I don't get it

-or- perhaps I am missing something?

There are all things we like, and other people just don't get it.  That is fine, we don't all need to like the same things, as that would make life terribly boring.  But you know, there are just some things I don't get either.  I don't need to get them, but I don't understand why so many people do.  Here are a few.

Anime: What is the deal with Anime?  So many of my classmates are huge fans.  They download like crazy, have DVDs, etc.  I have seen bumper stickers that state: "Anime: Crack is cheaper".  Weird.  The dialog is generally horrible (at best), the stories are bizarre mixes with some attempts at humor, some attempts at being serious, with never really scoring with either.  I just scratch my head.

Rap Music: And I use the term music loosely.  Now, not all of it is crap in my opinion.  There is the occasional song I like (a few Beastie Boys tunes, maybe a Run DMC track or two), but for the most part it is incomprehensible dross.  No music and lyrical content that tackles such heavy topics as how much bling and sex they can have, and just who they are going to shoot next.  Brilliant.  Absolutely brilliant.

Grand Theft Auto: What is the deal with these games?  Why are they so popular?  I get the free form nature, blah, blah, blah.  I tried Vice City.  Boring.  Run around, smack people with a baseball bat, run them over.  It just didn't appeal to me, and it boggles my mind that it appeals to so many.

The Beatles/Rolling Stones: They were influential, groundbreaking, yadda yadda.  To those who were "there" when these bands were breaking ground, I suppose I can see the draw.  But come on, they are now just so stagnant.  It has been decades since the Stones wrote something interesting, and Paul McCartney continues to amaze me with his (in my opinion) mediocre song writing.  Meh.  While we are at it I might as well just let those who will flame me have a hey-day: Nirvana.  Blech.  Kurt Cobain, tragic ending but the world of music isn't missing anything.

Ultra Aggressive Drivers: I understand you are in a hurry.  I understand you don't think 70 mph is fast enough.  I understand you want to ride someone who is going 65 until they move out of your way or you can swerve around them.  I understand you feel inadequate about your penis size.  But being a jerk on the road just ain't going to make it bigger.  Oh, and that stop light?  Well, let's just say it stopped us both now, didn't it?  Idiots.

Sad Movies: My wife wishes I got this one.  I get mocked incessantly about it.  But I just don't understand the idea behind paying good money to willingly make yourself sad.  I don't like feeling sad and the last thing I need is a "good cry".  Yes, I am emotionally constipated, but I don't want to willingly pay for an emotional enema.

Smoking: I'm not dissing those who choose to smoke, but I will never get it.  The attraction of willfully inhaling carcinogenic, toxic nasty smelling fumes into my lungs just leaves me going "Huh?"  I get enough junk into my body against my will.  I'll pass on adding to that. 

Astrology: Oh, look the moon is in the fourth phase of Jupiter's apical mainstem impulsory orbit.  It must be time for me to take a dump.  Uh huh.

So, now that I have managed to offend everyone in some small way, what don't you get?

16,489 views 30 replies
Reply #1 Top
Anime - Hot Chicks!

Rap Music - Hot Chicks Dancing!

GTA - Hot Coffee with Hot Chicks!

The Beattles/Rolling Stones - OK, I'm sure there's some sort of Hot Chicks crack to be made here!

Ultra Aggressive Drivers - Trying to get home to Hot Chicks!

Sad Movies - Hot Chicks dig crying?

Smoking - The tobacco industry says if you smoke, you'll get (you guessed it) HOT CHICKS!

Astology - When the moon is in the fourth phase of Jupiter's blah, blah, blah there will be HOT CHICKS! on the horizon.

Sorry... Yeah, I don't get much on any of these topics either, really. Just making a (lame) joke go farther than it was funny. HAHA!
Reply #2 Top

I don't get pushy people,  nosy people, snotty people, prejudiced people, or road rage.

