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Now I have a bunch of nerd friends and acquaintances I hang around with at the local Games Workshop. Often this nerd group tends to agree on the typical nerd things like the 'star wars' prequels are garbage, any movie sequel made many, many years after the previous one is garbage, Mat Ward is like the John Madden for warhammer players (least in hatred from fans) and so forth.

For me though I can't always agree on everything my nerd friends do. For one I am fairly casual in my interest in Star Wars. Honestly with the exception of the video game series 'jedi knight' I've never really cared much about it during any time. When people tell me Han shot first or Han only shot and they act like changing it matters so much I just don't seem to understand or care. Personally I also fall in with the crowd that never understood the love of Boba Fett. Boba Fett looks cool and every one of his 10 words or less lines during the whole original series sound cool when he speaks them but aside from looking cool and having a jetpack he doesn't really do anything at all awesome or otherwise. Seriously he may as well have tripped on some banana peels on his way into that sarlacc pit. I'm pretty sure Boba Fett was built up only based on fan hype. Not only that but the one in a million shot type moments where all logic just puts its pants on its head with the simple explanation that 'the force wills it' (my main issue was the fight with jabba the hutt on the sand barges). I mean the adventure of star wars itself is fun and goofy but it's not exactly thought-provoking in any way. Perhaps I just never really got it.

Anyway are there any series that are fairly popular in fiction that you guys just never got into? To an extent though I love 40k the lore never really interested me like warhammer fantasy did. That's a subject for another day though.

There is plenty of stuff where I have more or one friends super into it, that I'll just casually enjoy but not pursue on my own:

Star Wars*, 40k, Super Heroes*, Firefly*, Historical Simulator games (Crusader Kings II etc..), Nerf/Airsoft/Paintpall, Disney*, FPS Games, Whitewolf RPGs*,

Where an asterisk mark things that are super popular with multiple people. Of course there is the stuff I have friends that are super into it that I just have zero interest in whatsoever. When these come up it's zone-out city for me:

My Little Pony, LARP, Fanfiction, Homestuck, Various Cartoons (Adventure Time, that one with the two kids I can't remember the name of, Steven Universe), Zombies

 flamingkillamajig wrote:


Anyway are there any series that are fairly popular in fiction that you guys just never got into?

Certainly. There's Firefly/Serenity that I absolutely just don't like. I also strongly dislike anything Dragonball, but am largely ambivalent to most anime (in general, if a female main character has a super high pitched squeaky voice, i wont like it)

I like Star Trek, but if someone starts a sentence with "remember in Episode XXX..." I zone out. I've also never gotten into Battlestar Galactica, or the Stargate franchise (I liked the first movie, but just never got into the series)


I'm sure that there's more I could list, but I'll probably think of them based on some replies.

Besides a few games I play I have zero in common with the group I play with on Friday nights.
State, religion, political party, number of kids, hobbies besides gaming are all different. One guy is married to so I guess that's one thing we have in common

When I'm into a nerd hobby I'm either mildly uninterested or balls deep in the nerdiness. When I'm into a hobby though, I don't mind casuals, because I can be a casual too.

Except Dark Souls, the filthy casuals need to git gud fast.

 Ensis Ferrae wrote:
I also strongly dislike anything Dragonball, but am largely ambivalent to most anime (in general, if a female main character has a super high pitched squeaky voice, i wont like it)

This is reason #2 Why I prefer dubs when not terrible (#1 being that If I'm going to be reading it, I'll read the Manga instead!).

I am actually pretty casual on 40k's lore. I can't name all the primarchs, nor do I care to, and I only know the broad strokes of 40k's background. I played the game for the models and I know more about the 40k model line than I do the lore itself and that goes for most of the games I play. While the background and fluff often suck me in at first, it is the game's models that really hold my attention and that seems to be what I anchor my fandom around. At times this has led to me feel like a "filthy casual" because it seems that so many people are more familiar with the lore that my limited knowledge paints me as a newbie even if I have been involved with a game for years.

