I've always tried to hold myself to the principle
that you should never like something just because everybody else does, but I also believe that you should never dislike something just because everybody else likes it either.

I know several people (as I'm sure everyone does) who take weird stands against things simply because they are popular or well liked. I know of one person who refuses point blank to play the new COD game and proclaims it to be shit and rubbish compared to the first one, despite never having played it. Simply because others say otherwise.

So I've always tried to follow my own compass in matters of personal taste. I like Michael McIntyre, there I said it. My musical taste includes some scarily wide variety, and has recently (and startlingly) widened to even include folk who, before, were massively shit in my eyes (I caught myself singing along to Robbie Williams in the car the other day, and went as far as to actually play Paolo Nutini on a Juke Box, which didn't sit well in beside the heavy rock that bookended it) I don't care if they're popular or regarded as massive cunts, I rather like em.

The one thing which I find myself letting public opinion sway me on, however, is celebrity. I remember the first time I saw the Avid Merrion character, following Jamie Oliver along a road and shouting at him. I thought he was hilarious. Then the chavs caught on and I lost interest. I almost died laughing the first time I saw little britain. Then it became popular and I started thinking it was shit.

It's not everything that this affects, just people who become popular with a certain section of society. Stephen Fry is unaffected, I think he's great. Ditto Frankie Boyle. I think mainly it's E4. Anything that appears on that cesspool of a channel is instantly shit in my mind. I might be missing out on some of the countries top young talents, but I don't care. They're on there, they're associated, therefore, with Hollyoaks (the cause of the downfall of western civilisation) and are obviously cunts.

A short list of people I am barely aware of yet have an underlying seething hatred towards are:
Alan Carr
Fearne Cotton
Justin Lee Collins (though less so since he started doing Oops TV)

And I've just remembered another one, who will need his own post.
( baw__bag contains traces of nuts on, Mon 8 Feb 2010, 15:30, 3 replies)

You're just getting old, chap
It's called "confidence in your own judgement."

Careful with it though - it's a potent force. It's a short path from Robbie Williams to high-waisted trousers and Horlicks.
( Scrumper, Mon 8 Feb 2010, 15:39, closed)

I'll have to keep a check on this.
My dad went on a rant about how new films are all "Contrived shit" the other day and I thought I was listening to myself :P
( baw__bag contains traces of nuts on, Mon 8 Feb 2010, 16:00, closed)

Hey!
Hollyoaks is Ok!









(with the sound switched off, and even then the talent has for the most part departed!)
(dchurch bah, Mon 8 Feb 2010, 16:22, closed)