And you can’t understand WHY everyone likes it?
Harry Potter. Bubble baths. Autumn. Oasis. These are just a few of the things that leave me cold, things I can’t get my head around why anyone would like/enjoy/participate in at all. Stuff that makes me go, Whyyyy?? Stuff that makes me want to run to the hills screaming, all the while baffled at the appeal that it has to everyone… everyone except me.
[Reading time: 9 mins]
Now I KNOW that these things will be controversial, and I know I might offend many people reading this(!) but that’s kind of the point. (My intention isn’t actually to offend, and to preempt all the keyboard warriors out there: CALM DOWN, IT’S JUST A BIT OF FUN.)
The post is, after all, about things I can’t stand that everyone else – or NEARLY everyone else – loves. (Maybe you agree with me on some of these, and you want to proclaim to the world: AT LAST! SOMEONE SAID IT!!)
There are, I’m sure, PLENTY of things that I love, or do, or say, that many, many other people dislike or can’t stand.
And that’s okay – we’re all different and that just makes life more interesting.
So no judgement from me if you do/like/have any of these things – life would be much more boring if we all did and liked the same stuff. Plus I LOVE it when people have hobbies others would class as weird or nerdy, I thoroughly believe in not having guilty pleasures or fear of what others think. I just reckon it’s funny when you can’t bear something that everyone else seems to love… does that make ME the weirdo, I wonder…?!!
No, no, no, no… aaaaaaargh the thought of bubbles touching me sends shivers down my spine (and not in a good way). I really don’t understand how people can have a “relaxing” bubble bath – it’d do the exact opposite for me, I’d be completely tense till I got that damn fluffy stuff off my skin. As a kid, I remember swooshing all the bubbles down the other end when my mum ran me a bath so they wouldn’t touch me. As a side note, I have a horrible fear of insects (especially spiders, flies and moths) touching my bare skin probably because it’s a similar feeling. Soft, “feathery” things touching my skin. Ughhhh, get them all away from me.
WHY? Why would you do that? Maybe it’s a wholly British thing, but if I see someone dunking a biscuit in their tea I have to look away at what comes out. If I left a biscuit on the kitchen side and spilt tea on it by mistake, there’s NO WAY I’d pick it up and eat it… it’s now soggy, ffs. Plus, crumbs in the cup when you get to the bottom. OMG now I’m gagging.
Oh lord, I don’t get this. At all. I mean, I don’t have children so I’ve never had to sit down and watch any of them properly, but ANY movie with English public school kids just puts me right off (maybe because I was one myself, with the uniforms, old Victorian classrooms, etc. Though I loved school…?!). The clips I’ve seen make the HP movies look like they have the worst special effects ever, and don’t get me started on the whole Lord of the Rings rip-off theory I have. Every character seems to have a parallel character in LOTR: Frodo/Harry, Gandalph/Dumbledore, Sam/Ron, Gollum/that little skinny creature thing (I can’t even be bothered to look up his name). So yeah, it leaves me cold. But then get this: I freakin’ LOVE Daniel Radcliffe as an actor [in other stuff] and as a human being. I think he’s awesome. Emma Watson: same. Just love her entire feminist badassery.
DOBBY. (Dobbie?) That’s JK Rowling’s Gollum equivalent. Dobby… =rolls eyes=
I’m imagining the first few bars of the opening music: BA-DAH, DAH DAH DAH DAH DAHHHH, BA-DAH DAH DAH DAH…” Aaaaaaargh noooooo, turn it OFF. Watching it makes me want to stab my eyes out with a spoon. First of all, the dancing is pretty awful for the first several weeks until the bad ones are voted off. Then the band – OMG the band. The singing is the worst bit. Bad covers of popular songs are bad at the best of times, but add dancing that makes me cringe and you’ve got the cringefest to end all cringefests. I do NOT want to watch a sleazy politician tango awkwardly round the room with a sequinned-covered, lithe-limbed ballroom dancer to a lousy cover of Robbie Williams’ “Let Me Entertain You” or “Roxanne” by The Police. (Can you tell I don’t like Strictly…?!!)
This is hardly surprising seeing as I rarely dress in all neutrals – yeah you guessed it, my home is pretty colourful. Most walls are white, but just about everything IN the house is brightly coloured or patterned. So the interiors you see so often on TV and Instagram which are an abundance of grey, charcoal, silver and – just to mix it up a bit – black and white leave me (literally) cold. Grey carpets, grey wallpaper, grey soft furnishings, silver accents… I can’t be dealing with all the cold greyness. Now in small doses, I LOVE grey – my upholstered bed is a soft grey and so is the sofabed in my office – but I pile the colour on top to make me feel happy, in the same way my mood is brought right down by wearing all-black. It’s a trend I’ll be glad to see the back of.
