12-03T18:17:49Z")
> [@Wolfian](#): > > What can I say? I make a good straight man. 😉 > Er, what? The OP mentioned the “pussification” of Vader. I noted that even the greatest villian in human history (no, not Lex Luthor, though he has a back story too now that I think about it) got a back story to explain why he is the way he is and kinda makes you feel sorry for the guy. That’s not pussification. That’s good storytelling and its’ been happening for thousands of years. Having a guy being evil–okay. Having a guy being evil and understanding why he’s evil and understanding that he’s trapped–classic. > > I then made a reference to “Chasing Amy” with the longing to be a White guy thing. If you have a classic of story of Good VS. Evil than the bad guy is EVIL. Period. End of Discussion. That is how ‘story telling’ works. Now several years ago, (mid 80’s?) I was hanging out with some friends and one of them had a litle boy. He was about 5 I think. Any way we started talking about The Wizard of OZ (the movie) and the little kid protested that > [@](#): > > The witch isn’t wrong, she just doesn’t understand. Then along comes that hack to write the ‘Backstory’ for the wicked witch to really absolve her of her crimes. Like some sort of Holocaust denier. Satan’s backstory is a vain attempt to answere the obvious question of 'Why is thre a Statan?" “Why did God make a Satan?” Oh and Satan’s backstory does nothing to absolve him of his actions. Star Wars prequeal trilogy tries to do just that. What now a prequeal trilogy to explaing how the emperor got to be evil? Do we get to see him as a whiny teen, knock up his girlfriend and smack her around and slaughter children, just because he fell for some rather obvious lies? ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2005, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-this-product-and/333408/123 "2005-12-03T18:19:27Z")
> [@KCSuze](#): > > Heh heh. I thought the same thing. > > “That’s it? I hate this product and here’s a million dollars? Or, I hate this product and here’s a brand new spaceship?” I hate this product and, I hate the people who make the product and I hate the people who demand this product. I dont’ think that would have fit in the title line. ---
**Author:** ![Wolfian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/7ea924/32.png) [@Wolfian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolfian)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2005, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-this-product-and/333408/124 "2005-12-04T00:02:38Z")
> [@Zebra](#): > > If you have a classic of story of Good VS. Evil than the bad guy is EVIL. Period. End of Discussion. That is how ‘story telling’ works. Sez who? I don’t claim to be any sort of English major, far from it, but I am hard pressed to think of any evil character who was evil just because. It seems that you view evil as a force with just as much legitimacy as good, that evil can exist on its own. Most view evil as corrupted good, so it makes sense that people want to hear about falls from grace. Hell, even the evils of mankind got a backstory (forbidden fruit, Pandora’s box, etc.). > [@](#): > > Then along comes that hack to write the ‘Backstory’ for the wicked witch to really absolve her of her crimes. Like some sort of Holocaust denier. Never read that story so I can’t respond to that. Maybe the book did suck. There’s a lot of crap out there. I’ll just roll my eyes at the “Holocaust denier” remark. :rolleyes: There we go. I have high standards for analogies dragging in Nazis, child molestors, and/or rapists, etc. > [@](#): > > Satan’s backstory is a vain attempt to answere the obvious question of 'Why is thre a Statan?" “Why did God make a Satan?” Oh and Satan’s backstory does nothing to absolve him of his actions. Duh. Satan’s an arrogant prick who brought about his own demise. Same with Anakin. The backstory just fleshes out the character. If you ask me one of the most vivid scenes in literature is when we finally see Satan in Dante’s hell. Spoilered for those who wish to be surprised: Satan is weeping! He’s not some emperor sitting on a throne of skulls throwing out empty rectoric, he’s trapped too! He’s both frightening and patethic. But hey, if you want to live in a world of cardboard cut-out inter-changable bland “evil” guys have at it. Jack Chick’s a pretty profilic author. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2005, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-this-product-and/333408/125 "2005-12-04T05:37:40Z")
> [@Zebra](#): > > I hate this product and, I hate the people who make the product and I hate the people who demand this product. > I dont’ think that would have fit in the title line. You might wanna duck… ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2005, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-this-product-and/333408/126 "2005-12-04T06:48:55Z")
