Comedic "things you would ban": minor things that irritate you

[Gloster]

All those D-list ‘celebrities’ (which they aren’t) or ‘personalities’ (something they don’t have) who reveal the most intimate and private details of their life in order to get ten lines on page nine of a tabloid. I would like to say that we really don’t want to know, but too many people do.

 

[GoneSouth]

Always have a wry smile when the BBC1 TV quiz programme "Pointless Celebrities" is airing.

The less-than-subtle double-meaning says all you need to know!

Yes that’s always made me smile too. I suspect that was Richard Osman’s idea, smart man

Of all the celebrity padding on TV, the quizzes I mind the least… If ever I’m having a bad day, watching a Radio 1 DJ or a Big Brother ‘star’ answering questions about anything other than themselves always reassures me of my place much higher up the food chain

 

[A Challenge]

Some Irish people that I know call the people who frequent these places "plastic paddies", and they also detest overblown celebrations on St Patricks Day that are mainly for tourists.

I know of a pub near me that I quite like that is Irish, but fortunately it is not one of these forcing the Irish down your throat kind of places - I did not find myself in there on St Patrick's Day this year, but I know it is very busy then, as you'd expect. I mean this isn't in somewhere with that much of an Irish connection either, so maybe that helps.

 

[gg1]

Amazon's new sneaky, underhand way of saying something is second hand, adding the word "renewed" to the end of the item description, rather than the more usual "refurbished" or "pre-owned".

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Amazon's new sneaky, underhand way of saying something is second hand, adding the word "renewed" to the end of the item description, rather than the more usual "refurbished" or "pre-owned".

Not seen that. What categories of goods does that typically apply to?

 

[gg1]

Not seen that. What categories of goods does that typically apply to?

Only noticed it today when I was looking at smartwatches where it was included on a number of different ones, there are also plenty which say "refurbished", Amazon's usual term for describing a second hand item.

 

[Paul Jones 88]

Mis-casting of actors in TV shows

 

[xotGD]

Amazon's new sneaky, underhand way of saying something is second hand, adding the word "renewed" to the end of the item description, rather than the more usual "refurbished" or "pre-owned".

Pre-loved

 

[Monarch010]

I don't know if this has already been mentioned, this thread has a very long history!
Almost every television programme made these days has background music, even while people are talking. Even documentaries are polluted this way.
It's fair enough whilst linking between scenes or topics, but all the time?
And if it's that "spiky" sort of music, I just turn off.
I've recently subscribed to BritBox, and it's a pleasure to watch programmes made during the seventies and eighties, with background music just when it's needed.

 

[PeterY]

I don't know if this has already been mentioned, this thread has a very long history!
Almost every television programme made these days has background music, even while people are talking. Even documentaries are polluted this way.
It's fair enough whilst linking between scenes or topics, but all the time?
And if it's that "spiky" sort of music, I just turn off.
I've recently subscribed to BritBox, and it's a pleasure to watch programmes made during the seventies and eighties, with background music just when it's needed.

And they made some decent programs back then

 

[Monarch010]

And they made some decent programs back then

Indeed, I just binge-watched A Very Peculiar Practice. Superb.

 

[Ediswan]

Indeed, I just binge-watched A Very Peculiar Practice. Superb.

Out of interest, did you see that first time around, or was it new ?

 

[Monarch010]

Out of interest, did you see that first time around, or was it new ?

I did watch it back in the eighties when it was originally broadcast, but hadn't seen it since.
I've always fancied Barbara Flynn and I'd forgotten how good Graham Crowden and Davis Troughton were.

 

[yorksrob]

I did watch it back in the eighties when it was originally broadcast, but hadn't seen it since.
I've always fancied Barbara Flynn and I'd forgotten how good Graham Crowden and Davis Troughton were.

What streaming site is it on ?

 

[Monarch010]

What streaming site is it on ?

britbox.co.uk
It's £5.99 per month with no contract. First 7 days are a free trial.

 

[yorksrob]

britbox.co.uk
It's £5.99 per month with no contract. First 7 days are a free trial.

