From time to time I find myself swimming against the current of accepted wisdom. Below are just some of places where I diverge from the pop culture consensus. I’ll add to this list as items occur to me.
Where do you diverge from the pop culture consensus?
—- MOVIES —-
Jar Jar Binks
I liked Jar Jar Binks. What else is there to say. I thought he was an amusing character. I was happy to see him return in Attack of the Clones and the Clone Wars.
Gigli
I didn’t think Gigli sucked. It was far from great. It would probably rate 2 out of 5 Dale-heads if I were to review it formally. But it doesn’t deserve to be the butt of all jokes and one of the most lambasted movies of all time.
The English Patient
If there ever was a more boring, self-indulgent, overly-hyped movie, than The English Patient, I don’t know what it is. It was cathartic to see the fictional Seinfeld character Elaine Benes hate on the movie in the English Patient episode! :) This is probably the only thing I ever agreed with the Elaine character on.
Citizen Kane
I’m a classic movie fan. Citizen Kane is consistently at the top of the AFI 100 and other top movie lists. I vehemently disagree. While Orson Wells had some interesting moments, not only should it not belong on any ‘best movie’ lists, I consider it to be in the bottom 20% of all the movies I’ve seen – and I’ve seen a lot. I’ve sat down to review it twice. If/when I complete it, I’ll post my review and link it here.
—- MUSIC —-
Michael Jackson
Yes, he’s a little wacky. Aren’t most geniuses? If he molested boys, that cannot be condoned.Whether or not he ‘did it’, he’s still one of the most dynamic and interesting performers I’ve ever witnessed.
Beatles
I have never thought the Beatles were any better than your average band. I have never understood why they are so beloved. I don’t like many of their songs.
—- TV —-
The Office
The few times I watched this show, it made me cringe. It’s one uncomfortable moment after the other. You couldn’t pay me to watch this show.
—- SPORTS —-
Sharapova and Kournikova
Tennis is my favourite professional sport to watch. It drives me to distraction to see the media focus so much attention on Maria Sharapova and her predecessor to the tennis beauty-queen crown, Anna Kournikova. It particularly disturbs me that the networks will cover the tennis matches of the cuties over the better player matches. I want to watch quality tennis – not pretty faces and accentuated curves at the expense of the sport. I’m concerned that Ana Ivanovic may be falling into the same beauty before athletics trap.
3 Set Matches in Women’s Grand Slam Tennis
Sticking to my belief that tennis should be about fitness and athletics, I can’t understand why women’s grand slam tennis matches are limited to 3 sets when the men’s matches are 5 set matches. Women’s hockey, soccer, basketball, baseball etc. teams do not play on smaller courts or for shorter amounts of time. Fitness and endurance should play as much a role in deciding who the best women players are as they do on the men’s side. The recently retired Justine Henin is the poster girl for fit and athletic women tennis players. I want to see more players like her. We need 5 set women’s matches for them to rise to the top. I firmly believe that one of the reasons women’s tennis matches are typically not of the quality of the men’s matches is because 3 set matches hold women to a lower standard.
Hockey
I’m a Canadian and I don’t like hockey. There I said it. If there was anything that American’s found surprising about me when I lived in California, this is it. My opinion would change somewhat if fighting was removed from the sport. But not by much. In my opinion, any player that starts a fight should be banned from hockey for 1 year. If he does it again he should be banned for life – period!
I diverge from the norm on the following.
1. Coffee. What's the buzz? I ask. Apparently quite the buzz, judging by the number of folks hooked on it. I never drink coffee, tasted it once, didn't like the taste and especially the aftertaste. Very safe to say that I had nothing to do with the Tim Hortons gold mine.
2. Saturday Night Live. When it comes to comedy, I like it many ways – zany, absurd, and especially subtle. But I just don't find SNL funny at all. I have tried watching a few times over the years, but didn't stay tuned very long. The biggest attraction is the star power but what a waste.
