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 BobtheInquisitor wrote:
That’s not just in small towns. It seems like wherever you go people get angry if you say you don’t drink.

Unfortunately non-drinkers have the same problem as non-smokers - the people who simply abstain are stuck with a reputation generated by the people who abstain and then turn into smug, self-righteous neo-puritans who condescend to and berate anyone who doesn't. It's not so much that people believe you can't have fun if you don't drink, it's that a lot of the people they've met who make a point of not drinking are anti-fun in the same sense as anti-matter; when they meet fun they mutually annihilate it.

 Ouze wrote:

 Ratius wrote:
I'm Irish.

I loathe Guinness.

Well, it is pretty gross.

I'll fight yer's both, or least I would if, thanks to being an aging gimer, the falling asleep step of drinking is 3 or 4 pints lower than the getting a bit fighty stage

 Turnip Jedi wrote:

 Ouze wrote:

 Ratius wrote:
I'm Irish.

I loathe Guinness.

Well, it is pretty gross.

I'll fight yer's both, or least I would if, thanks to being an aging gimer, the falling asleep step of drinking is 3 or 4 pints lower than the getting a bit fighty stage

Beer is anyways for unciviliced barbarians. Especially when everyone wants to force it upon you because you live in switzerland and are swiss german.

*hides in bunker.

jokes aside, the drinking culture here is wierd.

Proud to be an uncivilized barbarian then!
(But I wouldn't force it upon anyone who doesn't want it - that's more of a civilized man's game.)

I like craft beer. Hand me a budweiser and I’ll dump it out. If you can’t taste the work that went into it, don’t bother. I often get labeled a “beer snob”, and I’m good with that.

 BobtheInquisitor wrote:
That’s not just in small towns. It seems like wherever you go people get angry if you say you don’t drink.

I have never had anyone get angry about it.... perplexed at most.

I just explain that it makes me fall asleep in two second flat, and then we all move on.

 Yodhrin wrote:

 BobtheInquisitor wrote:
That’s not just in small towns. It seems like wherever you go people get angry if you say you don’t drink.

Unfortunately non-drinkers have the same problem as non-smokers - the people who simply abstain are stuck with a reputation generated by the people who abstain and then turn into smug, self-righteous neo-puritans who condescend to and berate anyone who doesn't. It's not so much that people believe you can't have fun if you don't drink, it's that a lot of the people they've met who make a point of not drinking are anti-fun in the same sense as anti-matter; when they meet fun they mutually annihilate it.

That is, in my experience, complete bs. People don't know one doesn't drink throughout an entire party, fun included, until they catch one saying "no thanks". Then it's "you don't like beer?" followed by condescending questions, contempt, disbelief, insinuations and shunning. These people know I have no problem with others drinking because I brought my fair share of the alcohol, and my wife drinks, and I've never said a negative word to her. It might be a reflex action on their part, but it is not based on real experience, and it is not based on rational assumptions on their part.

 timetowaste85 wrote:
I like craft beer. Hand me a budweiser and I’ll dump it out. If you can’t taste the work that went into it, don’t bother. I often get labeled a “beer snob”, and I’m good with that.

I'm kinda in the same boat.

I am allergic to alcohol past the 1 beer or 1 glass of wine stage... even with those small amounts I get the "hot sweats".. so when I DO drink, that drink better be worth it.. so I fell into "beer snob" territory.

Now, since I had abdomial surgery 2 years ago, I cannot tolerate ANY carbonation, so .. beer is bye bye..

And here in OSU Buckeye territory, that is hard for others to handle

 BobtheInquisitor wrote:

 Yodhrin wrote:

 BobtheInquisitor wrote:
That’s not just in small towns. It seems like wherever you go people get angry if you say you don’t drink.

Unfortunately non-drinkers have the same problem as non-smokers - the people who simply abstain are stuck with a reputation generated by the people who abstain and then turn into smug, self-righteous neo-puritans who condescend to and berate anyone who doesn't. It's not so much that people believe you can't have fun if you don't drink, it's that a lot of the people they've met who make a point of not drinking are anti-fun in the same sense as anti-matter; when they meet fun they mutually annihilate it.

That is, in my experience, complete bs. People don't know one doesn't drink throughout an entire party, fun included, until they catch one saying "no thanks". Then it's "you don't like beer?" followed by condescending questions, contempt, disbelief, insinuations and shunning. These people know I have no problem with others drinking because I brought my fair share of the alcohol, and my wife drinks, and I've never said a negative word to her. It might be a reflex action on their part, but it is not based on real experience, and it is not based on rational assumptions on their part.

