# 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:** 5
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2005, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seemingly-innocous-hot-button-topics-on-the-sdmb/302577/81 "2005-05-08T00:10:47Z")
Cast iron frying pans. Whether or not there is any other form of pan that one should consent to own and actually attempt to cook food in. How to season them properly. Whether it is a mortal sin or merely a venal sin to ever wash them. What kinds of spatulas or spoons are to be permitted to come into contact with the food therein. **Ahunter3** , happy owner of 2 standard and one ultra-deepdish 12", two 10", and two 6 1/2" cast iron frying pans. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2005, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seemingly-innocous-hot-button-topics-on-the-sdmb/302577/82 "2005-05-08T00:33:16Z")
Liquid drain cleaners (Liquid Plumber, Drano, etc) Recumbent bicycles vs. road bikes ---
**Author:** ![Tristan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tristan/32/18058_2.png) [@Tristan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tristan)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2005, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seemingly-innocous-hot-button-topics-on-the-sdmb/302577/83 "2005-05-08T04:09:36Z")
The quality of Robert A. Heinlein’s works, particularly his later works. Guaranteed to start a fight. Kind of esoteric, but bound got get ugly fast. ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2005, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seemingly-innocous-hot-button-topics-on-the-sdmb/302577/84 "2005-05-08T04:30:26Z")
The tinfoil hat skirmishes on the fringes are quite gory. (The unknown threatens this board so much that they react like good cavemen and try to kill it.) ---
**Author:** ![BiblioCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2005, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seemingly-innocous-hot-button-topics-on-the-sdmb/302577/85 "2005-05-08T15:09:00Z")
Which diets “work” best, in particular the Atkins diet and carbohydrates. That one specifically has set off several threads that went up in flames. ---
**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 8, 2005, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seemingly-innocous-hot-button-topics-on-the-sdmb/302577/86 "2005-05-08T15:33:20Z")
Whether it’s okay to give your child a made up, or creatively spelled name. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2005, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seemingly-innocous-hot-button-topics-on-the-sdmb/302577/87 "2005-05-08T17:13:14Z")
> [@Tristan](#): > > The quality of Robert A. Heinlein’s works, particularly his later works. > > Guaranteed to start a fight. Kind of esoteric, but bound got get ugly fast. This teaches us something. The more obscure, esoteric, or technical the subject, the more vicious the knife fight. True or false? ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Violaceous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/2bfe46/32.png) [@Miss\_Violaceous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Violaceous)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2005, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seemingly-innocous-hot-button-topics-on-the-sdmb/302577/88 "2005-05-08T17:33:54Z")
Whether it is ever justified or appropriate to use some kind of stereotype or take notice of a pattern when referring to the sorts of news stories that come out of a particular state. The typical post goes “blah blah blah, news story, link, blah blah blah blah, cursing, more blah, more cursing, and of course it happened in Texas, huh? ;)” The Texas crack is a small part at the end of the post, but pretty soon someone will come along and say the usual about painting with an overly broad brush, and then another person will come along with a rejoinder about how even if not all Texans are \_\_\_ it does seem that we’ve seen a lot of stories about \_\_\_ out of Texas lately, so is it really unfair to deny the pattern? From there it just gets nasty. Happens with other Southern states, too, but don’t we always see these kinds of flamewars about Texas? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2005, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seemingly-innocous-hot-button-topics-on-the-sdmb/302577/89 "2005-05-09T02:55:06Z")
Similarly: barbecue. The only thing BBQ fans agree on is that _their_ kind is the _only_ kind. ---
**Author:** ![koeeoaddi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/koeeoaddi/32/408_2.png) [@koeeoaddi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/koeeoaddi)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2005, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seemingly-innocous-hot-button-topics-on-the-sdmb/302577/90 "2005-05-09T04:07:32Z")
Kids on airplanes. ---
**Author:** ![gfloyd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d2c977/32.png) [@gfloyd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gfloyd)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2005, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seemingly-innocous-hot-button-topics-on-the-sdmb/302577/91 "2005-05-09T04:25:37Z")
Anyone remember the fight about drier lint? ---
**Author:** ![WeRSauron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f19dbf/32.png) [@WeRSauron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WeRSauron)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2005, 7:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seemingly-innocous-hot-button-topics-on-the-sdmb/302577/92 "2005-05-09T07:55:26Z")
Have seen this happen only once, but it was quite vehement: whether diabetics should inject themselves at the table while dining out. WRS ---