Non-gaming related I have only seen a handful of Dr. Who episodes and can't really get into that series, though I often feel like my geek card should be forfeit for that omission.

The only stuff I am really into is 40k and LotR. (also some smaller stuff like Dropzone Commander).
I also really like Star Trek (I've had a year or so that I was really into it), but have only seen a few episodes. I also only really like Klingons, the rest of the universe is a bit meh. But Klingons are awesome.
I also like Star Wars a lot, but never saw more than the movies and a couple of games. The whole extended universe thing I don't care about.
I have also watched the first two seasons of Battlestar Galactica. I liked that a lot.

That is the whole extend of my nerdiness. I don't know, don't care. I am more into politics.
I even actually dislike a lot of nerdy stuff. Like Doctor Who. I have never seen it and know nothing about it except that it has time travel and that the villains look like salt and pepper shakers. How can anyone get into a series where the villains are so silly? I just can't take it seriously.

 DarkTraveler777 wrote:


Non-gaming related I have only seen a handful of Dr. Who episodes and can't really get into that series, though I often feel like my geek card should be forfeit for that omission.

Only if you're british though I do feel like not caring too much about 'star wars' doesn't make me a nerd in my nerd group's eyes. I mean I like it but I won't freak out about it. Warhammer fantasy though I was really into. Age of Sigmar is every reason I left 40k. It has space marines (basically a mary sue super good faction), it's more for kids and 40k players and the humor is just childish. That said that's something I'm really into.

I like firefly but I never really got into it. Same with anime about liking it but only casually. My favorite anime are usually with less over-the-top emoting anime characters and more along the lines of 'monster', 'parasyte', 'gungrave' and that sort of thing. Harem anime helped kill anime for me. Sorry anime fans I like you to an extent but I hate or am only mildly interested in what you enjoy.

Oh and on the subject of not being excited about 40k's lore I can agree. Some bits of it are interesting but every time where it's basically a 12 year old boy living his power fantasy in powered armor just has me sighing. Seriously though 40k wouldn't be the same without it I seriously wish space marines and the grim dark crap would take a hike. Some people like it but there's a difference between hard truths and hard reality and just going over-the-top violence. Even in ridiculous crappy settings people should be able to enjoy themselves sometimes. It just seems so emo to me if the setting was a person.

I've been called that on video game/MMO forums. Mostly by l33t haxx0r dude-bro basement dwellers, who min-max and whale their way to the top of the heap.

I've never been called a "filthy casual" by anyone, but there are plenty of things that I don't care for that some of my friends/family do like. Some I could name:
Dr. Who, all varieties of anime, Harry Potter, comic books (although I love the movies with those characters!), World of Warcraft, and probably others, but I can't think of them right now.

Anything can have hidden depths and if you swing in the right circles, people will call you out on being too casual. I have been called a casual in painting, Simpsons, Superheros, 1980s B movies, and binoculars (by my own father no less ). Other things that I know that I am casual in, but no one has called me out on it yet, include computers, Fallout lore, and most anime. There is just too much in the world to explore.

A XKCD comic:

I think it depends on your outlook. I'm very attached to the Star Wars Movies, and to 1990s era 40k, but I consider the expanded universe, and black library, as little more than fanfic. I don't even want to read it because I often find it annoying.

 ZergSmasher wrote:
I've never been called a "filthy casual" by anyone, but there are plenty of things that I don't care for that some of my friends/family do like. Some I could name:
Dr. Who, all varieties of anime, Harry Potter, comic books (although I love the movies with those characters!), World of Warcraft, and probably others, but I can't think of them right now.

