This is a thread to share what you are a snob about, and possibly what you can't stand people being snobby about. Not too long ago, I hated coffee. But now, I'm a total coffee snob. I won't drink perfectly fine coffee that's been sitting around more than 20 minutes because it's stale (and it tastes stale). I can't stand it when my iced americanos are burned (because i know they were, and can probably guess how long they took within a 2 second frame - good ones take 18-20 seconds, burned ones are over 26 seconds, which i'm sometimes served). And coffee from a store that allows smoking indoors is absolutely undrinkable. ^While all these snobby things are general of most people who drink coffee, I proudly proclaim such, thus making me a snob. Having been a barrista for 2 years has contributed to the snobbiness - as when a coffee or espresso drink is bad, I can generallly identify why. On the other hand, people who are snobby about table manners at someone else's table annoy me. For example, people who travel to a foreign country, eat at a native restaurant and then refuse to eat that thier way (demand a fork and spoon at a restaurant where everyone eats with their hands - that restaurant probably doesn't even have forks and spoons!) or make fun of people eating in what is perfectly fine manners for their country (audibly - it's okay to disdain what you find to be bad manners, just don't make the people around you feel bad - more of them speak english than you think, dude!). But it's also when you go to someone else's house - whether their manners are 'bad' or 'over the top good', it's their table, so it's their standard of manners! You don't have to like it, just respect it (or at the very least just do it). So, what are you a snob about?
I am a snob about music. Even though I have a pretty eclectic taste, I'm very particular about the bands I listen to. I don't listen to the radio if it's avoidable. I'm not quite one of those insufferable elitists who automatically dislikes everything popular. I'm not that full of myself. But I'm dangerously close. Also, literature. More so since I started seriously reviewing books. I'm a huge critic, and I'm probably a pain in the ass to discuss books with.
Same here about music. I think it's just a normal part of being a musician, though. You like that band? Fine. But don't claim that it's superior to another band without being prepared to defend yourself to someone who actually knows what they're talking about. I'm also a book snob, but am less vocal about it.
I guess I'm quite snobby about films. If I like a film and someone else doesn't, I do my fantastic impression of a brick wall and refuse to budge. Case in Point: Quantum of Solace. Also I'm a little bit snobby about my suit. If I decide to wear my suit then you can all go screw yourselves if you think I'm giving it up. I walked right into college wearing a full-on tuxedo suite only without the bowtie but with the collar and everything, and when someone asked me about it I turned and went "YEAH, WHAT?" into their face. Let's just disregard that it was a lecturer for the moment.
Pretty much anything which is overtly popular. I am one of those people who are immediately suspicious of any thing embraced by the masses.
Writing and music. I automatically make horrible and unfair assumptions about a person's IQ level WHEN THEY TYPE LIKE THIS, LiKe ThIs, or when they use any kind of internet shorthand. Music, kind of the same principle, but directed towards all the major pop stars and pretty much anything one would find on MTV.
*sheepishly raises hand* I remember when there was, which brings to mind another thing about which I am snobby. How do I describe this....? When I moved back to the continental U.S. in the very early 80's from Hawaii (when MTV still had music), I was shocked to find that VHS had taken a lead over BETA. No one living in Hawaii would even consider VHS recorders as they were huge, clunky, and the VHS tapes were equally huge and clunky and cheap feeling. The Sony BETA player we had brought with us from Hawaii to Florida was tiny in comparison and the tapes were much smaller and more solid feeling. My new Floridian friends would look askance at my BETA player with a mixture of scorn and curiosity. They had been well indoctrinated in the belief that BETA was to be rejected, but they could not help in noticing how small and 'tech' my BETA player was and how clean and tight the build quality was. I know that video cassette is obsolete, but still... BETA was better!
lol apparently my sarcasm didn't translate to print... there hasn't been anything but crappy, usually scripted 'reality' shows on MTV since waaaaaay back sometime last century...
Disco may be dead, but Beta's forgotten. I am completely convinced that the reason Blueray won over HDDVD is not any technical or performance reasons, but because the latter feels like a tonguetwister. FFI was boring as hell! FFV wasn't all that bad! FFVI has more gameplay and story crammed in than any of the others! FFVII has pacing issues! FFVIII has a badly written storyline, and its magic system is annoying as hell! FF IX is the best one, even with the Deus Ex Machina! FFX will never be forgiven for removing the world map! FFX-2 will never be forgiven for blighting the face of the earth with its J-popiness! FFXI doesn't count! I was 60 hours into FFXII before the battle system actually began to be reasonably useful and enjoyable! I was initially suspicious of FFXIII having three games, but I'm coming around!
Therein lies my snobbishness about BETA. It was a better product and yet it got hedged out of the American market, and therefore all other markets, by what I can only assume were some sneaky and clandestine meetings by people of power. (The kind of people who are really powerful are not famous, their names are not known to the general populace like the Trumps.) The same people who made sure we never had water powered cars and yanked the electric cars off the streets. It's all about money and investments and the greasing of palms. I bet we could have been to the stars and back by now if not for that kind of intrigue.
The 68000 was a far better processor architectuire than the x86 family. But market penetration is everything.
I'm a food snob. I ate a a chain (not so cheap) sit-down restaurant a few months ago, and realized all the food I got there I could make better at home! I don't mind owner run restaurants, because the food is usually much better, but I won't eat at another chain restaurant again. Coffee too. I don't buy coffee when I am out, or care to drink it at other people's houses. No one ever makes it like I like it, and I have a cappuccino machine at home. I also only buy Green Mountain coffee (though don't confuse it with what McDonald's serves). Beans go in my freezer in an air tight container, and are ground fresh and the coffee is strong...just like I like it. Beer snob too. Only drink microbrews now. Big name national beer tastes like water with a hint of beer. The biggest beer I drink is Sam Adams, and I think it is only east coast, or just the Northeast. People who are snobs with status symbols, like BMW's, or an address, or designer clothes, they piss me off. I would much rather drive a Volkwagen, or even an Audi (if I wanted to be more showy), because a car doesn't mean a whole hell of a lot to me so long as it gets me from point A to point B. And an address...I'd rather be six miles from anyone else. Out in the woods, with an old farm house than to be stacked like sardines in some high rise just because of the address. Wine snobs piss me off too. Most of it tastes like crap. So let's stop pretending that it tastes good enough to cost $100 a bottle. I've had decent tasting wine that cost $8 a bottle. And some crappy ones that cost five times that.
I am amazed no one has mentioned this (and if they have, I apologize), but I am a grammar snob. Most of my family is (it's an inherited thing) but I find myself correcting people either in my head (if I don't know them that well) or out loud (if they know that I'm going to correct them.) If they're the latter, they usually ignore me anyway. *shrug*
I think we were all afraid to say it. Good for you, Em! I am the supreme high general of the grammar Nazis. Poor grammar, especially in spoken English freaks me out!
I berate the idiots on the television. But only when I'm alone - it scares people if they are in the room. "Literally? LITERALLY?? Do you even know the MEANING of the word, you %^$$%^(*"
Ha, thanks That's the only real thing I''m a snob about. Well, except other people riding my horses, but doesn't happen often. And it freaks me out too. I'm convinced that poor grammar is the reason I nearly failed math.
