# Seemingly innocous "Hot Button" topics on the SDMB **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 5, 2005, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seemingly-innocous-hot-button-topics-on-the-sdmb/302577 "2005-05-05T19:11:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tellmei_mnotcrazy/32/3419_2.png) [@TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TellMeI_mNotCrazy)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2005, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seemingly-innocous-hot-button-topics-on-the-sdmb/302577/1 "2005-05-05T19:11:48Z")
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? ---
**Author:** ![UrbanChic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9dc877/32.png) [@UrbanChic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UrbanChic)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2005, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seemingly-innocous-hot-button-topics-on-the-sdmb/302577/2 "2005-05-05T19:14:59Z")
Should I get my cat declawed? ---
**Author:** ![Duke\_of\_Rat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Duke\_of\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke_of_Rat)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2005, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seemingly-innocous-hot-button-topics-on-the-sdmb/302577/3 "2005-05-05T19:16:29Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2005, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seemingly-innocous-hot-button-topics-on-the-sdmb/302577/4 "2005-05-05T19:17:19Z")
Circumcision. Hasn’t happened lately, but hoo boy, when it does… ---
**Author:** ![belladonna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9fc29f/32.png) [@belladonna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/belladonna)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2005, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seemingly-innocous-hot-button-topics-on-the-sdmb/302577/5 "2005-05-05T19:20:22Z")
Special orders in restaurants. Apparently some people think you should have little if any say in the composition of the food you pay for. ---
**Author:** ![tremorviolet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47774/32.png) [@tremorviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tremorviolet)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2005, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seemingly-innocous-hot-button-topics-on-the-sdmb/302577/6 "2005-05-05T19:21:37Z")
> [@UrbanChic](#): > > Should I get my cat declawed? 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. ---
**Author:** ![Honey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honey/32/5074_2.png) [@Honey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Honey)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2005, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seemingly-innocous-hot-button-topics-on-the-sdmb/302577/7 "2005-05-05T19:21:53Z")
Tipping Telemarketers Circumcision ---
**Author:** ![TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tellmei_mnotcrazy/32/3419_2.png) [@TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TellMeI_mNotCrazy)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2005, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seemingly-innocous-hot-button-topics-on-the-sdmb/302577/8 "2005-05-05T19:22:26Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![askeptic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb9ed0/32.png) [@askeptic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/askeptic)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2005, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seemingly-innocous-hot-button-topics-on-the-sdmb/302577/9 "2005-05-05T19:22:27Z")
Here is a good somewhat recent [example](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=313738) ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Ashtar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@Lord\_Ashtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Ashtar)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2005, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seemingly-innocous-hot-button-topics-on-the-sdmb/302577/10 "2005-05-05T19:41:51Z")
Just use the word “fat” in your OP or thread title and watch the trainwreck commence. ---
**Author:** ![TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tellmei_mnotcrazy/32/3419_2.png) [@TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TellMeI_mNotCrazy)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2005, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seemingly-innocous-hot-button-topics-on-the-sdmb/302577/11 "2005-05-05T19:54:19Z")
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? ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2005, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seemingly-innocous-hot-button-topics-on-the-sdmb/302577/12 "2005-05-05T19:57:41Z")
“Who should be added to Mt. Rushmore?” ---
**Author:** ![Queen\_Bruin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Queen\_Bruin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queen_Bruin)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2005, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seemingly-innocous-hot-button-topics-on-the-sdmb/302577/13 "2005-05-05T19:58:06Z")
Balrogs and wings! Yay or nay? ---
**Author:** ![SkeptiJess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea666f/32.png) [@SkeptiJess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SkeptiJess)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2005, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seemingly-innocous-hot-button-topics-on-the-sdmb/302577/14 "2005-05-05T19:58:48Z")
I was [pitted](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=302338) for my comments in a [thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=5838390) about picky eating. Imagine! A nice girl like me! ---
**Author:** ![Omega\_Glory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/7c8e57/32.png) [@Omega\_Glory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omega_Glory)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2005, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seemingly-innocous-hot-button-topics-on-the-sdmb/302577/15 "2005-05-05T19:59:45Z")
picky eaters vs. regular eaters vs. foodies ---
**Author:** ![Omega\_Glory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/7c8e57/32.png) [@Omega\_Glory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omega_Glory)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2005, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seemingly-innocous-hot-button-topics-on-the-sdmb/302577/16 "2005-05-05T20:01:33Z")
I see we’re on the same wavelength **Jess**. Crate training threads don’t usually end well either. ---
**Author:** ![kidchameleon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/898d66/32.png) [@kidchameleon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kidchameleon)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2005, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seemingly-innocous-hot-button-topics-on-the-sdmb/302577/17 "2005-05-05T20:18:04Z")
\ isn’t a bad movie, it’s just comment on society and really doesn’t mean what you think it does. ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2005, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seemingly-innocous-hot-button-topics-on-the-sdmb/302577/18 "2005-05-05T20:23:35Z")
“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” ---
**Author:** ![Jennyrosity](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/2bfe46/32.png) [@Jennyrosity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jennyrosity)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2005, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seemingly-innocous-hot-button-topics-on-the-sdmb/302577/19 "2005-05-05T20:26:16Z")
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 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2005, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seemingly-innocous-hot-button-topics-on-the-sdmb/302577/20 "2005-05-05T20:29:28Z")
The .999… == 1 threads always seem to bring out the crazies. Haven’t had one of those in a while, though. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seemingly-innocous-hot-button-topics-on-the-sdmb/302577.md?page=2)