I'd say Harry Potter and Blizzard in general though Warcraft is their most Meh universe for me at least. Blizzard did gritty sci-fi right with starcraft and managed to make protoss which are high tech but also awesome and more like Predators (from the Arnold movie) as opposed to whiny space elves and zerg are organic and feel right like an insectoid race should feel. In many ways I prefer the starcraft factions to their 40k counterparts (including space marines, tyranids and eldar) but it's so overly competitive and has changed so little in gameplay mechanics for a modern day strategy game. I mean why is it such a big deal to split your workers just right and tell em to harvest or to even have ****ing workers in the first place. This is a strategy game not a mining game. Resource management should be as simple as possible. Base building is fine but still needing minerals, gas or chopping wood or crap is not needed. If you want to fight over resources ok but I don't need to balance out my workers and soldiers. Not only that but the idea you need to click a million times till your wrist hurts isn't really strategy. You want to know how total war takes the approach to properly splitting up your guys? Loose formation. The amount of clicks needed is so few. So basically starcraft though sorta fun is just ruined by the hardcore people in my opinion. It's ruined so much by the hardcore fans it fails to develop into the modern era of gaming because of it. That said if that's their game and their market then fine. It's just starcraft in the pro gaming scene is just really not my thing. There's so much maintenance I don't need to do.

I dunno in some senses I like starcraft like the lore of the first game and parts of brood war. This is excepting Kerrigan's campaign in brood war mostly because everything worked out like she wanted it and her opponents made no plans of their own. The fan-base of starcraft and the hardcore nature of the fans is just something I couldn't care less for esp. with them insulting people in lower leagues (fairly typical in competitive games but they take it to new heights for RTS games).

I've never been big into Dr. Who or Monty Python. I like Star Wars okay, but never have been deeper than Kotor or the movies. Never watched Star Trek, but I really liked the new movies- blasphemy in some circles. Never got into Zelda, or was ever super into Mario. Loved WoW pvp, but didn't commit enough to climb ladders.

I own quite a lot of anime, but I've never felt I've fit in at Cons. Just not my crowd, even though we apparently share similar interests. Of course, compared to some of my buddies I'm a fanatic. Just depends on perspective sometimes. Same with horror movies. Among my friends I'm the Horror Hound, but among some of the hardcore crowd my lack of interest in certain areas(anything not a creature feature-but good lord I hate the SyFy CGI garbage) I'm still fairly casual. Sometimes it just depends on who you talk to.

 Iron_Captain wrote:
How can anyone get into a series where the villains are so silly? I just can't take it seriously.

Not taking it seriously is precisely how to get into a series where the villains are so silly.

Doctor Who isn't serious scifi, it's space opera.



For me, it's Game of Thrones. I've seen a few bits and pieces of a few episodes, and it just doesn't grab me. But for the most part, I like my entertainment light and fluffy these days... I probably would have liked it more 20 years ago. Except that 20 years ago, it would have looked less like it does now, and more like Hercules: The Legendary Journeys...

 insaniak wrote:

For me, it's Game of Thrones. I've seen a few bits and pieces of a few episodes, and it just doesn't grab me. But for the most part, I like my entertainment light and fluffy these days... I probably would have liked it more 20 years ago. Except that 20 years ago, it would have looked less like it does now, and more like Hercules: The Legendary Journeys...

I guess this is one series that you could call me "casual" in.... I mean, don't get me wrong, I've read all the books published so far, I own all of the seasons that are released on DVD/Blu-Ray, so while I've enjoyed it, I don't study it.

By studying I mean how, if you talk to certain Trek fans, they can give you the exact minute of a particular episode of that one season, and rattle that gak off as quickly as I could say what I had for lunch today. I don't really care that much that the show is different from the books as some "super fans" might, I just sit back and enjoy the fething show.


The only way that I would personally say I'm not casual about GoT, or any show for that matter, is when you can relate a particular event from the story to an actual historical event. Biggest and easiest one that springs to mind is the Red Wedding. That gak actually happened in Scotland (and perhaps some other places, but the Scotland bit is what I know about). But then, I study history. It's what I do. History is what makes me tick, so I just get all warm and fuzzy when I see a real historical event portrayed, even fictitiously, in film/TV.

The only facet of nerd culture where I really fall into the category of filthy casual is anime. I cannot wrap my head around most anime series because they all seem to follow the formula of 1)interesting premise 2)gets kind of weird 3)gets lame and weird 4) if anyone is still watching we just drag it into the dirt.