I for sure don't get cell phones, except for guys like you that need them for work, for safety for ladies,  who though has to talk to someone while driving?  while at the dentist's ?  didn't they bring their grocery list?  didn't they tell so and so to take clothes to the drycleaners?  Yuck on cell phones!  except for those that need them,  but then it's  their business I guess....

 I really don't get stuck up people!  like their you know what doesn't stink too!

Reply #3 Top
Anime - Hot Chicks!

Hot cartoon chicks! *shakes head*
Reply #4 Top
whooops, double post!
Reply #5 Top

chiprj: Ah, yes.  Hot chicks.  What was I thinking? 

Trudy: I don't get many of those things myself, though I have to admit I have been known to be a pushy person at times.

Nicky: Perhaps cartoon chicks are the only chicks they feel comfortable around. 

Reply #6 Top
I am smoker, so no comment.

McCartney was the Music writer, lennon was the lyrics. Paul is just another old rocker living off his past greatness.

end.

MM
Reply #7 Top

I am SO offended!

I must go play grand theft auto and pretend I am killing you while listening to rap music.  Then I will drive aggressively to the video store to rent a sad movie to make me cry because I will feel so bad about doing you in.  The Beatles and rolling stones will mellow my mood on the way home, while I smoke a cigarette and plot my future in the stars.

Now do you get it?

Reply #8 Top

I am smoker, so no comment.

McCartney was the Music writer, lennon was the lyrics. Paul is just another old rocker living off his past greatness.

No worries ModMan, no comment required.  As far as the Paul comment, yup, I agree.

I must go play grand theft auto and pretend I am killing you while listening to rap music. Then I will drive aggressively to the video store to rent a sad movie to make me cry because I will feel so bad about doing you in. The Beatles and rolling stones will mellow my mood on the way home, while I smoke a cigarette and plot my future in the stars.

I must now make some snarky comment.  But I won't.    And I have to say, my wife enjoyed the emotional enema line.  I love it when I make her laugh.

Reply #9 Top
Anime - excellent storylines a good change from Barney.... actually some of them are meant for mature audience... its like a movie just better... and nowadays most of these movies coming out are based on Animes... ull be suprised that what you say was initially Anime...

Rap Music - you are listening to mainstream stuff ... mainstream rap has the most shit in it then anything.... its majorily because the music that is put out in mainstream apperently has mass appeal (dont ask me how) so it helps them to get to sell their albumn... EXCEPT for some really good rap artists who's mainstream songs are conscious tunes like Nas... but once you get away from mainstream rap then you'll see what real rap is all about... its method of conveying a message,, wether that message is about ones life story or politics... etc...

Grand Theft Auto - simply when it came out it was Revolutionary... (by that i mean GTA3 ... atleast i hope thats what you are talking about) ... a whole world is created... you are put into the shoes of this character with history... simply it was the most creative thing out at its time... and definitely somthing new... that might be why majority of the people swallowed it up... (now its kinda getting redundant with its new series)

The Beatles - they were ground breaking and thier music is amazing still... same with micheal jackson (dont deny you dont play his tracks even till now)... same with elvis... same with Nirvana... and partly why they are so ground breaking is because new generation still love their music....

Astrology - now i might not be totally accurate on this so somone with a better background in astrology can maybe correct me... here goes... a black hole is created when the Sun Implodes basically it gets so big that it keeps expanding and eventually it collapses to itself or implodes is better to say... when it implodes it becomes quite smaller than its orignal size (circumference wise).. soo all its mass is condensed into somthing that is half or even smaller then the size it was before which causes it to have a gravitational pull far exceeding anything beyond our imagination... now there is a theory that the gravitational pull of a blackhole is sooo strong that it rips layers of space around it... deminsional layers of space around it... meaning we humans see things in the 3-dimension etc... so if a layer of dimension is space is ripped then we can technically look into another dimension (a theory) ... according to this theory in 2006-2007 somewhere in switzerland (i believe it was) a group of scientist are tring to create an artifical blackhole on earth so they can rip a layer in space to see into another dimension... ... you might be asking me that wont earth get sucked into this artifical black hole ... and how are they planning to create it?... firstly yes we would if it was open long enough .. their plan is to open it for less then nano seconds... as for creating the black hole... well thats daym complicated and i am not any physicsts so i wouldn't know the exact detail but it has somthing to do with going in circles to create the gravity (a brief idea).... now... that i have blabbed all that much... are you still saying that you dont get it? comone that is damn cool and interesting... i wanna know if everything is true... then what we see in the next dimension..


