Things you just don't "get".

[Darken12]

That's very interesting, and I guess it makes sense too. I guess I can't really relate being female and English. England and Europe in general don't have many strip clubs probably due to prostitution being legal in most of northern and southwestern Europe. I doubt most guys (or girls) would settle for stripping when they can buy both the ego boost and release at the same time.

Speaking of, I've never understood the whole prostitution being illegal thing. People are going to buy sex regardless of legality and developed countries where prostitution is legal are almost unanimously safer for the sex workers in question. All making it illegal does is make it more likely for prostitutes to be exploited and abused.

According to [url-http://finallyfeminism101.wordpress.com/2008/04/11/prostitution-regulation-exploitation-and-death/]this compilation of sources[/url], legalising prostitution doesn't make much of a dent in sex worker safety when there is still a significant demographic of men who seek prostitution not as a way to get off, but as a way to oppress, degrade and subjugate a woman.

Other than that, prostitution has been illegal mainly out of religious/puritanical reasons (with the rationale that women who sell sex are "filthy" and "morally corrupt") while a significant portion of people have supported making prostitution illegal as a way to prevent the abuse of sex workers, though that obviously hasn't been working very well. It's a complicated issue with a lot of viewpoints and my simplifications are leaving out a lot of issues (such as the rape culture and the Virgin/Whore dichotomy society has been sustaining for a long time).

 

[DeadRise17]

I don't get Cryptozoology. People get paid to study something that hasn't even been proven. Oh, you study the Loch Ness Monster. Do have any samples? No. Do you have any pictures that people took who weren't thinking "Let's set this to blurry mode"? No.

If I can't get paid to study Dragons, then neither should you.

 

[Little Woodsman]

I don't get why Americans obsess over the English royal family.
I mean, I'm sure they are really nice people and everything, but they don't really have anything to do
with us.
Topping that off, the Americans who obsess over it the most obviously *really* don't have any grasp of
how the royal line and titles work--they kept on referring to the Lady Diana as "Princess Di" even after
she was no longer a princess!

 

[vid87]

The more I think about it, the bigger a puzzle it seems to me - why is it in our generation of enlightened, strong, independent women are Twilight, 50 Shades, and Beautiful Creatures, stories that have female protagonists written by actual women who give them no respect or dignity, becoming not just successful but cultural phenomenons?

Because they're written by old, middle class women? Yes, I'm being a bit stereotypical, but the only way that I can rationalize the perversity of 50 shades as a manifestation of someone's imagination is either through boredom, or sexual repression, with Twilight, well, I presume that its self-insert fiction and beautiful creatures was written by a woman that was "rebelling" against her family's traditions by not marrying someone.

Actually, E.L. of 50 Shades is the only "old" woman at 50 years old - the others seem about in their 30's. Hell, one of the Beautiful Creatures authors worked for EA and Activision.

http://beautifulcreaturesauthors.com/about-us/bios/

Yes, I get the self-insertion and living fantasies and all and I myself hypothesize that the main appeal of these books is having boys pay attention to you under any circumstance, but it's those circumstances that bother me - the abstinence moralizing, the terrible writing (at least from what I've heard - I read the intro for 50 Shades and was appalled), the self sabotage - fine, have the witches be forced into light or dark, but why is it the MEN get a choice and women don't? It makes no sense and could've avoided a really bizarre dynamic by just changing one little thing.

Like a lot of other things I don't get, I keep thinking I've missed something, like there's a well-hidden point or message that shows that the author is making some sort of brilliant satire or important statement on sexism but no one has ever pointed it out and I'm forced to conclude that both the authors and the fans just don't care. Fine, that's their choice, but is it because they legitimately like it or is it the hype machine and the lack of material available that makes them overlook the troubling things and only make them think they want it?

Not even just that, but other things like cosmetic surgery, the prevalent laxity on rape in politics and the honest-to-God comeback of the corset makes me think restricted gender roles and stereotyping are still heavily ingrained in our society and it's making for some disturbing trends that women, despite living in a supposed "enlightened" age, either can't break free from or won't.

 

[lizards]

Agreed on the stripclubs.
Also furries.

It's like... either fuck animals or fuck humans. Don't mix dat shit together, yo.

that last one i agree, fuck whatever you want but please dont fuck reality

 

[soren7550]

I don't get:

Community, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Adventure Time, How I Met Your Mother, Parks and Recreation, 30 Rock, and such. I've seen them all, and I just don't get their appeal. The humor is microscopic to non existent, the characters are mostly unrealistic/unrelateable/unlikable, and plots that don't really seem to go anywhere.