I'm a filthy casual for all nerd culture things I'm into.

There's nothing I'm 100% into - there's always something I'll find wrong with it somewhere.

I'm no more than a filthy dabbler when it comes to anime, though. There's only so much that appeals to me - and I can't stand the miyazaki school of design, either.

Same again for video games - I got out before console gaming really became a thing (just say #notendo )

Despite watching Serenity in the theater, twice, and getting all my friends into Firefly, somehow I am still just a filthy casual. I think it's because I got over the show's cancellation and moved on with my life. I'm also pretty casual to any Star Wars product created after 1997.

There are other hobby scenes where I am a casual, but probably better not to get into that.

On the subject of Firefly I still say my favorite characters are Jayne, the main guy and the priest. Favorite girl is the mechanic. I mean yeah she's a pretty blonde that smiles a lot and is a bit pervy but I think she stands up for herself just the right amount without being dominating. I didn't like River, the effeminate doctor or the pilot with the cheesy jokes. I dislike River because we're supposed to like her but for the most part we never get to her being cool so it feels like we're supposed to like her and I just can't. There's honestly no reason for me to like River for the most part excepting one or two occasions.



Much as I like the Captain I can't stand his outfit is seriously Han Solo's same outfit with the top button on his shirt un-done. Though it may have been a nod to Star Wars it's pretty much copyright levels.

I do like the captain's relationship with the high class hooker lady though. Call it whatever you want she's still pretty much a hooker. Also if you get to decide your clients and can at will you have to be pretty freaking desirable or this series is horribly unrealistic.

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Anyway Firefly is a good series but people got way too worked up over it.

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Back on topic to those guys in the game store there was one guy that kept talking about how good each star wars movie was and bringing up an event where a previous store employee's son (I hated this employee btw) said something to the effect of liking the prequels in Star Wars and then the 7th movie and saying the rest don't matter. For him that was a jaw dropping moment. He also at one point said he'd dis-own the kid. Christ I kind of hate the guy that said this. I'm being reminded why I don't like that guy aside from him just being kind of a jerk at times.

I'll admit I was never considered a filthy casual but I think he did say I was either a casual or just an average fan of star wars and that's why I don't like boba fett. This was after I said that though I liked star wars I don't care too much about it.

 Iron_Captain wrote:

I also really like Star Trek (I've had a year or so that I was really into it), but have only seen a few episodes. I also only really like Klingons, the rest of the universe is a bit meh. But Klingons are awesome.

That's probably because Klingons were conceived as Space Russians.

I tried to get into Firefly, I really did, but it didn't stick.

The only things I'd say I've ever been really serious into was playing high level competitive hockey, and of course, my beloved Habs!

While I'm a huge JRPG fan when it comes to video games for example, I'm nowhere near the level of the supposedly 'true fans' are...
Hell, I don't even know most of the characters for example that the hardcore crowd is clamoring for as added DLC in the upcoming Hyrule Warriors Legends! I've played only maybe a 3rd of the titles across the entire series, despite it being one of my two favourite franchises. (Dragon Warrior/Quest being the other. )

I've played all of 2 Fire Emblem titles, (Path of Radiance & Awakening), and boy, are those fanboys absolutely ruthless to those they deem as 'filthy casuals'!
And god forbid you either like (or dislike) Cloud or Sephiroth when mentioning off hand that you enjoy Final Fantasy...

When it comes to 40k, I love the universe setting and backstory as much as any average 40k enthusiast does. Likewise, I love personalising my armies by adding touches such as naming all my HQ's & various units and/or vehicles, as it just adds that extra level of 'cool factor' & build up a favourite model's personal story of glory (or in my case, abject failure!), as I play games.
But I don't spend hours and hours writing bad fanfic, nor do I enjoy having to listen for umpteen hours about your Space Marine Captain's life story, and then have to put up with hearing about your custom rules for 'MegaDreadZord Killanatos Nukefist', or that squad of 'Ultra Doomnators' with their assault 10/Str.D Fury Cannons.