--

as for the rest of the items on your list... i dont get them either...
Reply #10 Top

highbass:  Great reply!  Thanks for the thoughts.

Anime - excellent storylines a good change from Barney.... actually some of them are meant for mature audience... its like a movie just better... and nowadays most of these movies coming out are based on Animes... ull be suprised that what you say was initially Anime...

I don't know man.  Barney is just so big.  And purple.  Tough to compete with.  Seriously though, the storylines are one of the main things that perplexes me about Anime.  I don't think they are excellent.  I think they are ridiculous, incoherent, and silly.  Most of the time.  Have yet to see Anime that challenged that opinion.

you are listening to mainstream stuff

Actually, I am not listening to any of it.    (BlueDev is currently headbanging to "Simple Human" by Fates Warning.  Rock on!!!)

Grand Theft Auto - simply when it came out it was Revolutionary... (by that i mean GTA3 ... atleast i hope thats what you are talking about)

Yeah, I can see how it was revolutionary, but no longer.

The Beatles - they were ground breaking and thier music is amazing still... same with micheal jackson (dont deny you dont play his tracks even till now)... same with elvis... same with Nirvana... and partly why they are so ground breaking is because new generation still love their music....

I will give you that they were groundbreaking, but I don't find there to be anything amazing in the music.  It just bores me.  And Nirvana gets waaaaay too much credit for the whole grunge thing.  There were other, better bands doing it before them.

Oh, and it was astrology, not astronomy that I don't get.    I love astronomy and find it to be terribly fascinating.

 

Reply #11 Top
haha sorry ... its late and i got astrology and astronomy confused hahaha...

Most of the time. Have yet to see Anime that challenged that opinion.


Matrix was actually an short story Anime before their idea got budgeted and picked up by hollywood... Also same with Aeon Flux... i havent seen the movie but the anime itself is so cool .. the whole concept of how the society functions (somthing similar to George Orwells 1984). As for good mature story line... get Rorouni Kenshin the OVA's not the anime series (which was dumb)... i believe that was based around a true story... quite captivating... the thing with anime is that it appeals to a totally different range of audience (manly mature) so nowadays its another way of telecasting a movie.. so to say... with more freedom and ease on the production bill ... but everybody has their own opinion on it i guess im a kid in a grown mans body:D

Yeah, I can see how it was revolutionary, but no longer.

you are right.. its over done now.. hehe

Reply #12 Top
GTA: I think the acting talent associated with these games is also a major selling point. I mean, getting say Ray Liotta, Burt Reynolds, Dennis Hopper, Tom Sizemore and various others, or Samuel L. Jackson, Chris Penn, Peter Fonda, James Woods, and David Cross etc. in the same film.... its sort of like that kind of experience too. That and it is kickass social commentary(the in-game radio ads in particular).
Reply #13 Top

Why you young whipper snapper!  I am going to take may walker and beat you with it for dissing the Beatles!

Actually, the Beatles are just another group I like.  Specificaly their middle years (66-68) stuff is excellent and that was ground breaking (the early stuff was just bubble gum rock, and the latter stuff drug induced crap).  I never much cared for the stones (although Paint it Black is one of the top 10 songs!).  So I dont revere the Beatles.  But others, like the Elvis fans, do.  Let them live in the past.

And anime?  I guess I will have to take Chiprj's explanation for that!

