# More proof that LOTR fanboys have no grasp on reality **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [August 28, 2002, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-proof-that-lotr-fanboys-have-no-grasp-on-reality/125969 "2002-08-28T18:52:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Kang\_and\_Kodos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8baadc/32.png) [@Kang\_and\_Kodos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kang_and_Kodos)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2002, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-proof-that-lotr-fanboys-have-no-grasp-on-reality/125969/1 "2002-08-28T18:52:55Z")
[http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2002391873,00.html](http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2002391873,00.html) From the bottom of my heart, suck my dick. If you utter geeks spent one-tenth the time doing charity work as you did skewing online movie polls, the world would be a much better place. Now kindly fuck off and die. ---
**Author:** ![Avalonian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ee7513/32.png) [@Avalonian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Avalonian)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2002, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-proof-that-lotr-fanboys-have-no-grasp-on-reality/125969/2 "2002-08-28T19:04:30Z")
Hmm, I don’t get it. Is your problem that _Lord of the Rings_ was voted the favorite film soundtrack of all time? Or is it that people shouldn’t have voted in an online poll? Did one of your favorites lose to Shore’s music for LOTR? Gosh, I’m sorry. :rolleyes: Pretty lame rant when the object of it is left vague. For what it’s worth, I agree with the poll’s results, at least to the extent that some of my personal favorite scores (Thomas Newman’s _Shawshank Redemption_, Hans Zimmer’s _Black Rain_, James Horner’s _Sneakers_, etc.) would never make such a list. For films and scores with the popular appeal of _Star Wars_, _Harry Potter_, or LOTR, Howard Shore’s _Fellowship of the Ring_ score takes the big enchilada home in my book. ---
**Author:** ![Wolfian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/7ea924/32.png) [@Wolfian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolfian)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2002, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-proof-that-lotr-fanboys-have-no-grasp-on-reality/125969/3 "2002-08-28T19:13:05Z")
Take a deep calming breath. In. Out. In. Out. Good. Relax. Its’ just a second rate poll in a third rate rag which makes “The Onion” look like “The Boston Globe.” Feel better? Good. One quick thing: Why are you picking on “Lord of the Rings” fans? If anything this poll shows that people have short memories and tend to go with popular things. “Titanic” is on the list, but “Fiddler on the Roof” isn’t. “2001” is on the list, but “A Clockwork Orange” with its’ dark techno tracks isn’t. If anything, you should ask a mod to close this thread before you get flamed into the next county and restart a “WTF? What were people thinking?” thread in Café Society about how skewed to the present and popular this list is. ---
**Author:** ![Drastic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Drastic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drastic)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2002, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-proof-that-lotr-fanboys-have-no-grasp-on-reality/125969/4 "2002-08-28T19:38:05Z")
Plus, they probably have access to chunks of wood with rusty nails in them, so you’d probably better be careful. ---
**Author:** ![andros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e480ec/32.png) [@andros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andros)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2002, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-proof-that-lotr-fanboys-have-no-grasp-on-reality/125969/5 "2002-08-28T20:23:14Z")
> [@](#): > > If you utter geeks spent one-tenth the time doing charity work as you did skewing online movie polls, the world would be a much better place. > > Now kindly fuck off and die. And if you got the fuck away from your computer and your Simpsons, and quit fucking worrying about what other people are doing, you might make the world a better place too. Fuck off your own self, dumbass. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2002, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-proof-that-lotr-fanboys-have-no-grasp-on-reality/125969/6 "2002-08-28T20:33:06Z")
Which shows a looser grasp on reality: taking part in a meaningless newspaper opinion poll, or blowing a gasket when the results don’t perfectly reflect your own, personal opinion? ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2002, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-proof-that-lotr-fanboys-have-no-grasp-on-reality/125969/7 "2002-08-28T20:46:40Z")
> [@](#): > > And if you got the fuck away from your computer and your Simpsons, and quit fucking worrying about what other people are doing, you might make the world a better place too. Besides, in a perfect world, [Britanny’s movie](http://us.imdb.com/Title?0275022) would have won the vote hands down 😉 ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2002, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-proof-that-lotr-fanboys-have-no-grasp-on-reality/125969/8 "2002-08-28T21:20:03Z")
Shit, I was pulling for Queen of the Damned ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2002, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-proof-that-lotr-fanboys-have-no-grasp-on-reality/125969/9 "2002-08-28T21:20:51Z")
