Things I do not understand

[lesbiassparrow]

There are many things I do not understand, chief amongst which is science in any of its forms.  Which is sad, because I once did understand some science when I did it at school and stuff, but now even basic chemistry fills me with superstitious awe, much like a medieval peasant faced with the concept of soap. 

But one of the things I really don't get is why do people consistently watch things they obviously loathe?  I get hanging onto old stuff for a bit in the hope it gets better (this explains my watching of about half of Buffy season 6), but if it is clearly giving you such pain that it is as if the entire universe has not only betrayed you, but also kicked your pet, stole your favourite piece of clothing, burned down your house, danced on the ashes of its smouldering ruin and then used your DVDs as coasters while cackling evilly, then surely it is not worth it?  Because quite frequently it is clear that people's relationship with entertainment they are not enjoying  is not 'oh, I'll watch it and have fun mocking it light heartedly' but something that they are taking very much to heart and actually obsessing about.  Endlessly.

I know I've been guilty of watching things myself which I did not enjoy and posting about them afterwards (I am thinking shamefully of some McCoy Dr. Who episodes) and then going back for more, but not for month and months of time.  And it's not (I hope) as if I felt those things purposefully set out to offend me and my intelligence on a very personal level.  There are many things that I don't like that other people find excellent and I assume it is because my taste is different and not because I see things very deeply and they are sheep who but graze on the side of the television road and are frequently run over by sit-coms and the like.  I watch telly in my free time; I have to do/read/see enough stuff in my real life that I do not enjoy not to want to have to repeat that in my spare time.

(I apologise for the rant: I think I am excessively grumpy today because I have been putting together a syllabus on imperialism and if there is anything that depresses you it is reading stuff about ancient cruelties in the name of nations and ideals and power and realising that absolutely nothing has changed.) 

Comments

[bluekermit.livejournal.com]

That is one of the things that fascinates me in this corner of the Internet called fandom, that I discovered some two years ago. And I have nothing else to add on this matter, than my own wtf gaze.

Ancient cruelties and absolutely nothing has changed. I cling desperately to the idea that we can still make a difference, somehow.

[lesbiassparrow.livejournal.com]

I know! And what gets me is that so much of the dislike is not just dislike, but smug happiness about the dislike. And self-righteous to boot.