# Once more I waste my time trying to read "The Lord of the Rings" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 27, 2010, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-more-i-waste-my-time-trying-to-read-the-lord-of-the-rings/565516 "2010-12-27T14:53:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Enderw24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba9def/32.png) [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2010, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-more-i-waste-my-time-trying-to-read-the-lord-of-the-rings/565516/41 "2010-12-28T15:51:11Z")
> [@don\_t\_ask](#): > > You realize that when you edit my emails the red ink pen will fuck up your monitor? It’s cool. When I’m done, I’ll just white it out. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2010, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-more-i-waste-my-time-trying-to-read-the-lord-of-the-rings/565516/42 "2010-12-28T16:04:06Z")
> [@don\_t\_ask](#): > > I am happy to be the butt of jokes about an unpopular opinion but why do people feel the need to treat it as more than that? Because your OP didn’t set forth something that can be fairly described as nothing more than an unpopular opinion. You specifically picked on a turn of phrase and criticized it in a way that most readers find to be an unfair criticism. The meat of your post also established that you had formed an opinion based on not reading the book and therefore never getting to the actual weaknesses that even a fan of the work would be willing to concede. It’s not a good way to get into a reasonable discussion on literary terms. And you were also aggressively obnoxious about how you went about stating your opinion. What’s surprising is that you expected to engage in friendly banter by calling the author a “wanker.” I see your Australian, so it might be a cultural thing. Among Americans you generally have to get the good will of your audience _before_ you try using insulting words in a friendly way. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2010, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-more-i-waste-my-time-trying-to-read-the-lord-of-the-rings/565516/43 "2010-12-28T16:06:25Z")
> [@Enderw24](#): > > It’s cool. When I’m done, I’ll just white it out. :smack: Sorry, I wasn’t thinking. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2010, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-more-i-waste-my-time-trying-to-read-the-lord-of-the-rings/565516/44 "2010-12-28T16:22:14Z")
> [@acsenray](#): > > Because your OP didn’t set forth something that can be fairly described as nothing more than an unpopular opinion. You specifically picked on a turn of phrase and criticized it in a way that most readers find to be an unfair criticism. > > The meat of your post also established that you had formed an opinion based on not reading the book and therefore never getting to the actual weaknesses that even a fan of the work would be willing to concede. It’s not a good way to get into a reasonable discussion on literary terms. > > And you were also aggressively obnoxious about how you went about stating your opinion. What’s surprising is that you expected to engage in friendly banter by calling the author a “wanker.” I see your Australian, so it might be a cultural thing. Among Americans you generally have to get the good will of your audience _before_ you try using insulting words in a friendly way. I guess in a way you are right, it is a cultural thing. No Australian would take seriously a criticism of a 600 page novel based on someone’s assessment of the first 16 words. Nor would they be dull enough to imagine that a review of the work by someone who admittedly hadn’t read it, had any merit whatsoever. They would realize instantly that it is a pisstake. My sincere apologies. However, having **Enderw24** vet all my future OPs should prevent any future disasters. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2010, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-more-i-waste-my-time-trying-to-read-the-lord-of-the-rings/565516/45 "2010-12-28T16:38:12Z")
> [@don\_t\_ask](#): > > I guess in a way you are right, it is a cultural thing. No Australian would take seriously a criticism of a 600 page novel based on someone’s assessment of the first 16 words. Nor would they be dull enough to imagine that a review of the work by someone who admittedly hadn’t read it, had any merit whatsoever. I think you just called us “dull.” > [@](#): > > They would realize instantly that it is a pisstake. There are plenty of people who would post an OP like yours and sincerely mean every word of it. How are we to know which one you are? Unless you offer some indication that you’re joking, it’s just as likely that you aren’t joking. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2010, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-more-i-waste-my-time-trying-to-read-the-lord-of-the-rings/565516/46 "2010-12-28T16:51:14Z")
> [@acsenray](#): > > There are plenty of people who would post an OP like yours and sincerely mean every word of it. How are we to know which one you are? Unless you offer some indication that you’re joking, it’s just as likely that you aren’t joking. Seriously? There are people that would post a review of a book based on the first 16 words and you would accept them at face value. Even assuming they really meant it why would you bother to engage them? They have read one line and posted an opinion that you feel the need to correct. Why, they don’t know anything. If, alternatively, you think it is nothing more than a joke can’t you just engage in some banter? Just as you would if someone made a similar comment at a dinner party. But anyway as you say, you have a choice how you take other people’s posts. You can assume they are assholes or assume they are making conversation, having a joke. Personally I favor the latter. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2010, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-more-i-waste-my-time-trying-to-read-the-lord-of-the-rings/565516/47 "2010-12-28T16:57:09Z")
My SHUUUUUNN! comment was meant as a joke…my reaction to your OP (which I did take as serious) was basically “Meh…he doesn’t like it. No big deal.” ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2010, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-more-i-waste-my-time-trying-to-read-the-lord-of-the-rings/565516/48 "2010-12-28T17:02:49Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > My SHUUUUUNN! comment was meant as a joke…my reaction to your OP (which I did take as serious) was basically “Meh…he doesn’t like it. No big deal.” Yeah but your posts made me laugh. Even the second one you got the joke. That’s the whole point. Why do people feel the need to correct other people? Surely people don’t act like such enormous dickheads in real life? ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2010, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-more-i-waste-my-time-trying-to-read-the-lord-of-the-rings/565516/49 "2010-12-28T17:09:25Z")
> [@don\_t\_ask](#): > > Even the second one you got the joke. Yeah, I actually thought that was a really clever way to do a “Ha-ha! Got you!” Kudos on that. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2010, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-more-i-waste-my-time-trying-to-read-the-lord-of-the-rings/565516/50 "2010-12-28T17:10:16Z")
> [@don\_t\_ask](#): > > Surely people don’t act like such enormous dickheads in real life? There is more in heaven and earth than is dreamt of in your philosophy. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2010, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-more-i-waste-my-time-trying-to-read-the-lord-of-the-rings/565516/51 "2010-12-28T17:15:17Z")
This has gone seriously off-track. If y’all want to impugn each other personally, pls. go do it in the Pit. **twickster** , Cafe Society moderator [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-more-i-waste-my-time-trying-to-read-the-lord-of-the-rings/565516.md?page=2)