You don’t know any characters that are just plain evil? Well, how about the Wicked Witch of the West? How about Dracula. Forget that movie version that give Dracula’s backstory that explains that he is only doing it for love, that’s not in the book. Stephen King has many characters that are just plain evil. Not because mommy didn’t love them enough but just because they were born that way. And if you recall, we don’t need to be afraid of the devil because we need to be afraid of God. Look over your shoulder, Pillar of SALT! You tapped that rock twice when I told you once! NO MILK AND HONEY FOR YOU! \*\*QED \*\* I don’t get it. I also no ‘in’ on the I am a Vampire joke or the I’m pining for you, if that was a joke. ---
**Author:** ![Pixiesnix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/898d66/32.png) [@Pixiesnix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pixiesnix)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2005, 7:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-this-product-and/333408/127 "2005-12-04T07:10:54Z")
Both “I pine for you” and my quotes are from the link **mobo85** provided. Basically, someone sent Strongbad (an internet cartoon character) an e-mail saying, “I am a vampire and” much in the same way you wrote, “I hate this product and” in that same strange, cutoff manner. Strongbad replies thusly: “And what? That’s it? Not I’m a vampire and here’s a million dollars? Or, I’m a vampire and here’s your very own spaceship? What the f… Oh no! They got him! Somebody stuck him with a stake through the heart! Oh, this is so sad! Trevor! I pine for you!” [Link once more](http://www.homestarrunner.com/sbemail10.html) So yep, it was a joke. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2005, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-this-product-and/333408/128 "2005-12-04T17:12:02Z")
> [@KCSuze](#): > > Both “I pine for you” and my quotes are from the link **mobo85** provided. Basically, someone sent Strongbad (an internet cartoon character) an e-mail saying, “I am a vampire and” much in the same way you wrote, “I hate this product and” in that same strange, cutoff manner. Strongbad replies thusly: > > “And what? That’s it? Not I’m a vampire and here’s a million dollars? Or, I’m a vampire and here’s your very own spaceship? What the f… Oh no! They got him! Somebody stuck him with a stake through the heart! Oh, this is so sad! Trevor! I pine for you!” > > [Link once more](http://www.homestarrunner.com/sbemail10.html) > So yep, it was a joke. The first time I went to that link the sound didn’t work and ---
**Author:** ![Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19adc/32.png) [@Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2005, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-this-product-and/333408/129 "2005-12-05T00:16:07Z")
As someone who once made himself a space helmet out of papier maché, I hereby declare that if ever my daughter wants a pinata at her birthday, I will make one. With bells on, and ribbons. And kids will whack at it with broomsticks until it breaks! Then all the kiddies can go visit my sister, who will clean their sugary teeth. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Pixiesnix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/898d66/32.png) [@Pixiesnix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pixiesnix)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2005, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-this-product-and/333408/130 "2005-12-05T06:07:15Z")
> [@](#): > > The first time I went to that link the sound didn’t work and Oh no! They got him! Pinata stick through the heart! RIP **Zebra** ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2005, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-this-product-and/333408/131 "2005-12-05T15:24:59Z")
Thanks for the How to make a spider pinata linkie. I’ve decided for this weekend to make a pinata ( rather than buy one at $20 for an unfilled one…which strangely enough, you can buy a Santa Pinata. Which seems really, really wrong, if you ask me. Beat the guy who brings presents. I’m thinking…of making a chicken pinata. Y’know…beat the chicken… ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2005, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-this-product-and/333408/132 "2005-12-05T21:06:56Z")
> [@Wolfian](#): > > Sez who? I don’t claim to be any sort of English major, far from it, but I am hard pressed to think of any evil character who was evil just because. [ul] [li]Sauron _(Lord of the Rings)_[/li][li]Scylla _(The Odyssey)_[/li][li]The Artful Dodger, Fagin, and Sikes _(Oliver Twist)_[/li][li]Lord Voldemort _(Harry Potter)_–yeah, there’s backstory, but he was a nasty tyke right from the beginning[/li][li]Dracula (as **Zebra** already mentioned)[/li][li]Emperor Ming _(Flash Gordon)_[/li][/ul] That’s just what pops into mind. ---
**Author:** ![akira5822](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/53a042/32.png) [@akira5822](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/akira5822)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2005, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-this-product-and/333408/133 "2005-12-05T23:12:03Z")
> [@Bryan Ekers](#): > > Nobody says pinata anymore. > > The correct term is “Mezo-american Confection Horse”. BAND NAME!!! ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2005, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-this-product-and/333408/134 "2005-12-06T17:20:00Z")
