It has come to my attention that there is a group of people (most adults) who won't do things because it is 'beneath them.' (This is different than being scared and not trying something new) Not that they would say that in so many words, and not saying that they are prideful or anything. All I am saying is that...some people have forgotten that it's alright to be silly, be full of wonder, to be imaginative and to do exactly what you like...and it saddens me. Also...some people won't give a thing a chance if certain names are attached - like, you would never listen to Hannah Montana, would you? Or the Jonas Bros.? And you REALLY wouldn't watch High School Musical, would you? You would hate to be forced to read Twilight, wouldn't you?
Some things are worth that - High School Musical, from what I have seen, is a poorly-acted, poorly-written teenie bopper movie. The Jonas Bros. are idolized for their looks, it seems, not their talent (which seems to be lacking - I have heard some of their songs).
However - some things deserve a chance. Don't knock it 'til you try it. Or at least research it. Here are some things that I have come to realize might be worth something:
1. Miley Cyrus music - otherwise known as Hannah Montana, this girl has her own show on Disney and a few cds out. Legitimately, her music isn't great. HOWEVER since I am not a music snob, I actually do enjoy a few of her songs, which is as much as I can say for any other band (except for Relient K - there are exceptions to every rule!) - I usually only like 3 or 4 songs per band, even though I'll listen to more than that. I actually like the sound and words of some of Miley's songs. And I like her voice. Henceforth, I unapologetically will listen to Miley - at least, 3 or 4 of her songs.
2. Kids books - you're never too old to read kids books. They are my favorite genre and about the only one I'm interested in at present. I am forced to read textbooks, but when I have a choice I will go to the childrens' section, pull out a pile of books and sit down in a corner to read. For hours.
3. Larping/Dress-Up - I know, I know, I get why some people do not like larping. I understand and I won't fight them on it. HOWEVER - I like the idea of larping. When I was little, I re-enacted (same as larping, dears) Beauty and the Beast with my friend Caleb (except for the kissing part), I did re-enacting for Revolutionary War Historical Sites (it IS larping, you're dressing up and playing a part for a short period of time), and I would still do that if I could find somewhere that didn't specialize in just Civil War re-enactments.
4. Movie you think might be dumb: In my case, I would not watch A Series of Unfortunate Events. Dumb, right? It's a beautiful, amazingly exquisite movie, one of my top ten (in the top five actually) favorite movies of all time. Why wouldn't I watch it? Because everyone was going crazy about the books. My friend begged me to watch it with her and I complied, a little grumpily. I loved it and then bought it, the soundtrack, and all the books, which I have read. They're great. Why did I protest against such magic?
Those are the big four...other little things that people won't try are foods ('it just looks gross - ew, that sounds disgusting'), new activities/games ('I would hate that game'), crafts ('Only little kids do that stuff'), some movies ('that looked dumb'), etc.
Why?
Either because 1. They're afraid of what people might say if they find out or 2. They just don't have an interest in something 'beneath them', even if they don't really know a lot about it.
Come on. Be objective.
There's something I didn't think about until today when I thought of how I would have to defend myself against those who will hate that I listen to Miley Cyrus music: For something to be very popular, there is usually SOMETHING that makes it so popular/worthwhile. For Miley, it's the poppy sound of her music. People won't market that stuff if there isn't SOMETHING about it that will make people buy it. And, if it isn't worth it, it won't stand the test of time. It will just be a passing fad...but sometimes, passing fads are worth paying attention to.
And why should I have to defend my choices against my friends, who should love me and accept me for who I am, anyway?
"Come on. Be objective."
ReplyDeleteI definitely married the right girl. :)
"And why should I have to defend my choices against my friends, who should love me and accept me for who I am, anyway?"
ReplyDeleteSo true. I love Disney animated films, and coloring books, and playing in the mud. So sue me. :-P
But some things are just distasteful to people from the outset. I've never been a fan of mainstream pop music, so I'm probably not going to jump at the chance to listen to Miley, though I hope to be charitable enough to give something a listen before I discount it as garbage.
"And why should I have to defend my choices against my friends, who should love me and accept me for who I am, anyway?"
ReplyDeleteAmen.I love coloring books, comic strips, and Pixar films. So sue me :-P.
Though, don't be too harsh. For some people, past experiences just make them partial to things, like, I don't like most mainstream music so the thought of listening to Miley isn't the most exciting, but I hope to be charitable enough to give her a listen before outright dismissing her as garbage (but I do enjoy Kelly Clarkson...I have my exceptions too).
Others are just hateful of anything that's popular, which is a major form of snobbery and really annoying.
Mostly what I want is to help people understand that they are free to have their own likes and dislikes, and that others should be given the same quarter. :)
ReplyDeleteI too love coloring books, comic strips, playing in the dirt, and watching cartoons. (And yes - I like some Kelly Clarkson songs!)
It just hit me over the head the other day that I do still live with the thought "I can't do that, people will think it's ridiculous."
WHO CARES? Go do what you love and let others do the same. :)
Wow, I didn't realize both of those comments made it through...I thought I had lost the first one. Silly me. :-)
ReplyDeleteHey, as for playing in the dirt, are you and Stu going to do some plants around your trailer?
ReplyDeleteI'm thinking of uprooting the two dead spruces in my trailer and putting in petunias...we shall see...
I hated the idea of Wall-E because of bad marketing that made it look like a childish Short Circuit/Johnny5 ripoff, but I was dragged along to watch it and ended up loving it.
ReplyDeleteActually, unexpectedly liking something is one of life's greatest pleasures because it is such a high upswing.
Bride Wars is still unfathomable trash though. A curse upon its head.
I listen to a few Miley Cyrus songs but after her latest controversy I can't listen to them and not think of that. Sad right?
ReplyDeleteI still prefer Selena Gomez to her though. (yeah i know my Disney Channel)
I love dressing up too. I try to pick out themes for my outfits but most of the time it Ends up being Jeans and a t-shirt. makeup plays a big role in it too... also what is Larping?
I saw Highschool musical 2, it was on the Disney channel and got interrupted by random blurps about making the movie that helped.
I'm more into the young adult section or the graphic novel section of the book store, most is total crap, but there are some gems. but then again you know this :P
I wish people were open to trying new foods. Like if I had you Tinae and you loved it, would you still eat it if you knew what it was?
shall we fly off to Neverland?
and live in a world where Childhood is king?
Abbie, I LOVED Wall-E. But yes...what I've seen of Bride Wars...dreadful!
ReplyDeleteGina - I don't think we're allowed to plant anything in our yard. I'm thinking of buying some pots and growing herbs. I'd love to have an herb garden and lilies circling a bird bath at some point...
Irial, I wrote on your blog but forgot to add some stuff: I thought I wouldn't like Ever After and I LOVED IT. So...I like a lot of Disney. :) Mostly what's annoying is when I watch a movie and think it's poor quality and people go nuts over it when they don't appreciate Shyamalan. :p And...I had an amazing dinner last night: I put cucumbers in a semi-circle on my plate and sprinkled with dill, I put strips of bacon around the other half of the plate and then plopped a scoop of jasmine rice in the middle and mixed it w/ celery salt. YUM YUM YUM. I think I might have a problem with Haggis though...'cause I know what's in it. Lol.