Reply #14 Top
I am with you on all of the above. There has been an occasional sad movie that touched me but I have never paid to go to see one at the theatre. I don't tend to rent them either. I don't catch them until they hit TV. My Life was one that got to me and Steel Magnolias but both of them dealt with parents dying when their children were babies. Maybe that's my achilles heal.

I don't get the appeal of H2s (the SUV). They are ugly IMO, hard to park, gas guzzlers and who needs something like that in the burbs? People seem to think other people are impressed and maybe they are. Maybe it's just me who doesn't get them.
Reply #15 Top

I have NEVER EVER like the Beatles.  I thought their stuff sounded old when I was a kid!

Blech.

Can't tell you how many arguments I had in college with people who believed a person to be low brow if they thought the Beatles weren't good.

Blech.

 

 

Reply #16 Top

but everybody has their own opinion on it i guess im a kid in a grown mans body:D

Actually, I am sure there are some cool stories in Anime.  Just so much of it seems, well, weird to me.  I must be showing my age. 

That and it is kickass social commentary(the in-game radio ads in particular).

I do recall being highly entertained by the radio.

Why you young whipper snapper! I am going to take may walker and beat you with it for dissing the Beatles!

You keep that walker away from me old man!    As for the Beatles, I agree that they did break some new ground, back in the day.  But, like Tova mentioned, I find it ridiculous when people today assert you are some sort of boorish fool if you don't worship at the feet of Beatledom.  They can bite me. 

I don't get the appeal of H2s (the SUV). They are ugly IMO, hard to park, gas guzzlers and who needs something like that in the burbs? People seem to think other people are impressed and maybe they are. Maybe it's just me who doesn't get them.

Hah.  Actually, I think Hummers are freaking cool.  BUT, I don't get them in the suburban setting either.  Seriously people, are you going to go to war in the parking lot of Kroger?  That SUV is sure going to make the difference, ain't it?  I mean, come on.  I agree with you, silly, silly, silly.

Tova: I have had a similar number of arguments along those very same lines.  The other group I have gotten into arguments over is Simon and Garfunkel.  At my high school, if you didn't think they were the best, you obviously weren't cool.  Good thing I knew from the start I wasn't cool, eh? 

Reply #17 Top

At my high school, if you didn't think they were the best, you obviously weren't cool

Buwhahahhahaha.

No ONE would EVER admit listening to S&G when I was in hs.  Heck, no one I know would now!

Who are they again?

~smirks~

 

Reply #18 Top
Anime - I agree. Just don't get it either.

Rap Music - Again, agreed. I do like some hip-hop: if it has at least a little music and vocals to it. Not much of it does, though.

Grand Theft Auto - Don't get it at all.

The Beatles/Rolling Stones - I think this is a nostalgia thing. Take note of what you consider "oldies but goodies" 20 or 30 years from now. You'll be surprised what stagnant, old farts you like to listen to then!

Ultra Aggressive Drivers - Making up for other inadequacies? Probably. I am waiting for the day when there's one of those 50 or 100 car pile-ups; and they're all ultra-aggressive drivers!!

Sad Movies - I pretty much agree, but I still can't watch the old Disney classic "Old Yeller" in front of anyone else!

Smoking - I am a smoker, and I don't understand it either. Then again, I am not a drinker, and I cannot understand how anyone can drink Scotch without scrunching up their face like they just ate a piece of... well...you get the idea.

Astrology - I think that these are the same folks who do understand Anime!

Great column, BlueDev!
Reply #19 Top
Thanks J-Mac!  I appreciate you stopping by.
Reply #20 Top
Oh, and that stop light? Well, let's just say it stopped us both now, didn't it?


Unless of course that 5 seconds they bought got them through a yellow where you got stopped by the red, and then that happens again, and again, and before you know it they got past every light you got stopped at.