3. Shrimp. I know it is a delicacy to a lot of folks, but not for me. There's lots of way to disguise it, probably because it needs a disguise. I'll take lobster over shrimp any day.
SNL has been mostly unfunny for years. Maybe they'd do better if it wasn't live.
Ha! Wish I shared your coffee aversion! As for SNL, I have generally not enjoyed the show either EXCEPT the first segment, because its usually about U.S. politics – I'm a political junky, and the Weekend update news segment. I record it on my TiVo every week just to watch those two segments. The rest I skip through then delete.
Me likes my shrip though. But I'm not a-ga-ga over like many
I liked Jar Jar too.
But then I'm so far off the pop culture consensus I can't even see it from out here.
Dale,
I really don't know where to begin…..Wait..I do!
Jar Jar Binks:
While Lucas was cashing in on Jar Jar's idiotic slapstick comedy appeal with young children it just ended up insulting the true fans of the series. See the following quote..
Homer Simpson: ” Barney's film had heart, but Football in the Groin had a football in the groin.”
The Beatles:
Song: The End
Album: Abbey Road
Lyric: 'And in the end, the love you get is equal to the love you give,'
Also before you call the freakin Beatles were not “any better than your average band”
I would like to know exactally what albums you have listened to in full and how many times. Not being a fan of “love me do” is one thing..but judging an entire body of work on the merits of a few songs is another (if that is infact the case).
The Office:
This may be the greatest comedy ever aired on TV!
“It’s one uncomfortable moment after the other” – This is very much on purpose and it's what makes it so great. In the moment of watching it, yes, you do wiggle in your seat a bit….but when discussing it with your friends afterwards you cannot stop laughing. The genius of the show is not blatently displayed on the surface level. I reccomend “2 & 1/2 Men” Its much more instantly gratifying but leaves you feeling empty inside.
As for the rest of the list…I will take it up with you then next time im in TO!
Brian
Dale,
I really don't know where to begin…..Wait..I do!
Jar Jar Binks:
While Lucas was cashing in on Jar Jar's idiotic slapstick comedy appeal with young children it just ended up insulting the true fans of the series. See the following quote..
Homer Simpson: ” Barney's film had heart, but Football in the Groin had a football in the groin.”
The Beatles:
Song: The End
Album: Abbey Road
Lyric: 'And in the end, the love you get is equal to the love you give,'
Also before you call the freakin Beatles were not “any better than your average band”
I would like to know exactally what albums you have listened to in full and how many times. Not being a fan of “love me do” is one thing..but judging an entire body of work on the merits of a few songs is another (if that is infact the case).
The Office:
This may be the greatest comedy ever aired on TV!
“It’s one uncomfortable moment after the other” – This is very much on purpose and it's what makes it so great. In the moment of watching it, yes, you do wiggle in your seat a bit….but when discussing it with your friends afterwards you cannot stop laughing. The genius of the show is not blatently displayed on the surface level. I reccomend “2 & 1/2 Men” Its much more instantly gratifying but leaves you feeling empty inside.
As for the rest of the list…I will take it up with you then next time im in TO!
Brian
Brian:
I fully expected most would disagree with this post – that is really the point of this post 🙂
These are areas where I disagree with most. Are there any movies, tv shows, music etc. that you dislike that everyone else seems to love?
As for the Beatles I couldn't tell you what song comes from what album. That's the point!!! To me the Beatles sounds mostly the same from album to album, decade to decade. I do acknowledge that as they got rich they had more money to spend on huge backup bands and other flares. No doubt when you sing 1,000 songs, a few of them will be good. There are a few I enjoy. I've been listening to the Beatles for 44 years – you can't get away from them. If you've listened to radio, in 44 years you'll have heard every Beatles songs, incessantly, over and over and a 100 tributes. You can't miss them. I would venture to say it would be impossible for there to be a Beatles song I haven't heard at least a half dozen to a dozen times in my life.
I don't understand your Homer Simspson quote.
we will be miss you MJ!!! 🙁