If I hear the first couple of bars of ANY Oasis track, I can’t move myself quick enough to either turn off the radio or shout ALEXA STOP!! at the top of my lungs. Apart from the fact that any of their Beatles-rip-off tracks will stick in my head like the world’s worst earworm all day, I just can’t stand Liam’s whingey, whiny vocals. The tracks sound all the same. And everyone seems to absolutely adore them and I cannot work out why for the life of me. Give me Blur over Oasis any day, forever and ever.
Sorry everyone who does any of these, but I can’t stand clicking fingers or jumping in reels to magically change outfits. I can’t stand any kind of hauls. I can’t stand unboxing (I mean, what’s interesting about seeing something come out of a box?!). I can’t stand changing room selfies and try-ons. I can’t stand things like that ice bucket challenge a few years ago, or any other kind of “challenge”. I’m often not keen on any of these to begin with, but then every influencer and their dog jumps on the trend and does it to death. Any interest I might have had in it in the beginning gets killed off very, very quickly.
Coffee, cappuccino, lattes, espresso… I can’t stand any of it. As far as I’m concerned, coffee smells absolutely RANCID. I don’t get it. Why anyone drinks something that literally smells like coffee breath is beyond me.
I think this might take the biscuit (not dunked in tea) for the most unpopular one here (or would that be coffee?). I have NEVER been a wine drinker, and I have NEVER been able to get used to the taste. Beer, lager, cider, gin, prosecco, etc. – I love them all. Wine? Just the smell is bad enough. However, I will say I love cooking with wine. Maybe it’s the smell I can’t get past and once it’s in food and the alcohol has been blasted away I can take it? Who knows. But I’m nearly 50 and I don’t think I’ll ever come around to being a wine drinker. At least my teeth will be saved from the staining red wine drinkers complain about ; -)
Maybe this is an age thing, but the older I’ve got, and with online shopping becoming easier and easier, the less I’ve wanted to “go into town” to do any sort of shopping. Our nearest big town/city for proper high street shopping is Exeter (about a 30-minute drive) and I honestly can’t remember the last time I went in for actual shopping. I’ve definitely not been since they built the new Vue cinema there, because that’s the only thing we’ve been into Exeter for… and that was built in 2006. The crowds, finding a parking space, the queuing, the changing rooms, the time it all takes, not finding what you want – all utterly hideous. I KNOW they talk about the death of the high street, etc. etc. and I KNOW I’m contributing to that by buying online, but thankfully I live in a small market town with lovely independent shops and businesses – and those I DO support and shop from. But the high street can take a hike as far as I’m concerned.
Another thing that leaves me cold. If there’s something I can’t stand watching or understand the appeal that it has, it’s people being thoroughly vile to each other. I just don’t get why anyone would watch arguing, backstabbing, temper tantrums or general bad behaviour of any kind under the guise of “reality”. I watched (and enjoyed) the first couple of series of Big Brother 20 years ago when it was more of a social experiment, but since TV has become saturated with these shows I just can’t justify spending my life sitting watching others being terrible human beings. The only reality show I sometimes watch is I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here, but only if they’re a nice bunch and they get on. If it’s becoming clear that it’s going to be a bitch-fest or has behaviour that tantamounts to bullying, then I’M outta there. Maybe it’s my age, but give me The Repair Shop, with its heartwarming stories and feel-good restorations, over that reality rubbish and celebrity wannabes any day.
Nights that get longer and longer and days that get shorter and shorter (“OMG it’s only 5 o’clock and it’s already dark”). Days getting colder and colder. Rain. All that mess from leaves dropping everywhere that need raking up. The horror of winter stretching out ahead of me and knowing I’ve got at least another six months of this to come, only worse. Having to wear more and more clothes rather than being able to throw on a dress and sandals. Knowing that if I don’t put the heating on I’ll be really cold, but I was sitting outside in the sun just four weeks ago and I’m not going to do it out of principle. Why people rate autumn over spring or summer will NEVER make sense to me. I like warmth, I like daylight, I like hanging the washing on the line and not having to hang it on the airer indoors. I say let’s ban autumn and winter and just have spring and summer instead.
I’ve talked about this before, but it continues to be done to death on social media. I feel like the “blowing kisses at the camera” thing at the end of a video clip or similar is done just because they can’t think of a better way to end the clip. And GOD it makes me cringe. I think the only person who ever did it convincingly was Marilyn Monroe, and we should allow her to be the only one to have ever done it. I’ve been asked to do it on photo shoots and after the last time I vowed that I’ll refuse next time I’m asked. That next time is yet to happen; I’ll keep you updated.
