Things I don't like that everyone else likes . . . on TV:
- Reality shows -- all of 'em. I watch TV to escape reality. Besides, there's nothing real about these things. They're contrived nonsense that has proliferated because a) they're cheap to make, and b) we are a nation of voyeurs. Blech.
- Soap operas: Can't stand 'em. The last soap I watched was Dynasty back in the 80s. Joan Collins rocked.
- All Star Trek shows after Next Generation. I've tried to get into Voyager--I gave it a whole season. But I was bored. DS9? I gave it one episode. *yawn*. Enterprise? No soul.
Things I don't like that everyone else likes . . . on the radio:
- Queensryche: My music-loving friends love these guys, the critics love these guys... but I don't. Geoff Tate's voice annoys me, and they seem a little pretentious. But then what do you expect from a band from Bellevue?
- Hip hop: I could go off on a rant about misogyny and materialism, but I can overlook that. I just find that most hip hop lacks melody and is incredibly irritating. Yes, I realize that means I'm old. So be it.
- Prairie Home Companion: I like Garrison Keillor (heck, I even blogged about him once), but I just can't get into PHC. *yawn*
- Talk radio: I used to listen to a little of the liberal stuff on Air America, but even that annoyed me. It's just too negative, not to mention full of lies and deliberate exaggerations. When there's so much at stake, these shows just whip up people's emotions, ensuring they'll vote without engaging their brains. Plus, who wants to be angry all the time?
- Howard Stern: No, it isn't his crudeness (I'm pretty crude myself), and I usually appreciate guy humor. It's his ego. It's all about him, and he never lets you forget it.
Things I don't like that everyone else likes . . . actors/movies:
- Gladiator - good acting, good story... but horribly depressing. I was bummed for about 2 weeks afterward. I'll stay in my happy place, thanks.
- Nearly every movie nominated for an Academy Award. I think I must have a stray bit of Y chromosome somewhere, because I like movies with car chases, explosions, or laser blasts. Yes, they need plots and passable acting, but mostly they need action. I have the attention span of a hummingbird... Entertain me!
- Chick flicks: See my previous comment about the stray Y chromosome. I've seen some romantic comedies I like (and I'm a big ol' sap who needs half a box of Kleenex to get through one), but in general they aren't my thing. Maybe it's because I don't like to cry over some fictional person's love life (or my own, for that matter). Maybe it's because too many of the women in these movies irritate me ("Tell him to piss off, then sleep with his best friend! Sheesh, girl, grow a backbone."). Or maybe it's because they don't have enough car chases and explosions.
- Ben Affleck: Sorry, but he does nothing for me--too bland. Matt Damon, on the other hand, is welcome in my... uh... *house* anytime ;-)
Things I don't like that everyone else likes . . . when it comes to people:
This is a tough one, because I'm pretty tolerant and usually find people's quirks fascinating.
- Pretension: Not sure if everyone else likes it, but there sure is a lot of it, and pretentious people seem pretty popular. So you see art house films and go to poetry slams at the local coffee house? Good for you. I dig in the dirt and schedule my vacations around Def Leppard's tour schedule. Get over it. [And yes, I realize that many nice, non-pretentious people go to art films and poetry slams. But the ones who tell me about it while sniffing disdainfully at my entertainment choices are the ones who irritate me.]
- Parents whose lives revolve around their children: I'm a parent. I love my son, and he's the single most important person in my life. But I have other interests and do other things, and I don't raise him to think he's the center of the universe. News flash: You don't have to schedule every minute of your child's time (how many soccer games and dance lessons does one kid need, anyway?). And you don't have to spend every minute of your free time doing stuff with and for your child. When you do that, you just teach your child to be high-maintenance, expecting to be entertained constantly. Oh, and your child probably needs (and wants) his/her own space once in awhile--private time, away from the prying eyes of Mom and Dad, time to daydream, draw, write, imagine, think... you know, the stuff kids did before soccer leagues, taekwondo tournaments, gymnastics, and all those other structured, scheduled activities.
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