Stuff you hate (aka: the new f. you thread)

[Paul DePhiladelphia]

NPR claims to be distancing themselves from the word "radio," but that's total bullshit.  They want people to forget the "public" part of it.

You can hear this a lot on NPR but I hate when people say "so" before every sentence. It sounds so pretentious and the person always acts like they are teaching us and passing on some great knowledge. Also when they say "the problem with this is" like all good things have objective problems. "So the problem with The Beatles is..."

[dave from knoxville]

Also, what's the point? 

Do you also hate it when manufacturers redesign labels?  I do.

I detest new haircuts. That's why I have the same one I had in 1974.

[Sarah]

I've got you beat.  My hair looks the same as it does in my eight-grade graduation picture.  Except grayer.

[cutout]

The only FOT forum I ever check really is General Discussion, which his what I have bookmarked. But literally every time I come back to the page, I have to log in again. Is there a thread that explains the recent changes to the forum so I can figure out what's gone wrong?

[yesno]

delete your bookmark and re-add it.

[mahgeetah]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/07/AR2010070704578.html

"National Public Radio is changing its name to NPR"

Every time an organization does this it fills me with murder rage.  NPR stands for something.  That's a fact.  You can't will that away.  You can't erase history by fiat.

I'd like to second the hate for this. If they want to remove the word "radio," then replace it with something. The "R" in "NPR" still references "Radio." If they still want to capitalize on the branding of the old name, they are stuck with it. Same with KFC.

I guess one could argue that, eventually, a generation of consumers came along that only thinks of the letters "AT&T" rather than "American Telephone and Telegraph." So maybe in 50 years nobody will have any idea what KFC or NPR stands for. In the meantime, though, they both suck.

One silver lining is that they didn't change it to "@nPR" or some kind of "capitalization and punctuation rules are soooo 20th century" eyesore. That era seems to have mercifully passed.

[Andy]

I hate rebrands as well.  Usually they're just management's way of blaming something (anything) other than their shitty management for the failing performance.  Pizza Hut is not The Hut (I think they've gone back to Pizza Hut), Radio Shack is now The Shack.  Fix your fucking product.

[Chris L]

I'm 100% convinced TCM will do one of these rebrandings at some point.  They'll start showing RUSH HOUR 3 in prime time and Robert Osborne will be forced to call himself "Os 2.0" before being replaced by some Maxim babe.

[Christina]

On a related note, has anyone done a double take yet when they saw mention of "The Daily Show's Olivia Munn"?

[SJK]

On a related note, has anyone done a double take yet when they saw mention of "The Daily Show's Olivia Munn"?

If I recall correctly, Olivia Munn is well hated is these parts. I had never heard of her before being inducted as a member of the hate pit. Outside of that, I have enjoyed her contributions to TDS. I guess it's obvious, her contributions are produced and I'm sure there are writers involved to make sure it's funny. She still has to deliver the goods on that. I don't remember so clearly, a story about her using toilet language in front of a kid at a comedy club and the mother protesting...which set off another round of toilet language...it's all a little fuzzy. Was it PFT who told the story?

[crumbum]

You can hear this a lot on NPR but I hate when people say "so" before every sentence. It sounds so pretentious and the person always acts like they are teaching us and passing on some great knowledge.

I've noticed this too over the last few months, but particularly when used in responding to a question. To me it has the effect of making the speaker sound as though he didn't listen to the interviewer and instead is choosing to following his own separate stream of thoughts.

The first time I remember hearing someone use 'so...' in this way was a few years back when an old friend of my girlfriend's came to visit and did it constantly. My girlfriend and I agreed afterwards it was really weird and eccentric. Now suddenly it seems to be commonplace.  Is it a meme or what?

[Sarah]

I frequently use "so" this way in casual writing (in posts on this message board, for example) or when I'm talking on the phone to someone who won't let me get a word in edgewise.  It's a lazy/efficient way of jumping into a subject without the bother of contextualizing or otherwise justifying it.  I don't particularly like it, but sloth wins the day.

[yesno]

Heany's Beowulf did it first.

So. The Spear-Danes in days gone by
and the kings who ruled them had  courage and greatness.
We have heard of these princes' heroic campaigns.

Hwæt. We Gardena    in gear-dagum,
þeodcyninga,     þrym gefrunon,
hu ða æþelingas     ellen fremedon.

[Sarah]

Seamus always was a lazy bastard.

[Bryan]

I don't remember so clearly, a story about her using toilet language in front of a kid at a comedy club and the mother protesting...which set off another round of toilet language...it's all a little fuzzy. Was it PFT who told the story?

I'm pretty sure that was told during her appearance on Doug Loves Movies. I thought she came off as a bit of a jerk in that appearance, but then, who cares? Lots of male comedians are jerks (or pretend to be).