# Woo woo arguments that piss you off **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [May 12, 2004, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woo-woo-arguments-that-piss-you-off/244836 "2004-05-12T19:07:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Nightsong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nightsong/32/3083_2.png) [@Nightsong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nightsong)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2004, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woo-woo-arguments-that-piss-you-off/244836/41 "2004-05-13T01:11:16Z")
> [@Jadis](#): > > I can’t possibly be the only one here who has absolutely no idea what a “woo woo argument” is…can I? :o Woo-Woo arguement a.k.a. Handwaving argument Basically, wave your hands enough, make enough noises with your mouth that sound impressive, and that’s the bulk of your argument right there. And my ‘favorite’ woo-woo/handwaving argument? Ones where people essentially state that if **they** can’t see how something could work, then there is no possible way it could ever work. Because they’re always right, don’t ya know. :rolleyes: * * * \<\< Save the Earth–it’s our only source of chocolate! \>\> ---
**Author:** ![Shade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2bfe46/32.png) [@Shade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shade)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2004, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woo-woo-arguments-that-piss-you-off/244836/42 "2004-05-13T01:24:52Z")
> [@Darkhold](#): > > “if we allow gay marriage what’s to stop people from marrying a dog/horse/pig/what have you” yeah because there’s no difference between a person that wants to have a recognized relationship with another person and share the same laws and benefits that other couples do and someone that wants to marry a beast. \Well, why shouldn’t they? We allow dogs to have sex with each other if they choose to the best of their limited responsibility. Why not allow with a human?\ Sorry. ---
**Author:** ![Darkhold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@Darkhold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darkhold)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2004, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woo-woo-arguments-that-piss-you-off/244836/43 "2004-05-13T01:28:12Z")
> [@](#): > > Well, why shouldn’t they? We allow dogs to have sex with each other if they choose to the best of their limited responsibility. Why not allow with a human? Same reason we don’t let an adult marry a child (or shouldn’t at least) they are incapable of entering into a union with full understanding of what’s entailed and as an equal partner with equal rights. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Shade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2bfe46/32.png) [@Shade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shade)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2004, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woo-woo-arguments-that-piss-you-off/244836/44 "2004-05-13T01:40:15Z")
> [@Darkhold](#): > > Same reason we don’t let an adult marry a child (or shouldn’t at least) they are incapable of entering into a union with full understanding of what’s entailed and as an equal partner with equal rights. 😛 But by that argument, we shouldn’t let dogs f\*\*\* each other either. ---
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2004, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woo-woo-arguments-that-piss-you-off/244836/45 "2004-05-13T01:51:03Z")
For a year or so I internet-dated. It’s hard to believe how many times my friends/coworkers said: “Oooh, aren’t you scared? Aren’t there alot of weirdos on the internet??” Please. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![if6was9](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e47c2d/32.png) [@if6was9](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/if6was9)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2004, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woo-woo-arguments-that-piss-you-off/244836/46 "2004-05-13T01:58:12Z")
> [@trublmakr](#): > > For a year or so I internet-dated. > It’s hard to believe how many times my friends/coworkers said: > > “Oooh, aren’t you scared? Aren’t there alot of weirdos on the internet??” > > Please. :rolleyes: Hee hee! No more more weirdos than IRL, I’m sure. There are certainly pitfalls, but with a MINIMUM of self-protective behavior, common sense really, you CAN find the love of your life on the internet. Trust me! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Darkhold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@Darkhold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darkhold)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2004, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woo-woo-arguments-that-piss-you-off/244836/47 "2004-05-13T02:37:59Z")
> [@](#): > > But by that argument, we shouldn’t let dogs f\*\*\* each other either. note the ‘equal’ part of the arguement. Also note I was speaking more on marriage then on sex. ---
