Goddamn fucking kids.

[feuervogel]

Yeah, it's TOTALLY fucking mockworthy that people are in their 30s. FUCKING LOLARIOUS.

Note to all and sundry: this is PRECISELY why I quit.

ETA: It's been pointed out that said person has welcomed mockery. My opinion is still the same. I hate the idea that because you've reached an arbitrary number of years lived, which really isn't all that goddamn many tbh, that's worthy of scorn, derision, or mockery.

It's ageist bullshit, and society needs to stop propagating it with bullshit black cakes and balloons and "over the hill" nonsense.

Comments

[yhibiki]

Oh god playing JRPGs always makes me feel old because most of the main characters are 20 at oldest. Characters that are in their thirties end up getting called "old man" fairly often, which is really f-ing annoying all things considered.

... not that Western RPGs are free from blame. There's a 40-ish year old female soldier in the game "Alpha Protocol" who consistently gets called a cougar because she's into the main character (who, though I made him look at least in his thirties, is probably supposed to be just over 20 or something).

[feuervogel]

And watching cartoons where the heroes are like 16... I've been partial to the oyaji characters for a while, but they're usually side characters.

So when something like Planetes or Patlabor comes along, and the main characters are all in their 20s or older (and Giant Killing! The MC is like 32 or something), I'm all over that. And I often prefer shows about college students, even if they're still too young, because unless it's a pretty universal story, I don't relate with high school kids.

[yhibiki]

Yeah, I've found myself really hating high school stories. Most of the BL manga I read (and enjoy) these days features either college students or professionals. The high school stuff annoys me because it's always about finding TRUE LOVE when you're... sixteen.

I ♥ the oyaji characters. :) They tend to be the most well-adjusted ones anyway, none of the whining about how unfair life is to them.

[feuervogel]

There are a couple high school stories I've enjoyed recently (Toradora, for one), and yeah, the idea that your first love is your true love sucks and annoys me, but I still liked it XD

And I really liked Yoshinaga Fumi's "Flower of Life," which is set in high school, but it's not a romance story (or even BL like most of her other work, and holy shit have I mentioned how fucking awesome Ooku is? IT'S FUCKING AWESOME.) I love her stories, because she can make her tropes into people. Which rocks.

[kirin]

Just to point out... you realize the thread is mocking someone who actually suggested in the opening post that people ought to mock him?

[feuervogel]

I don't care. It's still annoying. (And no, I skim 90% of messages on the list for the parts that are relevant, like time, date, and location.)

I mean, I fucking hate the idea that just because you hit a certain number of years alive, that's worthy of scorn or derision or mockery. Fuck that. It's ageism.

[kurai-seraphim.livejournal.com]

I don't think anyone actually believes that. I mean, it's fine if you don't want to go to COUp anymore, but shouldn't you be quitting because they aren't showing things you want to watch/it eats your Tuesday nights/you don't relate to the students/anime in general is pretty bad right now? I think it's perfectly fine to respond with jokes about being old when the person turning 30 makes the first joke and it's not like anyone ever honestly holds age against anyone. If anything, I think it's more of an issue of the townies looking down on the college students for being young and not having taste.

[feuervogel]

I don't see what's so funny about turning 30. Seriously. I don't understand this notion we have as a society that getting older is something we should make fun of people for. And as I said below, I really don't understand why mockery "in jest" is funny.

I don't understand how a lot of people of coup think. I prefer to distance myself.

[kurai-seraphim.livejournal.com]

It's inherently not funny. That's why you parody the big deal that people make out of it so that it holds more meaning than 29 or 31. There's no reason to celebrate any birthday beyond fun and attention, which seems to be what was going on in the listserv and at the event.

I mean, mockery in jest is the basis of Hetalia.

[feuervogel]

Outright parody can be funny, and often is. Sadly, parody is also really easy to miss the mark on. (As far as Hetalia goes, the portrayals of Korea and China are kind of sketchy, considering the history of Japanese imperialism and racism, but Europe? Have fun.)

I'd rather ignore the big deal people make of it, because I think it's stupid, than parody it, because, as I said above, parody often misses the mark. And I really don't like humor making fun of individual people, in jest or not. (Whether making fun of large groups of people and stereotypes is funny depends on the power balance between the groups. Whitey telling n-er jokes? Not cool. Chris Rock telling honky jokes? Fine.)

[av3rnus.livejournal.com]

None of those comments towards me were actual scorn, derision, or mockery. They were very clearly intended with jest, not malice. 'Mock' mockery, if you will. Honestly, if none of my friends were cracking jokes about me turning 30 I'd probably be concerned (e.g. Do they really think I'm that old? Do they feel like I can't take a joke? What's wrong with me?). This has nothing to do with ageism and everything to do with friends ripping on each other over stupid, meaningless things for fun.

Maybe it's just a style of humor to which you're not accustomed but it is second nature to many of us and it's a part of how we relate to each other. I appreciate any concerns you may have had for my feelings, but I don't appreciate it when myself and my friends are actually derided for innocuously joking around with each other.

Everybody ages and eventually dies; it's a part of life. I can approach this milestone with either bitterness or laughter in my heart. I instinctively choose the latter.

[feuervogel]

I have never found mockery to be funny. It is a style of humor I'm quite familiar with, and I find it rather hurtful. TO ME PERSONALLY. I don't care what other people find funny for themselves; I don't like people making fun OF ME PERSONALLY even "in jest."

[anacoluthon.livejournal.com]

Listserv drama? =(

[feuervogel]

Not drama, just annoying people.

[thegreyghost.livejournal.com]

I also encourage people taking cracks at my age. By laughing about it, I strangely feel younger at heart. It trivializes my physical age in contrast to how vital I feel.

Mockery doesn't necessarily negate respect, which is what I value more.

[rowena-zane.livejournal.com]

It seems it's the harder part to find the intentions of a person's actions and discern if it is malice or not on which they act. Never attribute to malice what is easier prescribed to ignorance.

It doesn't change that it bothered you, but instead of cutting people off for a mistake (and possibly missing out on an awesome experience like COUP), rather, look at why it bothers you and see if you can communicate that to the people who offended you. Most people, when they find they've been offensive, and are approached like adults, will be apologetic.

I can think of several times that your cutting words have moved me to anger, either for myself or someone else. And I know for a fact I've pissed you off. We make mistakes, either through our preconceived notions or (more likely) from not thinking at all.

Life is TOO FUCKING SHORT to be looking for evil where it isn't.

[feuervogel]

I decided to quit COUP because I don't connect with anyone there (outside of the half dozen friends that still go) and because I'm not interested in 90% of the schedule. This bit here is an example of the disconnect I have.

It's mainly that the new kids are in a completely different stage of psychological development than I am, and it's not one I can identify with anymore. I'm also not very fond of being around people who act one way in a group (whether at club meetings or out as a group) than they do when they're not in the group. That's always annoyed me, actually. It's like, some people are fine to talk with when no one else is around, but once there are a couple more people, they're obnoxious. I can understand being more "on" or something around friends, but to have a radical personality shift a la Mr Hyde? Sorry.

And, yeah, part of it is that I'm going to be 35 in March, and I don't want anybody making a big deal out of it*, and definitely not starting with the mockery. I find that sort of humor hurtful.

*Yeah, I'll throw a party, like every year. I'll make cake and have beer and all that stuff, but the number is irrelevant.