Actually, for the most part, I avoid pop fan cultures altogether, as the seemingly majority membership is just frankly obsessed to the point it's just sad & pathetic.
"Shippers" are the absolute worst of the worst within nerd culture. I get that it's fun to have a favourite 'couple' in a tv show or movie series, but feth, those people can get beyond batgak crazy in their zeal!

To be fair, there are 'shippers' and there are 'shippers'. The vast majority are content to enjoy their wishes with like-minded people in the correct environments. Unfortunately this means that the more vocal ones tend to set the trend for what all 'shippers' are, and it so happens that the crazier they are, the more shouty about it all they become.

I'm pretty forgiving when it comes to sci-fi, a little less so with fantasy, but one popular show I'm not liking so much is Game of Thrones. I really liked it for the first two seasons, but at some point it became very repetitive.


The books themselves, I couldn't get through past book 2, but I think that's more to do with the fact that I was catching up wit the TV show than anything else. I'm sure I'd have had a better experience with the books if I'd read them before watching the show.

Well I guess I take back that jab on Han Solo and Malcolm Reynolds from Firefly. I guess I'm so not a fan of either that I forgot what both wear and remembered what I saw in a picture one time.

I still say of all the things I like warhammer fantasy, to an extent 'lord of the rings' and xcom top the list. That said I haven't played every one since ever and collected a garage worth of stuff on any of it. I think most well adjusted human beings don't obsess that much on games, movies, tv or other hobbies or if they do they move on after a point.

I know I give Star Wars crap but at least as far as story and characters go I'd say I generally preferred Lord of the Rings more. Honestly though I can get bored of too much Lord of the Rings it's a classic for a reason in my eyes and has lasted longer and retained popularity in a way Star Wars hasn't quite.

Another genre that I can't stand is WWII games. Seriously there was a time where you couldn't get away from it and I hated that time period with a passion. I find games where you fight Russians to be more fun or just Cold War games in general (except made into a real war). I like it mostly because I like 80's to early 90's style stuff and the warfare is modern enough that you get most of the cool stuff. Not to mention it was the last time the USA or NATO had an actual enemy worth it's salt. Also maybe it's just me but I find most Soviet style weapons, vehicles, etc. have just a better aesthetic than the Nazis to an extent. I will admit germans made all the coolest crap back in the early 20th century till about the end of their role in WWII but WWII just isn't my thing.

I am a casual music lover. I just listen to music because I like it. I don't memorize lyrics or even the names of the band members. I love some rock bands to death and listened to them a lot, bought most of if not all albums and couldn't tell you the names of the drummers. I have caught grief for that. Wearing an old rock band shirt and then not being able to answer a 'basic' question about them.

 SickSix wrote:
I am a casual music lover. I just listen to music because I like it. I don't memorize lyrics or even the names of the band members. I love some rock bands to death and listened to them a lot, bought most of if not all albums and couldn't tell you the names of the drummers. I have caught grief for that. Wearing an old rock band shirt and then not being able to answer a 'basic' question about them.

I'm the same in this as well or used to be worse at it. Still so many songs I never learned the names of or the band that played it. I refer to the CSI: Miami intro song as just that. I couldn't tell you the name of the band or the name of the song and I caught grief for that in a GW once.

 SickSix wrote:
I am a casual music lover. I just listen to music because I like it. I don't memorize lyrics or even the names of the band members. I love some rock bands to death and listened to them a lot, bought most of if not all albums and couldn't tell you the names of the drummers. I have caught grief for that. Wearing an old rock band shirt and then not being able to answer a 'basic' question about them.

I wore my new Cannibal Corpse shirt to the shop last weekend. A fellow metalhead asked whether I went to the show in Seattle or not (I didn't), and that was that. We've talked at length about bands and sounds in the shop, but I guess I'm lucky to not really have been around many people who would give grief for not knowing the names of some band members.

Most Everything now. After a fiasco with one or two fandoms, I just decided being moderate is the way for me, liking something too much is not my thing anymore.
Aristotle, The golden meanis how I kinda live my life now