Seemingly innocous "Hot Button" topics on the SDMB

In My Humble Opinion
1

And by innocuous, I mean not political, not racial, not sexual, etc. I mean things that you would think a group of intelligent, witty, generally even-keeled posters would be able to discuss without it devolving into a trainwreck.
In the thread about whether people wear shoes in their houses, the subject of hot-button topics on the board was brought up. I’ve witnessed a few of these myself, and am usually just stunned by the ferocity that people can debate seemingly minor topics.

The Shoes on/Shoes off debate has been done before, and fiercely. Someone mentioned the “Which way does your toilet paper hang?” debacle, and I remember a 3 (or maybe more) page GQ thread over pronunciation differences (Do you pronounce “Caught” and “Cot” the same way?)

Another one off the top of my head is “You’ve got another Think/Thing coming” issue. The last time I saw THAT one hashed out, I had to unsubscribe from the thread, people were getting so mindlessly frothy over something so silly.

There are some things that we seem to get really worked up over, when there is no apparent reason not to just shrug it off and accept it as a difference of opinion. I know that there are others…

Anyone have any additional things almost guaranteed to set off a firestorm?

2

Should I get my cat declawed?

3

Ordering milk in a bar. :rolleyes:

Mentioning somebody’s weight.

Having a pet that’s not spayed/neutered.

I could think up a few more, but those ought to be enough for several pages.

4

Circumcision. Hasn’t happened lately, but hoo boy, when it does…

5

Special orders in restaurants. Apparently some people think you should have little if any say in the composition of the food you pay for.

6

Even sillier, “Abusing your cat by allowing it outdoors.”

Anything that discusses weight-loss and implies that there might be possible health disadvantages to being overweight.

7

Tipping
Telemarketers
Circumcision

8

Oh, and, honestly - on a good day, I do actually know how to spell “innocuous”.

Just don’t ask me to spell (or say) Sea Anemonenmoene.

9

Here is a good somewhat recent example

10

Just use the word “fat” in your OP or thread title and watch the trainwreck commence.

11

Yeah but when you see that, you know what’s going to happen. You open it actually expecting a trainwreck. Who opens a thread on toilet paper with the expectations of fur flying and the the wailing and gnashing of teeth?

12

“Who should be added to Mt. Rushmore?”

13

Balrogs and wings! Yay or nay?

14

I was pitted for my comments in a thread about picky eating. Imagine! A nice girl like me!

15

picky eaters vs. regular eaters vs. foodies

16

I see we’re on the same wavelength Jess. Crate training threads don’t usually end well either.

17

<Insert Paul Verhoeven movie here> isn’t a bad movie, it’s just comment on society and really doesn’t mean what you think it does.

18

“You are not a true vegetarian unless you exclude ______.”
“What’s the big deal about letting my dog crap on your lawn? I clean it up.”

“This stupid SUV cut me off”
or
“If I’m going the speed limit in the left lane you should pass me on the right”
or
“Merge lanes exists so that you should merge at the very end of the lane”

19

Oh dear God, the food threads. Specifically, the foodie v picky eaters threads. Hell on toast.

Organic wholemeal toast with sesame seeds and unsalted butter, of course :wink:

20

The .999… == 1 threads always seem to bring out the crazies. Haven’t had one of those in a while, though.