Screamy metal. If you're going to have singing, at least sound like you're trying to form words. Don't just scream! What is this popular?

Drinking/Smoking/Drugs. A lot of people in my family have been addicted to one or more of these. I've tried drinking, I've been around smokers, and dealt with druggies. And I don't really see the appeal. When I turned 21, I tried drinking, and I was only able to finish a third of the damn thing. My head felt like it was in a vice, and my throat and mouth were burning most of the time. Why would you keep drinking to the point where you're throwing up or even blackout drunk, and afterwords you're going to have a hangover?
Everyone knows smoking screws you up in so many ways, it smells, you smell afterwords, it leaves a mess, is expensive, why bother?
And drugs can do the same as drinking and smoking, and can be more expensive than both put together, so why do it? I don't understand!!

People who keep using hashtags in their Facebook statuses.

Spending excessive amounts of money on clothes that look like you got them from the Salvation Army.

My roommates. They're just... stupid let's say. And hipsters. Same as their friends.

 

[undeadexistentialist]

Anal sex. Don't get it, never have, doubt I ever will. It seems unhygenic and just generally gross. I mean, why would you want to stick your dick in that anyway? It'd be like having sex with a dry tube smeared with crap. I don't understand how it could ever seem appealing. If you like it great, but I don't see why

 

[The Ubermensch]

I don't get cynical people. Or people who are always negative.

I can't process in my mind what they are thinking that always makes them go to a negative statement.
I don't get when people say ''humans are [insert negative word here]''.
For example if someone says that humanity is selfish, does the person ask himself if they are ?
I can say by experience that a lot of these people that says ''humanity is selfish'' they are themselves.

We should always spend our energy toward something positive. I mean, we have a fantastic brain, we live in a wonderful world with good folks, why always aiming for the negative. Nothing's perfect, but hey, life is life.

Yeah I really don't get it...

To quote the resident cynic here

This applies to every situation.

I bet you're an ESFP untermensch ^.^

 

[Sefa Lagaaia]

Attention whores. Nuff said.

 

[lacktheknack]

Chalk another one up for strip clubs.

Anyways, I don't get interpretive dance.

<youtube=GNh9488y0WI>

I construct a lovely set of meanings in my head where the choreographer is trying to demonstrate the inherent injustice of a patriarchy with demonstrations of crippling and immobility, but then a woman with a microphone in her gullet goes offstage to have an orgasm while a dude with crutches glares menacingly at the audience while smacking a coatrack with a pole coming from his crotch, and I get confused again.

 

[umboo890]

My neighbor is an ant-racist skinhead, apparently those exist, but it still confuses me.
Then again, I like Kamen rider, a thing many people would put on their list.
People who still like fat wreck chords.

 

[fangclaw]

There are way too many things to list so i'll just stick with some gaming ones:

Hating something because it's popular. even worse if you try to hide that you hate it for its popularity and try to cover it up with lame excuses.

Excessive fanboyism. i have never liked anything as much as some other people like something, but i would still consider myself a fanboy of some stuff.

Dante (from original DMC's) he was just a giant joke i can't see any reason to like him.

all of these are my opinions based on my personal experiences.
(one more thing, the fact that i have to do this ^ or else risk being set upon be idiots who can't think enough to figure out that they are my opinions for themselves)

 

[Starik20X6]

I don't get Brony-ism. I've got no problem with it, whatever floats your boat and all that, but I was forced to watch some of the show and it definitely wasn't for me.

[hr]

I don't get how some people seem capable of going through life completely oblivious to the world around them. For an example of what I'm talking about, this is an honest to god conversation I had the other day:

Friend 1: What're you doing?

Me: Just listening to Mel Brooks.

F1: *blank stare*

Me: You know who Mel Brooks is, right?

F1: Yeah...

Me: Ok, what has he done?

F1: ... Movies?

Me: Jesus. *I turn to another friend* Do you know who Mel Brooks is?

Friend 2: *blank stare*

Me: *turning to yet another friend* Please tell me you know who he is!

Friend 3: *pause* ... Braveheart, right?

I swear that happened. And that's by far not the only example I have of this sort of thing. I mean, I can understand not knowing who, say, Bo Burnham [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1wbG58vY7k] is, but this is comedy god Mel freakin' Brooks we're talking about. Honestly.

[hr]

I don't get why people feel the need to factionalise every damn thing on the planet. To these people, liking two similar products produced by different companies, or even acknowledging that the product you aren't supporting has its advantages, is utter madness.