Geez. Oh geez, I’m watching them scroll past. _Schindler’s List_ had a soundtrack? And look at all the other movies that I dint even know _had_ soundtracks, much less have them pop into my mind when some poll maven asks me, “What’s your favorite movie soundtrack?” Harry Potter? Jurassic Park? The Mask of Fucking Zorro?? Hanh? > [@](#): > > Canadian Mr Shore — who picked up an Oscar for Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring — is now working on the theme for the sequel. That oughta take him about five minutes… I agree with the OP: There’s something deeply wrong here, but I don’t think it’s fair to blame LOTR Fanboys. I think Saddam Hussein is behind it, which is why we need to bomb the crap out of Baghdad RIGHT NOW, to prevent any more tragedies of this nature from taking place. If we don’t bomb Iraq back into the Stone Age by Halloween, then they might–horrors!–vote the Britney Movie into first place next time. We owe it to the children of America not to let there be…a “next time”. But golly, K & K, who ARE these people, these Sun-Online people, that you have unearthed and so generously brought to Our attention? One pic-a-choor of large-breasted blonde (with clothes on, as it is England, of course). [http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2002391927,00.html](http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2002391927,00.html) And one pic-a-choor of large-pec’d male-type person, with HUMONGOUS monkey wrench, and if you don’t like the Plumber, there’s a larger (!) selection on the right. [http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2001290023-2002371274,00.html](http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2001290023-2002371274,00.html) I like the Bib Overhalls and Saw, myself. And, cast your vote for Britain’s Best Crop Circle. [http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,5-2002392050,00.html](http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,5-2002392050,00.html) I am now adding this to my Favorites folder. Hmm–should it go under “Amusements” or “Mom’s WEIRD Stuff”? ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2002, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-proof-that-lotr-fanboys-have-no-grasp-on-reality/125969/10 "2002-08-28T21:29:46Z")
In all fairness the Lord of the Rings soundtrack was so derivative and banal that it had the ability to detract from an excellent movie. Erek ---
**Author:** ![CrazyCatLady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@CrazyCatLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrazyCatLady)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2002, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-proof-that-lotr-fanboys-have-no-grasp-on-reality/125969/11 "2002-08-29T14:51:09Z")
In all fairness, **Kang and Kodos** , if you spent a fraction of the energy you’ve wasted not only reading the poll, but then getting bent out of shape over it, doing charity work, the world would be a better place, too. I don’t really remember the soundrack for LOTR, but then background music has never really stuck with me all that well. That’s probably why I don’t buy soundtracks or read polls about soundtracks. ---
**Author:** ![Space\_Vampire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Space\_Vampire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Space_Vampire)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2002, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-proof-that-lotr-fanboys-have-no-grasp-on-reality/125969/12 "2002-08-29T15:04:48Z")
Since everybody’s piling on I feel I should say that I had the same “fuckin’ geeks” reaction when I saw the poll. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2002, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-proof-that-lotr-fanboys-have-no-grasp-on-reality/125969/13 "2002-08-29T15:29:41Z")
Look, I don’t agree with the results either, but why is anyone surprised? There are certain books and films that attract passionate, hard-core audiences (J.R.R. Tolkien’s and Ayn Rand’s for instance). And when a non-scientific survey is taken, asking people their favorite book or favorite film, it’s a safe bet that devotees of those books or movies are going to jam the phone lines (or web sites, or mail boxes, however the vote is being taken). ANY time a web site or newspaper says, “Tell us your favorite book,” you can bet that “Lord of the Rings” will be neck-and-neck with “Atlas Shrugged” and “The Fountainhead.” That’s just a fact. Heck, last year, I KNEW that LOTR would win the MTV movie award, because Tolkien’s fans are ardent and rabid enough to phone in votes for LOTR repeatedly. Does that really eat at me? Am I enraged that Tolkien buffs flooded the phone lines and stuffed the ballot box, so to speak? Nah! (Not NEARLY as mad as they are that LOTR didn’t win any major Oscars last year!) That would be like getting mad when Tiger Beat magazine names O Town or N Sync the best band in the world. What do you expect from that audience? ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2002, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-proof-that-lotr-fanboys-have-no-grasp-on-reality/125969/14 "2002-08-29T16:24:41Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Duck Duck Goose \* > \*\*One pic-a-choor of large-breasted blonde (with clothes on, as it is England, of course). > [http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2002391927,00.html](http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2002391927,00.html) \*\* My immediate thought: “Click pic to enlarge”? :eek: How much bigger can she get? ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2002, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-proof-that-lotr-fanboys-have-no-grasp-on-reality/125969/15 "2002-08-29T16:39:58Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Jeff Olsen \* > My immediate thought: “Click pic to enlarge”? :eek: How much bigger can she get? They’re big enough, they should have their own names! So, what should they be? Thelma and Louise? Betty and Veronica? The Gold Dust Twins? Let’s have a little help, here! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Medea\_s\_Child](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8baadc/32.png) [@Medea\_s\_Child](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Medea_s_Child)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2002, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-proof-that-lotr-fanboys-have-no-grasp-on-reality/125969/16 "2002-08-29T16:41:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Duck Duck Goose \* > \*\*Geez. Oh geez, I’m watching them scroll past. _Schindler’s List_ had a soundtrack? \*\* Yes, actually, and its really, really pretty. I only know this because my voice teacher had me sing the violin part to it (on vowel sounds) as a way to practice emoting and changing notes gracefully. If you can hunt down a copy of it its well worth the listen. If you like nice orchestral stuff, anyway. Harry Potter soundtrack has its merits as well. The movie is fluffy, but the music has some serious backbone. At least that’s what I tell myself when I find myself humming the main theme. ---
**Author:** ![Raygun99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Raygun99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raygun99)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2002, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-proof-that-lotr-fanboys-have-no-grasp-on-reality/125969/17 "2002-08-29T16:57:51Z")
Reading the responses here, I’m wondering if all the people blowing gaskets are actually familiar with film scores. The vast majority of the ones on the list of 30 well deserve their recognition. Are people confusing ‘soundtrack’ with ‘mish mash of loosely connected pop hits, a la Batman Forever’? There’s a couple in there I haven’t heard but as a film score enthusiast, when the list scrolls down there’s nothing that sticks out as ‘How the Hell did that get on there?’ Now, I certainly wouldn’t put LOTR on the top of my own list (and the omission of Last of the Mohicans is a black spot on it) but I’m certainly not surprised at it placement; it’s good, it’s popular (of course those are two different things), it’s recent and won the Oscar. Are people not familiar with the nature of online polls? DDG, I’m curious as to your reasoning behind the films you singled out for surprise. Have you listened to the scores for Schindler’s List, Jurassic Park or Mask of Zorro? All are terrific. Is there some kind of “well I don’t think Zorro is an important enough movie” bias going on there? ---
**Author:** ![andros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e480ec/32.png) [@andros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andros)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2002, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-proof-that-lotr-fanboys-have-no-grasp-on-reality/125969/18 "2002-08-29T17:16:27Z")
> [@](#): > > They’re big enough, they should have their own names! > > So, what should they be? Howsabout Manny and Moe . . . 'cos to move them anywhere you’d need a Jack. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2002, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-proof-that-lotr-fanboys-have-no-grasp-on-reality/125969/19 "2002-08-29T17:18:29Z")
**Duck** , I know you didn’t mean to piss anyone off with your post, but you pissed me off. Par for the course for the Pit. Keep in mind that since I studied film scoring, I tend to pay more attention to scores than most people. So it cheeses my enchilada when people make comments like… > [@](#): > > Schindler’s List had a soundtrack? Um… Er… Uh… I’m speechless. Yeah, there was a little soundtrack there. Just a wee bit of one. Featuring a little known fiddle player named Isaac Stern. > [@](#): > > And look at all the other movies that I dint even know _had_ soundtracks Nature of the beast, unfortunately. The best scores often go unnoticed. Which makes the amount of work that goes into it very underappreciated. > [@](#): > > That oughta take him about five minutes… You don’t know a hell of a lot about the craft, do you? As far as the OP goes, I think LotR was an OK score, but listen to Shore’s score for The Fly. Much more powerful. Other favorites you’ve never heard: Twilight Zone: The Movie Star Trek II The Boys from Brazil North by Northwest Psycho Witness Unbreakable The Sixth Sense and of course the incomperable Citizen Kane ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2002, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-proof-that-lotr-fanboys-have-no-grasp-on-reality/125969/20 "2002-08-29T17:24:16Z")
Bravo, **Raygun**. You said everything I failed to in my post. I think far too many people confuse the score with the film. If Jurassic Park sucked, then the score must have sucked also. If the film was great (or popular), the score must be good, too. Not so. I also wonder how many people actually think that people like James Horner write songs for Celine “barf” Dion. And judge a score based on that. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-proof-that-lotr-fanboys-have-no-grasp-on-reality/125969.md?page=2)