Moody Bastard: perhaps under normal circumstances it would be excessively pretentious. But remember, we are talking about the intricacies of pop music here, and that requires pretention. Also, as priceguy said, it related to the obsessive, list-making, culture-observing nature of the book (though I disagree with his prior dismissal of Seinfeld: it is a high point of 20th Century culture, a comedy of manners equal to any of Wilde’s works, and I feel it should not be dismissed simply because of the medium it was made for).
As for the OP, I’d have trouble being interested in someone with any overt prejudice, particularly racial. If we must restrict our discussion to the world of pop culture, though, I’d certainly think less of someone who could not appreciate any hip hop (it is indicative of a closed mind), and though I may not write them off completely I would certainly (perhaps erroneously) endeavour to educate them.
High Fidelity is one of my favorite movies. I’d like to ammend my list. If you dislike High Fidelity you are my sworn, mortal enemy; my archenemy, if you will. Well, OK, maybe not my archenemy but, as another poster put it, it will be an uphill battle trying to find any redeeming qualities about your taste in films or your very reason for existing, for that fact of the matter.
Oh, I’m not dismissing it because of the medium it was made for. I’m dismissing it because it’s no bloody good. Sure, it has its good moments, but so does any other sitcom. There are many of them. And yes, I’ll agree that Seinfeld is one of the best sitcoms out there, but that’s like calling someone the world’s tallest midget. He’s still a midget.
First off are the overly pretentious “superior” types who look down on people who don’t act/think/dress/speak exactly the way they do. They can go sit and spin in their own little worlds, thank you.
Then there’s the “quick to write people off” types, which usually, but not always, coincides with the first group. Yeah, ok, you don’t want to deal with me or someone else because we do X (usually something minor). Fuck you and the ego you rode in on.
Then below that, there’s the massively ignorant, the bigots and racists and the willfully ignorant. I can deal with these people on some levels, but the moment they insist on bludgeoning me with their stupidity, I have to walk away.
++
Then there’s people like me. Damn their hides!
Even worse, the people not like me. Fucking Bastards! They should all be lined up at gunpoint and forced to convert to something a little closer to me.
My one big deal breaker is people who are bullies. I will not be date or be friends with people who use whatever power they have to push other people around, just for the heck of it.
I couldn’t see dating anyone who hunts, although in high school one of my better friends was a hunter.
I don’t like the kind of person that has to one-up you on everything in the conversation. That tunes me out real quick. Like if you relate a story on a fish you caught in Canada, they have to tell you about the bigger one they caught in Alaska.
In my mind there are only 10 types of people: Those that know binary, and those that don’t.
Fans of High Fidelity, like fans of Office Space, are a very particular group of people. If you don’t like High Fidelity or Office Space or Rushmore, I won’t write you off. If you do like–no, love–one or more of the aforementioned movies, it’s a huge plus.
More thoughts:
I can’t understand people who love South Park, but I won’t write them off. Same with folks who love fantasy and sci-fi–I’m okay with them, as long as they don’t talk about it ALL THE TIME.
I would find it difficult to seriously date anyone who listens to Top 40-type stuff or who listens to no music at all, mostly because music is such a big part of my life and I’d like to discuss it with someone.
I would find it difficult to date a smoker, especially as smoke triggers my allergies.
Willful ignorance-spreaders, bigots, and glurge-lovers are intolerable.
About the only thing which will do it is if they annoy me. There are lots of ways to do this, but only a few guaranteed ways to do it.
Try to convince me you have The Truth when I am obviously not interested. In particular do not try to convert me to your religion.
Being incredibly arrogant and convinced of your own superiority.
Control freaks.
Other than this, pretty much anything goes. I’ll occasionally have to steer clear of certain topics of conversation, which is unfortunate, but doesn’t neccesarily rule people out as friends. Athiestic maths geeks, pagan conspiracy theorists, extreme christian fundamentalists, they’re all potential friends. (Note: Based on actual examples. I’m not stereotyping here ). I certainly don’t rule people out on what books / TV shows / whatever they like.
They are almost all power gamers who have trouble role-playing in a setting that doesn’t allow you to mix and match every genre they have heard about. They like to have guns and power armor in medieval settings, magical powers in hard SF settings…at least, the few I have played with.
Women who wear a lot of makeup, or who are afraid to be seen without their makeup.
People whose houses are perfectly neat and decorated and who don’t have any books, mementoes, catalogs, magazines, etc. lying around. It makes me think they’re very shallow and have no interests (because there isn’t any evidence of any).
People who don’t know how to use the Internet and don’t want to learn.
People who have cell phones on their belts or who talk on them while walking down the street.
People who only read romance/sci fi/mystery/other “fluffy” genre novels. Or, for that matter, people who only read what Oprah/their church/some other authority figure recommends.
People who ask me if I have a boyfriend.
People who, after hearing that I don’t have a boyfriend, ask me, “Why not?”
Some of these are undoubtedly nice people…and maybe even intelligent too…but I don’t really want to be around them.
Particularly when a guy treats me as if I know nothing about cars, stereo equipment, small engine repair, or power tools just because I’m a female.
Also, on the same level, women who think I have no business knowing about the aforementioned things because I’m a female. I don’t know where everyone gets the idea that I should spend my spare time fixing my hair, painting my nails, and maxing out charge cards at the mall.
People who say “it’s just a dog” (particularly in reference to my own recently deceased pup) are an instant write-off too. Also in this group are people who ask if I have “replaced” my dog yet. What, like she came from Wal*Mart or something?!
I don’t think this counts as a write-off, but I’m thoroughly sick of dealing with people who don’t understand how changing my major in the beginning of my junior year has added an extra two years to my college education.
I no longer write off people who are apalled when they learn that I enjoy driving my Jeep through mud, but I still don’t understand them.
I’ve had that asked of me, too, and just how the hell is that question supposed to be answered? I think the correct reply would be “Oh, he was run over by a semi-truck on his way home to present me with an engagement ring.” :rolleyes: Really. Could it be because you haven’t met anyone you really want to date, instead of just grabbing the first dude who’s available?
Like many others have said, people that don’t ever read or listen to music. What do they do when they are at home alone? Television is fine and dandy, but not for all the time.
Similarly, people who don’t own a “television machine” and (important corollary) make a big deal out of it. I don’t care if you don’t own a t.v. because of time/money/personal preference, but don’t look down your nose at me like I’m a pig slobbering at the trough of the lowest common denominator. There is a lot of bad television out there, but there are some things worth watching, and when I’ve been studying my ass off all day, I like to be told stories.
People that won’t debate, or won’t admit that there’s a lot about the world we don’t know. Whether they are hardcore scientists or hardcore believers of some religion, I don’t understand people who think that, in this time, in this place, we have sorted most of the world out already. Also, people who don’t understand why the unknown parts are interesting and write it off with “God/Darwin/Shabubu has an explanation.”
There are lots of ways to do this, but only a few guaranteed ways to do it.