I've been in this situation numerous times, and sure, there are times when I will blow past a slow poke only to have them pull right up behind me when I hit a red. But there are plenty of other times when I blow past them and never see them again, because they got stopped behind me at a light I made it past. Or, I would have made it past a yellow if I could have just gotten in front of them. I hate driving, my time is valuable, and I don't intend to spend it on the road. So I am always in a hurry to get wherever I am going.

I do get mad at slow drivers, because they will sit in the right lane going the same speed as the guy in the left lane so that noone can get by going faster. It's simple, if you aren't going faster, than stay to the left. It works pretty well in Europe.

Totally agree on the rest of the points though.
Reply #21 Top
Good article.

Anime - I never been a fan of it. Though I do like animated films and TV shows. I love the Simpsons and The Family Guy. I don't get people who say they never watch them 'cause cartoons are for children. I rather watch cartoons than Fear Factor.

Rap Music - I'm somewhat of a fan but I'm not here to defend it. We all like what we like. I don't like it all, but there are rap artists who are more than rapping about bling and sex. Given a choice of listening to those rappers and Top 40 radio I would chose rap everytime. BTW .. not all rappers are into treating women badly. There are some out there who treat them better than Yanni.

Grand Theft Auto - Never got into it. It never interest me. In fact I have never played a PC game. Not because they all don't interest me but because I never have had my own PC. For years I had a web TV.

The Beatles / Rolling Stones - I like both groups. But I like all their old stuff. Saying that though I still think the Stones or McCartney should make all the music they want. I wouldn't buy it, but there shouldn't be an age limit. I would still go see Buddy Guy or B.B. King, and I loved Johnny Cash's music up till his death.

Ultra Aggressive Drivers - I hate them. But of course I don't get slow drivers who refuse to go at least within somewhat of the speed limit. It's like their world everywhere is a school zone.

Sad Movies - I don't get them, either. But I will watch one at home with my GF. I will not see one at a theatre though. A friend asked me when was the last time I cried at the movies. I told them the last time I went to a Adam Sandler movie. I cried that I wasted 8 dollars.

Smoking - I have never gotten it. I have never smoked a cigarette. I can not stand the smell. I know this is going to sound weird and may get me in trouble with some women in here but ... A woman smoking while driving a car is one of the most unattractive things to me.

Astrology - I don't get it. But perhaps maybe I should. My horoscope today said I would leave someone a long reply. Sorry, Blue Dev.
Reply #22 Top
  • Anime:
    My opinion is that people who say they love it in general are either being broad with their praise, have only seen good stuff, or are posers. I *love* some anime. I mean I think some of it is on par with anything I have ever seen in any other genre. Most of it, though, is mass-produced crap, turned out carelessly to make a buck, no different than US entertainment. Nothing breeds low quality art than people who buy it just because of its genre.
  • Rap Music:
    The exact same as Anime. There's some really good stuff, but most of it is just drek churned out for people who buy the style or the name of the artist.
  • Grand Theft Auto
    Never played it. I have freinds whose taste I trust who were addicted to it, though, so I don't think it can be all that bad. I play games with my little girl, and as a rule I don't buy anything we can't play together. Doom I can see, slapping prostitutes around is a bit beyond the pale.
  • The Beatles / Rolling Stones:
    "Jumped the Shark" is the right term, I think. After a while you run out of things to say, and you just hang out for the "brand's" sake. The Rolling Stones are a corporate entity, not a band.
  • Ultra Aggressive Drivers:
    Usually either a very tiny penis or working under a fascist boss that you can't get back at. On the way home they abuse old ladies to make themselves feel better. Better than beating their kids, I guess. Oddly, no one that does that to me does it for long. I must have "that certain something" that makes them decide not to pull over.
  • Sad Movies:
    Depends on what you call sad. Tragedy can be great. Stories like "Shadowlands" or the Merchant Ivory movies can rip your heart out but still be worth it. If you are talking about some JLo love story or some Lifetime show about some abused woman that finds love only to die of breast cancer, yeah, they suck.
  • Smoking:
    No one understands an addiction unless they have it. *I* don't even understand why I do what I do. I hate the damn things while I smoke them.