You seem to have somewhat misread my post? I'm not arguing all people who don't drink are smug and self-righteous and people react to that, I'm saying that a subset of people who don't drink are smug and self-righteous and the rest of us get tarred with the same brush, because that's just how it goes. Making assumptions based on category/stereotypes may not be completely rational, but it's hardly a quality unique to people who consume alcohol, so getting particularly exercised when they do it just seems like someone looking for a reason to be mad.

Definitely for me it is sports. I have zero interest in any sport, but I have a pretty good knowledge of several because people just default expect you to be a fan.

Nothing against sports, I spend my time obsessing about toy soldiers so I get having a weird interest, but it does get tiresome when people start talking about the game or whatever and I have to feign interest so I don't make them feel uncomfortable.

At least I don't assume everyone else likes dungeons and dragons and toy soldiers.

A friend assumed I would be big on the MCU, play D&D and Stranger Things. Went into a tirade over the MCU but they were being thoughtful in that I love films that are throwbacks to the 80s and that I do go on about computer games and the like.

Oh, someone had me down for being the sort to live an unsavoury lifestyle, and a pub crawler of the hardest sort...I don't even drink for a start!

 Yodhrin wrote:

 BobtheInquisitor wrote:
That’s not just in small towns. It seems like wherever you go people get angry if you say you don’t drink.

Unfortunately non-drinkers have the same problem as non-smokers - the people who simply abstain are stuck with a reputation generated by the people who abstain and then turn into smug, self-righteous neo-puritans who condescend to and berate anyone who doesn't. It's not so much that people believe you can't have fun if you don't drink, it's that a lot of the people they've met who make a point of not drinking are anti-fun in the same sense as anti-matter; when they meet fun they mutually annihilate it.

Which is hilarious, considering I feel being around drunk people is anti-fun. Moreover, they feel entitled to shove their version of fun in my face, and on one extremely unpleasant occasion literally down my throat. Ugh.

 LunarSol wrote:
I get football, but I don't really watch or follow it. I just enjoy it when someone turns it on. The strategy is fun and the segmented nature gives it a lot of little moments of drama. I generally enjoy college a bit more, but its a good game for television. I just only need to watch a handful of games each season. I certainly don't need 3 a day.

I dont watch football and I constantly have to deal with "Did you see the X vs X game last night?" and i just say no and an awkward silence continues. I hate it.

Did you see that ludicrous display last night?

I'm British.

Do not like or drink tea.

 Ahtman wrote:
Did you see that ludicrous display last night?

Trouble with Arsenal is, they try to walk it in.

Being into Warhammer, people automatically assume I roleplay or do CCGs.

Being into Transformers people assume I'm fervent about other 80's properties, which I'm not really. Not on the level I am with TFs, at any rate.

Being a Trekker (Not a Trekkie, I bathe and am in a committed relationship) people assume I'm a Star Wars fan as well. I'm really not.

Being in the military, people assume that I get all wound up about shooting guns all the time civilian side or that I want to go camping.

Nearly every "OMG you gotta see this!" TV drama from the last ten years, for me. It just seems like an endles calvacade of grittiness and grimdark, with unlikable antiheroes ("your main character is a drug dealer--well, we'll make ours a serial killer!") vs pure evil and a philosophy that audiences should feel worse coming out of a series than they did going in. Honestly, if I wanted that sort of story, I'd just turn on the news.

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:

 Ahtman wrote:
Did you see that ludicrous display last night?

Trouble with Arsenal is, they try to walk it in.

It was a lovely day for ground hurling, but they kept hitting it into the air!

 Elemental wrote:
Nearly every "OMG you gotta see this!" TV drama from the last ten years, for me. It just seems like an endles calvacade of grittiness and grimdark, with unlikable antiheroes ("your main character is a drug dealer--well, we'll make ours a serial killer!") vs pure evil and a philosophy that audiences should feel worse coming out of a series than they did going in. Honestly, if I wanted that sort of story, I'd just turn on the news.

100% agree with you.