I don’t know why, but when footballers earn half a million quid every time their foot comes into contact with a round lump of air covered in synthetic leather it irks me a bit [when nurses, for example, are paid pittance]. And I say that as a football fan: I’m still crying into my tea every time I’m reminded of England losing to Italy in the Euros last weekend. Anyway, Ronaldo: all the talk of him being the most stunning male ever to walk the earth… OMG really?! I’m sorry but he absolutely creeps me out. And maybe I’m wrong, but he acts like such a sore loser when he either loses a match or loses the ball. And yes, I understand that he may be the nicest person on the planet and I don’t doubt that he might be a very generous or charitable man indeed. But where the adoration of him comes from – especially where women are concerned – simply baffles me.
(And for all you Brits out there – have a look at pictures of a very young Cliff Richard in the 1950s. He’s the SPIT of Ronaldo, amirite?! He ain’t no Chris Hemsworth, if you ask me. Which I know you didn’t.)
This might be my strangest one here, and maybe belongs on my list of weird phobias I have, but when duvets (with a cover) are on a bed I can’t bear to see the end or edges of the duvet just hanging over the edge of the bed. All flappy and hanging there. It makes me want to get a big bedspread or blanket and cover the whole thing until it’s all tucked in all neat under the mattress like a hotel bed (I’m a bit of a Monica when it comes to making the bed). When people show off their new bedding on social media and I see a floating duvet with those visible bottom corners I’m freaked out. I think it has to do with the fact that I can’t stand getting into a bed when the duvet is loose and flappy by my feet, because if it’s not tucked in then the monsters will be able to get in and bite my feet off. And for anyone thinking that that doesn’t actually happen, WHAT IS THE MATTER WITH YOU…
This one I KNOW will offend many…! I’ve just never seen a tattoo I’ve liked. Some I find a lot less offensive than others (some really colourful and beautifully executed ones are just about acceptable in my eyes), but to cover up beautiful skin with an image or pattern that’ll most likely date in 10 years… why? I’m all for people wearing whatever they want, having whatever hairstyle they want, etc. etc. but none of those things are permanent. I don’t understand it. I actually considered getting a tattoo in the 90s, and the one I was considering? Yes, the 90s lower back tattoo, AKA The Tramp Stamp. Dodged a bullet there – thank goodness I made myself think about it for six months and only then get it if I still liked the pattern. Guess what – I hated the pattern AND the placement position after about three weeks. Tattoos almost always date, and I have serious doubts when someone says they’ll love it forever. I said that about dyeing my hair black 30 years ago. Imagine if I had to have black hair forever #TheHorror
No, I don’t want to go out for a cheeky beer. No, I don’t need a cheeky nap. Nor do I want to order a cheeky Nandos. I have no explanation why this expression grates on me so much, but I get so judgemental when people use it (I’m really sorry if you use this expression, but ughhhhh). It’s just so CRINGEY, it’s as if you’re a middle-aged person using expressions that you think are down with the kids. Let’s allow this one to die along with “Wassssup” and “…not!“.
This song makes my ears bleed. There are SO many great Christmas songs; even some of the cheesy ones that they play over and over and over again are fine with me. But MARIAH CAREY?! Why would I want to listen to her warbling all those unnecessary, gratuitous notes up and down at ANY time, let alone at Christmas when you have to put up with a somewhat limited music selection anyway, hearing the same songs a hundred times over? All I want for Christmas is for that song to be dumped into the bargain bin and never heard ever again. There, I’ve said it.
✷ ✷ ✷ ✷ ✷
Stay safe XOXO
P.S. One week today will be my 10th (TENTH!!) blogiversary, as well as my 49th birthday. Expect another blogiversary post and some very exciting images: all will be revealed next week on Friday 23rd! Can’t believe it’s been 10 years…
Linking up to… Monday: Stylish Monday, Inspire Me Monday, Ageless Style Linkup (first Monday of the month), My Glittery Heart, On Mondays We Link Up || Tuesday: Style With a Smile, Trend Spin/Walking in Memphis in High Heels, Turning Heads Tuesday, Spread the Kindness, Confident Twosday, Happy Now Blog Link Up || Wednesday: Style Me Wednesday, WowOnWednesday || Thursday: Chic & Stylish || Friday: Fancy Friday, On the Edge, Fabulous Friday, Fabulous Friday’s Link Up
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