This past September my friend had his annual Pirate Birthday Party ( [link](http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/dan_a_miller/slideshow?.dir=/a72a&.src=ph) ), so as a joke, somebody gave him one of those store-bought pinatas that was shaped like a pirate. Well we had about 20 kids in the backyard and about 80 adults, so we set it up. Damned thing would not break, so Captain-Birthday-Boy (who’s had more than his share of grog by this time) gives this little girl his rather sharp naval cutlass, the fun was me and my friend with our swords out, so that if she swung wide I could gently deflect the blade, trying to keep her from whacking someone across the skull with a sword and at the same time try to keep the little tykes from crowding foreward into the whirling web of razor-sharp steel she wove while being FRICKIN BLINDFOLDED!!! This all happened so fast that my screaming at the top of my lungs that this was a bad idea was drowned out by the yelling and cheering of the crowd, the music of the band an the squeels of excitement from the little tots. I was really pissed that some jerk decided that he’d grab the rope and start pulling the pinata up and down while a child who was wearing a blindfold was swinging a NAVAL CUTLASS!!! ( [one of these](http://budk.com/product.asp?pn=SZ60&bhcd2=1133889239) ) I thought “Mother of God, doesn’t anyone see the potential horror?” Pity he wasn’t hit in the crotch, that would have made a great video. ---
**Author:** ![Homebrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Homebrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Homebrew)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2005, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-this-product-and/333408/135 "2005-12-06T17:24:26Z")
Just remember, swords don’t kill people … ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2005, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-this-product-and/333408/136 "2005-12-07T05:06:00Z")
How did that not end in an emergency room? ---
**Author:** ![Kiminy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Kiminy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kiminy)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2005, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-this-product-and/333408/137 "2005-12-07T05:38:16Z")
When our daughter turned five (in 1996), she was _really_ into Star Wars. We had all three movies, and she LOVED Darth Vader as her favorite character. (She also liked all the Disney villains…) She asked that her birthday party have a Star Wars theme. I made a cake, decorated it with black icing with small white icing dots (to represent stars), and put a model of the Millenium Falcon on the cake. I was a SAHM mom then, with a subscription to Family Crafts (or something similar), which happened to run an article on homemade pinatas a month or so before her party. Essentially, you blew up a balloon, then applied papier maché around the balloon for the pinata. After the papier maché was dried, you cut a hole through the layers of paper, popping the balloon, so that you could insert the candy and toys. The hole was then taped shut. We did this, but designed the pinata as Darth Vader’s head. It turned out to look _really_ cool!!, and it was perfect next to the Millenium Falcon cake. However, we were living in an apartment complex with no trees at the time. We had held previous b’day parties at parks, reserving picnic shelters that had good places to hang pinatas from, but this time around, we had no shelters. In addition, the papier maché technique made the pinata almost as hard as a rock, meaning that it would take several good whacks to open it. Our solution–We took all of the kids out to the communal yard area behind the apartments, and I told them to form a circle. I then rolled the Darth Vader head into the center of the circle, and told them to kick it around like a soccer ball. They had a _great_ time with it, even with a few bruised shins in the process. When our daughter’s next birthday rolled around, she was on a soccer team. We happened to find a pre-made pinata shaped like a soccer ball, which was even better for kicking around instead of whacking to open. ---
**Author:** ![Padeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@Padeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Padeye)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2005, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-this-product-and/333408/138 "2005-12-09T11:47:16Z")
> [@Pedro](#): > > Yes. I don’t understand… they say you’re not allowed to have pinatas that look like real people, but in Mexico, we do it all the time. Where’s the fun in a non-violent pinata? ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2005, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-this-product-and/333408/139 "2005-12-09T13:31:41Z")
In Soviet Union, pinatas hit _you!_ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-this-product-and/333408.md?page=6)