**Author:** ![roger\_thornhill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d9b06d/32.png) [@roger\_thornhill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/roger_thornhill)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2005, 8:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seemingly-innocous-hot-button-topics-on-the-sdmb/302577/93 "2005-05-09T08:53:25Z")
> [@Tapioca Dextrin](#): > > Is **Cecil** a real person? > > It’s either heresy or blindingly obvious. Toss a coin to decide. You phrased the question wrong. Should be “Is Cecil many real people?” ---
**Author:** ![WeRSauron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f19dbf/32.png) [@WeRSauron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WeRSauron)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2005, 10:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seemingly-innocous-hot-button-topics-on-the-sdmb/302577/94 "2005-05-09T10:22:34Z")
> [@roger thornhill](#): > > You phrased the question wrong. Should be “Is Cecil many real people?” Heretic! Blasphemer! And so on. WRS - 🙂 The truth will set you free, even if it’s not quite pleasant. ---
**Author:** ![PookahMacPhellimey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pookahmacphellimey/32/3175_2.png) [@PookahMacPhellimey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PookahMacPhellimey)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2005, 11:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seemingly-innocous-hot-button-topics-on-the-sdmb/302577/95 "2005-05-09T11:11:46Z")
> [@bump](#): > > Wal-Mart. > > I can’t think of a thread about any aspect of the store that hasn’t ended up with a clear divide between market capitalists and social welfare types screeching about how ignorant the other is. Ditto Starbucks plus the added advantage of the “is their coffee any good” angle. ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2005, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seemingly-innocous-hot-button-topics-on-the-sdmb/302577/96 "2005-05-09T13:09:21Z")
Discussions of “2001 A Space Odyssey”? Decisions hang for ages on either blindingly brilliant or blindingly bad. ---
**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 9, 2005, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seemingly-innocous-hot-button-topics-on-the-sdmb/302577/97 "2005-05-09T14:30:40Z")
> [@Diceman](#): > > Anything related to Star Trek. Especially if you suggest that any part of Gene Roddenberry’s vision might be unrealistic. This will draw the immediate, impassioned hatred of seemingly every Trekkie on this board. Witness the [current thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=315399) on Cafe Society. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2005, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seemingly-innocous-hot-button-topics-on-the-sdmb/302577/98 "2005-05-09T15:42:06Z")
> [@Diceman](#): > > Anything related to Star Trek. Especially if you suggest that any part of Gene Roddenberry’s vision might be unrealistic. This will draw the immediate, impassioned hatred of seemingly every Trekkie on this board. and > [@Terminus Est](#): > > Witness the [current thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=315399) on Cafe Society. 😕😕😕😕😕😕😕😕 That thread is as civil as any you’re likely to see on this message board. It’s just a bunch of people discussing an article about the series, some of whom think the author’s criticisms of Star Trek are misplaced, others of whom think that he makes some relevant point. A few people have expressed some disdain for the article’s author, but there’s no venom at all in the thread, no abuse being hurled back and forth. Hell, i couldn’t even find a swear word. ---
**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 9, 2005, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seemingly-innocous-hot-button-topics-on-the-sdmb/302577/99 "2005-05-09T15:53:00Z")
> [@mhendo](#): > > That thread is as civil as any you’re likely to see on this message board. It’s just a bunch of people discussing an article about the series, some of whom think the author’s criticisms of Star Trek are misplaced, others of whom think that he makes some relevant point. A few people have expressed some disdain for the article’s author, but there’s no venom at all in the thread, no abuse being hurled back and forth. Hell, i couldn’t even find a swear word. Oh, sure it’s civil, as those Dopers who disagree are directing their attacks to Card himself and somewhat respectful of his status as a published SF author. Now imagine the firestorm if Card were a Doper and had posted his article in Cafe Society. At best, he’d have been accused of living under a bridge. At worst, it would probably result in one of the more fascinating meltdowns in the history of the SDMB. ---
**Author:** ![WolfpackJeep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpackjeep/32/2921_2.png) [@WolfpackJeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WolfpackJeep)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2005, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seemingly-innocous-hot-button-topics-on-the-sdmb/302577/100 "2005-05-09T16:16:30Z")
Just remembered another one: telemarketers. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seemingly-innocous-hot-button-topics-on-the-sdmb/302577.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seemingly-innocous-hot-button-topics-on-the-sdmb/302577.md?page=6)