**Author:** ![Ooner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/c67d28/32.png) [@Ooner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ooner)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2004, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woo-woo-arguments-that-piss-you-off/244836/48 "2004-05-13T06:38:56Z")
[“Dat’s only in the mo’nin! You s’posed to be up cookin’ breakfast by then, so that’s like an alarm clock! Woo woooooo!”](http://lisupras.com/wooo.html) ---
**Author:** ![Shade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2bfe46/32.png) [@Shade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shade)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2004, 6:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woo-woo-arguments-that-piss-you-off/244836/49 "2004-05-13T06:45:37Z")
> [@Darkhold](#): > > note the ‘equal’ part of the arguement. Also note I was speaking more on marriage then on sex. True. I suppose owner/dog relationships have a lot of what a marriage entails - owner is next of kin to dog for all practical purposes, and couldn’t have others… ---
**Author:** ![PatriotX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c4cdca/32.png) [@PatriotX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatriotX)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2004, 7:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woo-woo-arguments-that-piss-you-off/244836/50 "2004-05-13T07:16:54Z")
[Woo Woo credo](http://www.watchingyou.com/woowoo.html) ---
**Author:** ![Kaitlyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/73ab20/32.png) [@Kaitlyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kaitlyn)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2004, 7:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woo-woo-arguments-that-piss-you-off/244836/51 "2004-05-13T07:18:35Z")
You just don’t _get_ X, if you got it, you love it/accept that it’s truly great. I’ve heard this argument referring to _Fight Club_, _The Usual Suspects_, _Memento_, _The Godfather_, _The Big Lebowski_, _Showgirls_, _Starship Troopers_, \*Lost in Translation (and various other movies), rap music, classical music, Zippy, Makies, Adam Sandler, Jim Carrey, comic books, LOTR (movie and book versions), _The X-Files_ etc. It is sometimes true that people dislike something primarily because they do not understand it or see only the surface. It is, however, insulting to assume that anyone whose opinion differs from yours necessarily lacks the intelligence to understand it. Likewise, I hate this similar argument: You can like or dislike something, that’s your opinion, but regardless of anyone’s opinion, it is an objective _fact_ that work of art X is (well made/poorly made/a work of genius/a piece of trash). Sorry, but no matter how strongly you like something, how much time you’ve spent studying it, how many critics you can cite that agree with you, no matter how well you defend your opinion, at no time does your subjective evaluation graduate from opinion to fact. ---
**Author:** ![BlackKnight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/eb8c5e/32.png) [@BlackKnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlackKnight)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2004, 7:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woo-woo-arguments-that-piss-you-off/244836/52 "2004-05-13T07:58:56Z")
> [@Roland Orzabal](#): > > … Oh sure, you might be punished for it, but you’d only care about that if you were conscious of it, and consciousness is nonexistant. Besides, if you choose not to kill him, then you’ve made a choice, which you’ve already postulated that you can’t do. Gee, you seem awfully determined not to kill him, so I suppose you’re claiming that not only does fate exist, but also that you know what it is. Must be pretty cool, knowing the divine plan for the course of reality. Determinism may well be the case, but it’s impossible for anyone to truly believe in it. What the bloody hell are you babbling about? It’s perfectly possible to believe that free will (in the classical sense) does not exist. Nothing you’ve said shows otherwise, or even makes much sense. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2004, 8:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woo-woo-arguments-that-piss-you-off/244836/53 "2004-05-13T08:06:34Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > 'We$tern Medicine just treats the _symptoms_ of disease. > Whereas \_\_\_ (homeopathy, naturopathy, mystic herbalism etc.) addresses the _fun-da-men-tal_ nature of illness." My one true love, a brilliant woman in all other respects, says this all the time. It always stuns me into silence. ---