For example, I'm an Apple user. I find the unified interface a lot easier to use than Windows, I like the aesthetics of the products and the Mac exclusive software is more applicable to me. But having said that, I fully recognise and understand that Windows has its own strengths, and I realise why some people prefer it. So it infuriates me when I run in to some narrow minded sack of syphilitic weasels who thinks they're so fucking cool for talking shit about Apple products, and equally as infuriated when some empty-headed hipster moron starts acting like an elitist fuckpuppet about their Apple fandom.

Just grow the fuck up and accept that someone might prefer a different brand to the one you like, or at least try being a bit civil about it. Unless they're saying Mega Bloks are better than LEGO, in which case feed them to the wolves. Honestly, fuck Mega Bloks.

 

[Zombie Sodomy]

I don't get anyone who has ever said, "I don't wan't to hear that." or "Never-mind I don't want to know" Stop getting involved in my conversations. I want to know everything. I don't care how gross or embarrassing it might be, I want to know and you're keeping me from finding out.

This other one is probably going to sound weird, but I just don't get kissing. I'm not asexual or germaphobic (auto-correct insists I mean hermaphroditic) or anything but I don't get the purpose or appeal. It just seems weird and like a waste of time to me.

 

[Zombie Sodomy]

Anal sex. Don't get it, never have, doubt I ever will. It seems unhygenic and just generally gross. I mean, why would you want to stick your dick in that anyway? It'd be like having sex with a dry tube smeared with crap. I don't understand how it could ever seem appealing. If you like it great, but I don't see why

As far as "dry tube smeared with crap" goes, both of those problems can be solved with lube and a few enema's.

 

[Candidus]

Fashion. Or any clothing 'issues' actually. I'm wearing pink pajama trousers right now that I don't like or dislike. I'm wearing a black button shirt-- one of about thirty identical shirts that I own-- that I don't like or dislike. I wear them because they negate the risk of my being arrested for indecent exposure out of doors, and I wear other things depending on the climate. Those are my sole motives for being attired at all.

I find the thought of dressing to make a statement pretty pathetic. The only statement one can make by getting dressed is the public affirmation that one owns some clothes and CAN dress at all (i'm prepared to take it on faith that most people I see dressed have done it themselves). Whoop de-do.

You think when I see you wearing a suit at work that I credit you anything based on how tidy it is? You could be the worst person in the world at your job, or the best. I don't know. Your rags do nothing to convince me either way, so you might as well be wearing something you actually like.

No, I don't get fashion or mandatory dress codes at all.

 

[JemothSkarii]

The main ones that I don't 'get' would cause riots on here far worse than those ones in Canada not too long ago. So time for the more 'tame' ones (some may admittedly be NSFW):

Big Bang Theory: Is it funny because nerds? I mean, I'm one for self deprecating humour, I use it all the time. But when I watch it or hear about it, people talk like it's the funniest shit since George Carlin. It's almost to the point of annoyance, but I do enjoy it when the whole 'Zimbabwe' thing gets involved, which leads me to my next one...

Reality TV: This will cover stuff such as Big Brother, King of the Nerds and The Biggest Loser. I think people enjoy this because they want to feel good about themselves. Now I'm not a perfect man, I've done little with my life in reflection so maybe I can sympathise. But watching people lose weight at unhealthy speeds? Watching super stereotyped nerds be nerds in an almost mocking fashion? It's personally moronic and just sad to watch someone laugh with glee over this.

(NSFW-ish) Vore: I just don't get it, is it tied in with masochism or sadism? With the pleasure of food (which I can understand, enjoying a meal, no matter how simple is always great). But arousal over eating/being eaten? It's something I generally see as a Furry (No, I don't like to fuck animals or anything, it ties win with a love of RP, Writing and some form of Escapism personally) and even I think it's freakin weird.

 

[dvd_72]

Y'know I don't *get* alcohol in general. You're seriously telling me to drink something that dehydrates you, makes you ill, makes you look and act like a complete twat and generally lowers your IQ for awhile? How about no?

I mean I don't even like the taste of any alcohols but that's beside the point.

Well a little bit of alcohol is fun. When you're tipsy laughter flows more easily, you feel a little bit happier and it generally makes a good time better.

Now, getting shit faced drunk is where I lose understanding. I get getting tipsy, but getting so drunk you act like a stupid dip shit the whole night, force the more sober of your friends to look out for you and then don't have the decency to remember? Yea, fuck doing that.