Monday 8 August 2011

I'm saying... Nothing


Sometimes I think I shouldn’t be allowed out.
Maybe that’s why I’m mostly In.
I’ve just commented on a status update on Facebook and already there are comments following this that lead me to believe I’ve just said something else that makes me look like an arse.
If only *arse* wasn’t one of my most favouriest words in the world.  In fact I wish I’d had the chance to use it more frequently when my parents were alive.  Perhaps my past would have been a far more cheery place than I remember.

At the weekend (again on Facebook – why do I DO it?) I managed to cause a bit of a ruckus with one of my 172 ‘friends’ – 149 of which wouldn’t probably know who I was if served them in the Tesco Express – I don’t actually work in a Tesco Express, I’m just making a point.

And all because there was this thing going round.  Somebody gives you an actor/actress and by reply you have to say which of their films you LOVED, LIKED, HATED and HAVEN’T SEEN.
I was given Dame Maggie Smith.  Who I only know to have been Miss Jean Brodie in her Prime and the terrifyingly wizened woman in the Harry Potter Films.  Probaby called something like Miss Wizzenedhag or something deeply clever as is JK’s wont.

So I had to IMDB her to see if I’d ever seen anything else she’d done.  I love IMDB.  It’s like the modern version of the Encyclopaedia (d-er)… once I’ve dipped in I can’t seem to stop until my stomach is eating itself and the cats are having a ‘where-the-f*ck’s-our-food!’ fight downstairs and the neighbours are complaining… not about my stomach, that would be TOO weird.

Anyway, once IMDB’d, I realised the Dame had been in a good many other movies I hadn’t remembered her being in.  And so I prepared my list.
Movie I LOVED - Downton Abbey (does a series count?)
Movie I LIKED - The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie
Movie I HATED - All the Harry Potters (didn't HATE them, I ENDURED them)
Movie I HAVEN'T SEEN - Death on the Nile
If you ‘like’ this thread I’ll give YOU an actor/actress
And sat back, fully prepared for nobody to ‘like’, or comment or anything – such was the terminable mundanity of this exercise – I mean it’s not exactly mind-blowing stuff is it? It’s not like I’m trying to bring back the death penalty or have Satan round for tea and cake,  is it?

*yawn*.

But there followed what I can only describe as a potential Facebook bloodbath.  I think, I hope, I managed to pull the plug (thanks also to JacqsSnooksSeddon for the part she courageously played in this mind-boggling debate) just in the nick of time. 

I know there are Potter-ites-a-plenty out there.  I know JK Rowling is a bit of an icon and I know Daniel whatsisname wouldn’t be where he is today (coming to checkout No. 5 at a Tesco Express near you…?) if it hadn’t been for some cute acting on his part when he WAS cute aged 9 or whatever he was in the first HP film.  But do I HAVE to have liked the films simply because EVERYBODY ELSE does? Hmm? Do I?




10 comments:

Talli Roland said...

Oh dear God. Are you serious? I'm not an HP fan either. We must stand united.

Debs Riccio said...

Thank you, Talli, I mean where's freedom of speech when you need it?!

Deb said...

This is one of the many reasons I deleted my FB acount, Debs, stopped going on forums and all the other unsocial networks out there. You can't say anything for fear of being reprimanded or attacked by some arse (love that word too)who thinks their opinion is the only one worth voicing!

KamilleE said...

I love Harry Potter. But you don't have to love it. In fact, a lot of my friends hate it.

But I generally avoid mentioning stuff I hate over the internet, unless it's the last three books in the Twilight series.

Rebecca Emin said...

Things like that are meant to be about personal opinion, yet so may people online attack personal opinions they don't agree with. I must admit, I never even take part in those sort of things, in an attempt to avoid conflict. For what it's worth, I'm not a HP fan either.

BJ Kerry said...

Hi Debs, couldnt' agree more re freedom of speech and all that. I have been to see all the HP's because all my kids are that age you see. Don't despise them (the movies not my kids that is). But so what? that's just an opinion. I like MS as an actress but I'm not going to fight anyone about that! Just goes to show what we all know all along - these social sites are really for under formed teenage egos - not for people like you who are fun and creative and . . . can I be your 'friend' 'like'

Debs Riccio said...

Hi Ghostie Girl, I know, you're absolutely right - but then what's the point in having Facebook if you can't air your own views on it! It'd be more like 2-faced-book, wouldn't it?
Rebecca, yep - I'm veering away from social networking sites right now - I can't be 'sweet and niceness' all the time, it's not in my nature - where else can I get stuff off my chest!
Ha ha BJK - just visited your own blog - loved what I read (esp the nonc-communication with the hubster post - SO true!) and yep, 'friend' away - the more friends I get, the less people I know!

Debs Riccio said...

Sorry, thanks to Deb too - I didn't forget you - just that we've been 'otherwise chatting' haven't we?!

Clodagh said...

I saw this on your FB, Debs, and couldn't believe how ridiculous it was (the comments, not your post)! Except that I could believe it because we've been on these sites/networks before, haven't we?

Why do people think when you say you dislike something that it's up for debate? I think the problem is some people seem to equate saying you don't like something with saying it's rubbish. Maybe because they do that themselves - if they don't like it, it's therefore bad and no one should like it. It happens a lot with a certain genre of fiction.

I have zero interest in Harry Potter and his magical doings, by the way.

Helen said...

Oh I adore Harry Potter. Seriously adore. But I don't expect everyone to feel the same. I don't expect everyone else to share my love for rice pudding either. It is the differences we have that make the world so interesting.

I find this ever increasing policing of what we say on social media so tedious and off-putting. Freedom of speech, except on FB and twitter ;)