  • Astrology:
    Who knows. My grandmother didn't believe it, but read her horoscope every day. I don't believe in portents or predictions but I never fail to read my fortune cookie. Hope springs eternal, I guess.
Reply #23 Top
Anime: I like some anime. It's something diferent from the same boring movies and children cartoons. But some are just too confusing or exagerated to just way too sexual. I like sex as much as the next man, maybbe more, but some of these animes are just to exagerated in the ways they do them.

Rap Music: I admit every now and then there is a song I like, what I can't stand is songs that talk about how bad they had it, how many chicks they can get, how much money is so important to them and then there's those who I don't even know what the F___ they are saying. Either way, I have never cosidered a rapper a singer. After what I have seen in the rap world in the past 10 years, at least, almost anyone can be a rapper and that is sad. And American Idol version for rappers would have to give a $1 million contract to maybe 75% of those who compete.

Grand Theft Auto: I got hooked on both Vice City and San Andreas. Why? Simple, the best stress reliever ever. Nothing like doing your best to outrun all the polices a game can through at you. and killing as many people as posible just because you can. It's just entertainment, nothing more. Nothing about wanting to kill someone in real life.

The Beatles/Rolling Stones: I love the Beatles, and I'm only 30 years old. I don't really know much about them, just like their music. I have never been a fan of the Rolling Stones, but I know they make good music. It's like when there's that one flavor cake you like so much and everytime you go to the bakery you just can't by anything else other than that cake.

Ultra Aggressive Drivers: I have to admit to being a bit aggressive when driving, I just like speed. But I am very careful and I don't make people get out of the way, I just try to get around them, the legal way of course. Strange, but I feel I have more control when I'm going faster, I can't stand being between a group of cars on a highway for fear that one car breaks and everyone else crashes so I do my best to be all by myself on the road and that sometimes requires me to speed up.

Sad Movies: I'm a bit TV and movie person so I will watch just about anything. I cry with sad movies, a LOL with comedy, I nearly fall off the edge of my seat with action and drama, and I get jumpy once in a while with a really good horro movie like for example Amityville Horror.

Smoking: The only smoke I like is that which has to do with food. BBQ, kitchen, what ever. Beyond that, I have to agree I don't see the point in smoking at all.

Astrology: I am not a devoted fan, but do read it from time to time and it's just kinda scary when it tends to describe part of your day as if they knew what was gonna happen. But then I think it's just one of the coincidence things where you can say something that can apply to just about everyone, like saying tomorow your gonna get wet and it could rain, you can take a bath, or you might need to watsh your car.
Reply #24 Top
Anime:
As with any other genre, there is HUGE variety in the quality. I love just about anything done by Hayao Miyazaki(Princess Mononoke, Nausicaa, Castle in the Sky, Spirited Away, etc.). Other stuff is relatively mindless fun (DragonBall Z). And 90% of everything is crap.

Rap Music:
It's all about how bad, how hot, or how rich you are. It's music for people with no self-esteem to pose about what they want to be.

Grand Theft Auto:
Haven't tried it yet.

The Beatles/Rolling Stones:
The Beatles are great; the Rolling Stones are crap. (Seriously, for some reason I can't stand the raw, obnoxious sound of the Stones.) The important thing is, since they were groundbreaking bands, listen to them to understand what was going on, how the ground was being broken, how they were moving into new territory. Then if you don't care for the sound, stop listening.

Aggressive Drivers:
Young and foolish, most likely. Or set in their bad habits.

Sad Movies:
If there's an important message behind it, I suppose it's okay. Otherwise, blech.

Smoking:
Most people start before they bother to think through the consequences.

Astrology:
It's for people with no self-esteem to believe that they're not to blame for what happens to them.
Reply #25 Top
Re: smoking, I just ran across this quote:

"Pipe smoking contributes to a somewhat calm and objective judgment of human affairs." -Albert Einstein

So there: