# What's the most overrated thing, in your opinion? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 7, 2008, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-overrated-thing-in-your-opinion/462540 "2008-09-07T22:55:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2008, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-overrated-thing-in-your-opinion/462540/81 "2008-09-09T03:04:25Z")
Not for nothing, **Der Trihs** , but you’ve essentially determined that everything is overrated. How do you live with such disappointment since life has dealt you such a lousy hand? My God, dude, do you like anything? Hell, I’ll take you out to the range if you’re in the area and let you work out some of your issues on some paper. Who knows, that might end up being the one thing you end up enjoying. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2008, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-overrated-thing-in-your-opinion/462540/82 "2008-09-09T03:13:46Z")
> [@Justin\_Credible](#): > > I wish more teachers were like you. Thanks. 🙂 Almost every teacher I meet feels the same way as me. Unfortunately, the very idea that a child can’t accomplish astronomical goals is unacceptable in many schools today. Some people actually believe, “All of you can be President one day,” mentality. Realism is perceived as negativity. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![5-HT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/5/f19dbf/32.png) [@5-HT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/5-HT)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2008, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-overrated-thing-in-your-opinion/462540/83 "2008-09-09T03:15:42Z")
Quickest way to answer this: Overrated=stuff you like Underrated=stuff i like ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2008, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-overrated-thing-in-your-opinion/462540/84 "2008-09-09T03:20:46Z")
> [@5-HT](#): > > Quickest way to answer this: > > Overrated=stuff you like > > Underrated=stuff i like Can’t say I agree. I like porn plenty, but tis operated. At least by some. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2008, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-overrated-thing-in-your-opinion/462540/85 "2008-09-09T03:50:07Z")
This planet will little note, nor long remember our brief trespass on her surface. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2008, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-overrated-thing-in-your-opinion/462540/86 "2008-09-09T03:53:56Z")
> [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](#): > > Not for nothing, **Der Trihs** , but you’ve essentially determined that everything is overrated. I listed everything ? My, the universe is a lot smaller than I thought. ---
**Author:** ![groo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecd19e/32.png) [@groo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/groo)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2008, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-overrated-thing-in-your-opinion/462540/87 "2008-09-09T03:57:06Z")
Fortunately, I’m blessed with very low standards. Pretty much any movie, even on basic cable, that doesn’t have slasher/killer/chainsaw elements is fine. Mostly the same with TV; again, low standards. I’m happy listening to pretty much any music made between 1930-1945 & 1965-1995. I do think that listening to music is a sometimes transcendant experience. Note, though, t hat I have at least two songs on my iPods sung by muppets. I don’t search out Nirvana or country or heavy metal, but I won’t reflexively change the station if they come on. However, I do not like televised wrestling or, actually, any spectator sports, and though I think cell phones are very useful, the sound quality is just barely tolerable. Does anyone remember how good the sound quality was when we had analog cell phones? Now it’s all diverse frequency multiplexed crap, and now all us Californians have to have bluetooth headsets surgically attached to our heads, and the sound is just horrid. (Actually, I think “cell phones” were only analog; the things we have now are just “wireless” or CDMA or some other thing, but people just call them all cell phones). I don’t like reality TV shows about dozens of people vying for the affections of one person, nor do I watch people try to out-sing each other. But most other reality TV is okay by me, especially if they’re making dresses or catching crabs. Ideally, they could have a show that combined both elements. I’d watch it. Internet porn: Not so great. It’s apparently easier to get unattractive women to do the most unflattering things on camera than it is to find attractive women who, clothed or not, have nice smiles. You’d think that a nation that can send a man to the moon could support a high quality soft porn industry. But … HDTV: great! GPS: cool! Pie: Good! Having machines slice bread for me: hey, if I sliced my own bread I’d probably be missing a few fingers by now. Re: Correlation between really good sex and batshit crazy: The very few mind-blowing sexual experiences I’ve had have been with women who were, as history would prove, batshit crazy. However, I’ve also had sex with women who were batshit crazy without so much the great sex. I’ve never had Tony-the-Tiger-grrrrreat sex in my relationships with “sane” women – it was generally okay and much preferable to not having sex, but – meh. Sometimes I just want a sandwich. ---
**Author:** ![cornflakes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@cornflakes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cornflakes)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2008, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-overrated-thing-in-your-opinion/462540/88 "2008-09-09T03:59:25Z")
This whole “me first” attitude. I don’t need a new car or the biggest house. I would feel a lot better if I had enough and had helped improve someone else’s life as well. ---
**Author:** ![Goblin\_Queen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/4da419/32.png) [@Goblin\_Queen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Goblin_Queen)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2008, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-overrated-thing-in-your-opinion/462540/89 "2008-09-09T04:08:17Z")
Hummus. I really don’t want to go into it here, but living with female college vegetarian environmentalists this summer has sort of put me off ever trying this food. I mean, it can’t really be as good as they said, right? Same for plantains. ---
**Author:** ![Mosier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ea924/32.png) [@Mosier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mosier)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2008, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-overrated-thing-in-your-opinion/462540/90 "2008-09-09T06:06:58Z")
> [@featherlou](#): > > I felt that way about Mount Rushmore. Now, the Crazy Horse Monument - THAT’S some mountain carving! > > I’ll second (or whatever) cellphones that do everything but drive your car for you. I have an ancient cellphone that lets me: > > 1. make calls > and > 2. take calls > and > 3. take voicemails (for the 99.9% of the time when my phone is off). > It has texting, but I don’t use it. The only people who ever text me are the phone company, telemarketing me. I don’t need to surf the web while out and about - I do that at home. I don’t need to take pictures with it. I don’t need to listen to music on it. > > Also, damn near everything that critics love. What a bunch of out of touch, useless gits. A friend of mine has a cellphone with more gadgets and cool programs than you could ever use. I was so jealous until he told me that the thing doesn’t actually do number 1 and number 2 on your list with any sort of reliability. Sometimes it’ll “freeze” and won’t allow him to answer the call even though it’s merrily ringing away. ---
