[Migrated, see pinned post] Casual Conversation

Isn't it basically the same as back when western boybands were popular, just with more internet? I suppose I don't quite get those, either, but it's not that hard to figure out why these groups are so appealing to many girls and women.

hey, you're valid... I'm from Korea and it's crazy seeing how people drool over kpop nowdays. no attention for the actual good music, the korean rock and hip hop and funk and jazz and so on... just the corporate boybands.

It's the same shit that's popular in the US. manufactured popularity. we could talk about all the factors about how they pulled it off, but who cares, it's a bunch of shitty music created by desperate people selling their souls to rapists who prey on modern social isolation to sell empty fantasies to the masses.

that's the point of the music! you should be proud to dislike it. now go listen to something good, like Jaurim (자우림)

I love my small car but it's getting impossible to drive anymore when the LED headlights of these trucks are literally at my eye level blinding everything. They are a danger and the only way out it seems is to join them and get above the lights.

Part of it was EPA regulations fucking up small trucks. Another part is that they're safer for the occupants, deadlier for everyone else. And then there's general machismo.

This is basically Florida. Tons of massive trucks on the roads, all driven by assholes that I will judge absolutely by their truck alone.

I agree with pick ups. The issue has been that bigger pick ups are generally exempt from fuel efficiency mandates resulting in manufacturers making bigger and bigger pick ups. They don't make compact pick ups anymore. Add in America has some fascination with owning trucks. I'm actually gonna disagree on crossovers. For most people I agree they're impractical. But they're better than SUVs and pick ups. Most people actually need a mini van or wagon but we just stopped making those

I like her music when I hear it, but don't seek it out. From what I gather she really speaks to women, they get her in ways I (male) would not relate to. She strikes me as moral and doesn't have skeletons in the closet or any weird behavior one would expect from someone that rich and famous. As dad would have said, "That's a stand-up woman!"

She knows how to sell herself, which I find an admirable and difficult trait. I feel I'm 10x more confident than the people that post around here and she's 100x more confident that I. And it's not bullshit, unearned confidence a la Senior Musk.

And who doesn't love how she fucked the record companies over at their own game? Knowing her own worth changed the industry.

Doesn't hurt that she's almost ethereally pretty. :)

This is me in a nutshell. The more people that tell me to participate in any thing, the less likely i am to try it. Still haven't watched Tiger King, for example.

It's a really fun game. People exaggerate the "addictive" aspect because.. you know.. "internet"

I think HP and Kpop are both quite overrated.

Anime and Manga are just media, so there are good and bad series, like anything else. It's not worth obsessing over, or writing it off. But there are definitely shows that are worthy of some amount of hype.

Gyms are a good place to have access to various machines and weights for strength training (which is super important!) It has advantages and disadvantages compared to something like calisthenics. Yoga is a great way of moving and stretching the body, which is big for flexibility and general mobility. Especially combined with some form of strength training, it will have a huge impact on how your body feels.

Fashion, makeup, and nail polish are all about self expression. Fast fashion is bad, but fashion can mean just putting together a good outfit. It's worth it to put a bit of effort into what you wear, and making your clothes into something that reflects you. Makeup also has a positive and negative side. On one hand, a lot of people use it (often heavily) to cover up their percoeved flaws and 'fix' their appearance. I think that's unhealthy and a bit sad. But makeup is also an an art form; it turns your face into a canvas. Think winged eyeliner, glitter, colored eyeshadow or lipstick, etc. This includes nail polish. It's an expression of creativity, an you get to look nice at the end! Even if it's something you aren't personally interested in, (or if you are discouraged from self ornamentation due to gender expectations) It should be clear why people enjoy these things.

pretty generic trope

https://www.vice.com/en/article/the-not-so-hidden-israeli-politics-of-the-last-of-us-part-ii/

I like vinyl for it being big enough to be somewhat like a poster. I'm hoping to eventually gave a vinyl wall when I have my own place

I'm 30 so CDs were well and truly widespread during my formative years so it's not nostalgia for me

The reason I like vinyl is how slow and deliberate it is compared to other mediums. If I want to play a record I have a limited curated selection which I purchased with a specific use case. These are all played in my living room and are generally slower and relaxing type music. If I want to play a record I will need to start at the beginning and typically commit to hearing the entire thing in its entirety. Each side I have to choose to continue which slows down the process. I can't skip ahead to the songs I like and it doesn't automatically play anything once its done. Its slow and has a large physical object which I enjoy.

If I used CDs I could skip to whatever song I like or have it automatically play the next CD. With a multi-disc changer I wouldn't have to choose what I want to hear each time. I have CDs which I use in my car for a different use case which is to listen to when the radio is being annoying.

Absolutely do use whatever makes you happy, but that is a false equivalence. Plex just updated their license to allow them to track your content consumption and sell that data to whomever they want...