 Elemental wrote:
Nearly every "OMG you gotta see this!" TV drama from the last ten years, for me. It just seems like an endles calvacade of grittiness and grimdark, with unlikable antiheroes ("your main character is a drug dealer--well, we'll make ours a serial killer!") vs pure evil and a philosophy that audiences should feel worse coming out of a series than they did going in. Honestly, if I wanted that sort of story, I'd just turn on the news.

Yes! Everyone wants me to watch The Wire or Breaking Bad or whatever drama. I don't want drama! I get more than enough from the news. Even nBSG was too pointlessly miserable for me.

 Elemental wrote:
Nearly every "OMG you gotta see this!" TV drama from the last ten years, for me. It just seems like an endles calvacade of grittiness and grimdark, with unlikable antiheroes ("your main character is a drug dealer--well, we'll make ours a serial killer!") vs pure evil and a philosophy that audiences should feel worse coming out of a series than they did going in. Honestly, if I wanted that sort of story, I'd just turn on the news.

Oh My god, YES! i am so tired of shows for adults lately being sooooo, DARK, like, seriously, when did we as a society decided that Adult and MAture means dark and cynical. I started watching cartoons to get away from that, but they are doing it too now, with war and abuse storylines.....
I just want to watching something happy.......but it seems less and less like they exist

 Elemental wrote:
Nearly every "OMG you gotta see this!" TV drama from the last ten years, for me. It just seems like an endles calvacade of grittiness and grimdark, with unlikable antiheroes ("your main character is a drug dealer--well, we'll make ours a serial killer!") vs pure evil and a philosophy that audiences should feel worse coming out of a series than they did going in. Honestly, if I wanted that sort of story, I'd just turn on the news.

It's probably just the current trend. It's much like isekai in anime and the bombardment of tropes each of those has. At one point it was medical and police dramas and in video games at one point it was WW2 games. In small doses nothing is really bad but when it becomes a trend it can become a bit boring and tiresome.

Netflix/ HBO series.

GoT.

Like, i read the books partially.
Not my cup of coffee.

 Vulcan wrote:

 Yodhrin wrote:

 BobtheInquisitor wrote:
That’s not just in small towns. It seems like wherever you go people get angry if you say you don’t drink.

Unfortunately non-drinkers have the same problem as non-smokers - the people who simply abstain are stuck with a reputation generated by the people who abstain and then turn into smug, self-righteous neo-puritans who condescend to and berate anyone who doesn't. It's not so much that people believe you can't have fun if you don't drink, it's that a lot of the people they've met who make a point of not drinking are anti-fun in the same sense as anti-matter; when they meet fun they mutually annihilate it.

Which is hilarious, considering I feel being around drunk people is anti-fun. Moreover, they feel entitled to shove their version of fun in my face, and on one extremely unpleasant occasion literally down my throat. Ugh.

This, except the shoving hasn't happened to me. I'm socially awkward when people aren't randomly doing crazy stuff that no one could see coming!

 reds8n wrote:
I'm British.

Do not like or drink tea.

I think you can get away with not liking tea nowadays, a fair few people drink coffee despite the taste.

What I can't understand is how people get on if they don't like any hot drinks, having a cuppa with someone is just such an important social interaction to miss out on!

 Kroem wrote:

 reds8n wrote:
I'm British.

Do not like or drink tea.

I think you can get away with not liking tea nowadays, a fair few people drink coffee despite the taste.

What I can't understand is how people get on if they don't like any hot drinks, having a cuppa with someone is just such an important social interaction to miss out on!

I don't mind hot tea or cocoa (I can't stand coffee)... but the warmth puts me right to sleep so it's hard to continue participating in said social interactions afterwards. Sigh.

I'm quite fond of tea. I don't really like coffee outside of Starbucks, which is more of a coffee-flavored beverage than actual coffee anyway.

 Kroem wrote:

 reds8n wrote:
I'm British.

Do not like or drink tea.

I think you can get away with not liking tea nowadays, a fair few people drink coffee despite the taste.

What I can't understand is how people get on if they don't like any hot drinks,

..also guilty , alas !

-- occasional seasonal mulled wine or something aside.

 Kroem wrote:

 reds8n wrote:
I'm British.

Do not like or drink tea.

I think you can get away with not liking tea nowadays, a fair few people drink coffee despite the taste.

What I can't understand is how people get on if they don't like any hot drinks, having a cuppa with someone is just such an important social interaction to miss out on!

That's probably because Brits generally make coffee as if it were tea. Coffee needs to be stronger before it's any good.