**Author:** ![Cyberhwk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7993a0/32.png) [@Cyberhwk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyberhwk)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2008, 7:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-overrated-thing-in-your-opinion/462540/91 "2008-09-09T07:51:37Z")
I’ll go with sex and relationships too. The length and extent to which I’ve seen people go and the complete mistreatment they’ve willfully endured in order to preserve their relationships and acquire sex is flatly bewildering to me. ---
**Author:** ![Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cc9497/32.png) [@Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt.Ridley_s_Shooting_Party)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2008, 10:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-overrated-thing-in-your-opinion/462540/92 "2008-09-09T10:18:45Z")
> [@Borborygmi](#): > > This probably wouldn’t hold up as my answer for the most overrated thing _evah_, but what’s up with the passion for panini as the sandwiches of choice these days? At best, they’re bland and dry. At worst, they’ll hurt your mouth. If you gave a piece of shit an Italian name there’d be pretentious idiots queuing up to eat it. Which nicely segues into my entry: Italian food. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2008, 10:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-overrated-thing-in-your-opinion/462540/93 "2008-09-09T10:33:01Z")
The cinema experience. ---
**Author:** ![Unintentionally\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unintentionally_blank/32/5418_2.png) [@Unintentionally\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unintentionally_Blank)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2008, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-overrated-thing-in-your-opinion/462540/94 "2008-09-09T11:39:27Z")
> [@Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](#): > > If you gave a piece of shit an Italian name there’d be pretentious idiots queuing up to eat it. Which nicely segues into my entry: > > Italian food. You do know the raw materials cost of a bowl of pasta is, don’t you? (hint: roughly about 6 cents for the pasta.) Similarly, the biggest part of that Pan Pizza is also about $.25 worth of flour, water, and yeast. ---
**Author:** ![irspariah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/35a633/32.png) [@irspariah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/irspariah)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2008, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-overrated-thing-in-your-opinion/462540/95 "2008-09-09T11:44:58Z")
> [@Velma](#): > > I agree with super high intelligence. I don’t get into the culture of trying to get kids those few extra IQ points, or all honors classes, or the perfect SAT score. I think it is great that intelligence is nurtured, but I think other traits are just as, or even more important. I will be happy if my kids get A’s in school but I am also concerned with whether they are socially adept, kind, empathetic, good leaders, etc. Some people brag about their kids’ report cards like it is the end all be all. I think having a well rounded personality and fulfilling life is more important, and will serve the child better in the future as well. Most of the very highly intelligent people I know were or still are very unhappy if they don’t have the social skills to go with it. Super high intelligence in a country run by mouth-breathers does not work very well. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2008, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-overrated-thing-in-your-opinion/462540/96 "2008-09-09T12:03:05Z")
Tax cuts. We’ve had eight years of Republican tax cuts for the wealthy. How’s that workin’ out for the economy? ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_Tightlips](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/57b2e6/32.png) [@Joey\_Tightlips](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_Tightlips)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2008, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-overrated-thing-in-your-opinion/462540/97 "2008-09-09T12:32:02Z")
I really like the mentions of Alcohol and Radiohead (though I’ve never met a non-magazine reviewer who actually claims they are great). I’m suprised nobody has mentioned mine yet, I guess nobody wants to be seen as the soulless bastard. Okay, I’ll say it: BABIES. There, it’s out in the open now. They’re not cute, they’re undercooked little shit factories. I understand they’re necessary for perpetuation of the species and all that, but I don’t want to see, hear, hold, or smell your little stink munchkin. Baby dogs and cats? Adorable. Baby humans? Yuk. _…yes ladies he’s single! 😉_ ---
**Author:** ![Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cc9497/32.png) [@Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt.Ridley_s_Shooting_Party)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2008, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-overrated-thing-in-your-opinion/462540/98 "2008-09-09T12:36:55Z")
> [@Unintentionally\_Blank](#): > > You do know the raw materials cost of a bowl of pasta is, don’t you? (hint: roughly about 6 cents for the pasta.) > > Similarly, the biggest part of that Pan Pizza is also about $.25 worth of flour, water, and yeast. What’s your point? Pasta is cheap to make? Yeah, I’m aware of that. It doesn’t mean that a certain segment of the population has a weird fascination with Italian food (cf. Nigella Lawson) and shit that nobody would eat if labeled with an English name is happily eaten if given a French/Italian name (tripe comes to mind, there’s about a billion recipes for it in my copy of the Silver Spoon). ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2008, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-overrated-thing-in-your-opinion/462540/99 "2008-09-09T12:41:51Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > This planet will little note, nor long remember our brief trespass on her surface. “This planet” as an entity. It neither notes nor remembers anything. ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2008, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-overrated-thing-in-your-opinion/462540/100 "2008-09-09T12:42:51Z")
> [@unintentionally blank](#): > > yes, but like a true american, i did it **louder** and with **more words!**. flo! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-overrated-thing-in-your-opinion/462540.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-overrated-thing-in-your-opinion/462540.md?page=6)