I Don’t Like What You Like, And That’s OK

I like different things, you like different things, and that’s ok. We aren’t supposed to all like the same thing. It would make for a very boring world. Imagine if you were all like me. I’d go nuts. And we wouldn’t have been able to make that simple leap from bone to simple tool. Monolith or no monolith.

But we still act and put value judgement on personal taste.

For example, there is a very popular boardgame called Carcassonne. A lot of people love this game. A lot of people have this game. When I bring up boardgames in conversation, they ask me if I’ve played that game. In fact, I’ve even recommended this game to people who are looking for boardgames.

But I don’t like the game. I’ve played it about 5 or so times and won a few times, but I don’t like it.

Have you noticed, however, that sometimes, when a person does not like something that the rest of the world does, then the excuses come pouring out. They will go on how mainstream society will mindlessly cling to any half-baked, mass-produced product spat out by talentless sell-outs and if you had any ‘real’ taste, you would be listening to/watching/playing/reading X! (X being, of course, anything that I make. Like geeklovesongs. Have I plugged that enough?)

I grew up liking things and not liking things different from my peers. At first I thought, “Why does everyone like cheese? It smells bad, tastes awful, and is a product of leaving something to rot for a while.” I would justify it, wonder what’s wrong with my taste buds, and then attribute it to something inane that boosts my ego. Like I have a super ability to dislike cheese because of a strong sense of smell. That would help if I was caught in the wild. With a stronger sense of smell, I could… oh… be disgusted by my own body odour and eventually be devoured by piranhas as I try to wash myself sans soap.

People sometimes do that. They will talk about some innate ability they have that will help them survive in the wild. It’s funnier when geeks do that. Who am I kidding? I get all worked up and flustered when the toilet gets plugged. I can’t exist in the wild.

Which brings up camping. I don’t like that either. But a lot of people do. They’ll go on how freeing camping is, and how Canada is great for camping, and have I gone camping at such and such place, and just how amazing it must be.

The elation in their face is such that those milling about stop to see what exciting and rapturous topic we are engaging in hoping to gain some of the fleeting joy that they experience so little of. And then I say, “Er… I don’t camp, actually.”

And of course their faces fall because now they can’t continue in this most wonderful discussion and I feel like a big loser for popping their bubble. Heck, I’m past popping it. I went and stole all the soap bottles and broke their little circle handles that make them. What are those things called? I wonder if they have a technical name.

Not speaking of cheese, did you know you can’t get a non-cheeseburger at Mcdonalds in Germany? At least not the two I went to. *sigh*

But it’s OK! It’s OK that you love sports and want to go to every game, and you tweet strange jargon to your twitter account about how some team got an advantage… doing something… in the game… like… getting points. You liking sports doesn’t mean you have bad taste. Nor does it mean I have bad taste for not liking it.

Don’t be ashamed of what you like. I like 80’s music. ‘Like’ is a trite word in comparison to the true emotions I possess for 80’s music. However, a lot of people despise it. But that’s OK.

I don’t like Hip Hop. I don’t like Country. I don’t like Britney Spears. But a lot of people do like it, and that’s OK. For that matter, that doesn’t mean I won’t try creating hip hop, or country, or mindless pop. Heck, I like mindless pop. Just… not Britney Spears.

And, although I hate to say it, it’s OK if you like Episodes I, II & III. The series destroys the hopes and dreams of the little child inside of me, but it’s OK.

Now you’re probably thinking “Why is Errol talking about obvious things? Normally he goes on about oatmeal. Or his wife. Or his wife and oatmeal.” Er… you’d better stop with that train of thought.

More likely, you’re thinking, “Errol is talking again. Why have I even read this far?”

Does ‘bad taste’ really exist. Or are our egos that fragile that we need to rank personal preference.

I dunno. I’m wondering why I’m not talking about oatmeal. Or my wife. Or… ya, I’ll stop.