**Author:** ![Dunderman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecb155/32.png) [@Dunderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dunderman)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2004, 10:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woo-woo-arguments-that-piss-you-off/244836/54 "2004-05-13T10:04:41Z")
> [@Futile Gesture](#): > > The point of agnosticism is not so much that you don’t know if there is a God, but more that you **can’t** know if there is a God. Any position one way or the other is based on faith. Am I really going to have to pull the Invisible Pink Unicorn on you? ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Miskatonic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr.miskatonic/32/310_2.png) [@Mr.Miskatonic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Miskatonic)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2004, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woo-woo-arguments-that-piss-you-off/244836/55 "2004-05-13T13:09:46Z")
For the record, I don’t think that woowoo arguements are merely handwaving fluff arguements used for any occasion, I think they are specificaly arguements in favor of the paranormal, pseudo-science, conspriacy theories, and other such clap-trap. Any arguement for the validity of astrology: That’s right, you who decried racism, sexism, and the unfairness of capitalism are now telling me what my personailty traits are going to be based on the month I was born in??? 9-11 Conspiracy nuts: Stop pretending you know more than building engineers, trained pilots, and other assorted experts. Quit hiding facts and sources that would show how lousy your arguements are. And yes, there is a big difference between GWB being a boob who dropped the ball and GWB killing 3000 of his own citizens, m’kay? So don’t think any revelations are any sort of valiation. Moon-Hoax nuts: Get a clue, OK? Your basic arguements don’t pass the sniff test. “No stars in the photos”, what did you expect? You won’t get stars from a short exposure photo here on on earth under the darkest skies available, why should you get any on the moon in broad daylight? And stop stalking our national heroes! Holocost hoax nuts: Just carve a freaking Swatika in your forehead and be done with it. ---
**Author:** ![Meatros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Meatros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meatros)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2004, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woo-woo-arguments-that-piss-you-off/244836/56 "2004-05-13T13:13:53Z")
> [@Shade](#): > > I admit, I can’t think of anything specific that knowledge of evolution helps with. The theory of evolution helps combat diseases and bacteria, in addition you can use it to harvest bigger and better crops (or livestock). Also, evolution might unlock the secret to beating AIDS, although currently evolution is the reason AIDS is so tough to knock out. ---
**Author:** ![Shade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2bfe46/32.png) [@Shade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shade)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2004, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woo-woo-arguments-that-piss-you-off/244836/57 "2004-05-13T13:40:07Z")
> [@Meatros](#): > > The theory of evolution helps combat diseases and bacteria, in addition you can use it to harvest bigger and better crops (or livestock). > > Also, evolution might unlock the secret to beating AIDS, although currently evolution is the reason AIDS is so tough to knock out. OK, I was being imprecise. I think _almost_ everyone now accepts that some characteristics are inherited, and things can be bred to improve them. I was thinking of people who say that the changes which occur naturally are negligible, or can’t produce new species, or were helped along by God. ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2004, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woo-woo-arguments-that-piss-you-off/244836/58 "2004-05-13T14:04:10Z")
I have no idea what a woo woo argument is either. BTW, great posts **Griffin2**. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2004, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woo-woo-arguments-that-piss-you-off/244836/59 "2004-05-13T14:24:28Z")
> [@World Eater](#): > > I have no idea what a woo woo argument is either. Well then you’re a close-minded government drone who is part of the bigger conspiracy. 😃 A woo-woo argument is an argument used by a woo-woo. A woo-woo is one that believes in astrology, the moon hoax, healing crystals, creationism, the Illuminati, and a living Elvis. Some would also put theists into this category, but this will usually get you into trouble. ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2004, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woo-woo-arguments-that-piss-you-off/244836/60 "2004-05-13T14:32:20Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > Well then you’re a close-minded government drone who is part of the bigger conspiracy. 😃 > > A woo-woo argument is an argument used by a woo-woo. > > A woo-woo is one that believes in astrology, the moon hoax, healing crystals, creationism, the Illuminati, and a living Elvis. Some would also put theists into this category, but this will usually get you into trouble. Ah thanks, makes more sense now. I have a friend that is a serious Illuminati head, saddest thing I’ve ever seen. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woo-woo-arguments-that-piss-you-off/244836.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woo-woo-arguments-that-piss-you-off/244836.md?page=4)