Ah cheers. I'm already paying a license fee, so I won't be paying an additional subscription.

 

[Ediswan]

I did watch it back in the eighties when it was originally broadcast, but hadn't seen it since.
I've always fancied Barbara Flynn and I'd forgotten how good Graham Crowden and Davis Troughton were.

I have always suspected the series was inspired by early 1980s Brunel University.

The doctor at the student medical centre could easily have inspired the Graham Crowden character*. Over the summer, the Shoreditch Campus (Egham/Runnymede) provided accomodation for Italian school parties, supervised by ... nuns.

* Roughly...
Me: I think I've pulled my back
Dr: I agree, your back will heal, try not to do it again

 

[D821]

People who record 'reaction' videos on YouTube. Stop piggybacking of others work with your unconvincing overreactions, blerts.

 

[Gloster]

Estate agents who don’t understand that not everybody is going to throw fifty years worth of their belongings in a skip so that they can clear the house and get it on the market quickly. Actually, the first two words would be enough on their own.

 

[birchesgreen]

People who record 'reaction' videos on YouTube. Stop piggybacking of others work with your unconvincing overreactions, blerts.

Sometimes they are good, if they add some value. Chef Brian Tsao for example will react to a cooking video (like Uncle Roger's) but add comment and advice from his own culinary experience. He is a rarity though.

 

[gg1]

Estate agents who don’t understand that not everybody is going to throw fifty years worth of their belongings in a skip so that they can clear the house and get it on the market quickly. Actually, the first two words would be enough on their own.

There seems to be a generally accepted logic that a house containing 'clutter' (ie a house that actually looks like someone lives in it rather than a show home) will be off putting to buyers, which I personally believe to be utter rubbish**, it's not as if any of it comes with the house when I buy so it doesn't make the slightest difference to me.


**Rubbish is a substitute for my first choice word which probably wouldn't get past the swear filter

 

[Gloster]

There seems to be a generally accepted logic that a house containing 'clutter' (ie a house that actually looks like someone lives in it rather than a show home) will be off putting to buyers, which I personally believe to be utter rubbish**, it's not as if any of it comes with the house when I buy so it doesn't make the slightest difference to me.


**Rubbish is a substitute for my first choice word which probably wouldn't get past the swear filter

Mine is a bit more than cluttered. It has taken me over seven months so far and I am only now getting to the point where I have moved all the folding crates (full off books), wine boxes (full of books), plastic boxes (full of...) and small bits furniture (stacked with books). I now have to sort through the ankle-high sea of bits on the floor: there will be things in there I want to keep. But the agents think I should just dump everything and grab the money.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Experience vouchers.

They definitely need banning.



You’ve heard of these “experience gift vouchers”, right? Where someone buys a day out on an experience for someone else?

Avoid them like the plague. The hassle using them has to be seen to be believed… until two weeks ago, I thought you could simply take the thing to one of the venues listed and that would be it, like using a gift voucher in a shop…

Oh no! That’s far too simple and common sense for them. It’s more like this:

Go online to register the thing, making sure you have the gift receipt with you because it’s got a number on it that is needed to make sure it registers. Then once you’ve done that, you then chose from the list of venues which one you want to visit.

That’s when it gets really bad… you then fill in three dates on which you would like to try to use the thing and then you have to wait several days while they check with the venue for availability. I just done one and all three days were already booked up… “but if you can visit it before 22nd June it should be OK”.

Right… there’s only one possible date at that short notice, so I mail back straight away: “Does that mean it’s available on the Saturday 11th June?”. Several days later, I get a mail back saying simply “We’ll have to check with the venue!”. So now I have to wait several more days to know, by which time you can bet it’ll be difficult to find any hotel capacity in the vicinity for the night before and after.

Oh by the way, they say, if the attraction has put their prices up since the voucher was purchased, I’ll have to pay the difference…

Jeez… I think I’d rather just turn up and pay like any other visitor… It’s much easier…

 

[birchesgreen]

There seems to be a generally accepted logic that a house containing 'clutter' (ie a house that actually looks like someone lives in it rather than a show home) will be off putting to buyers, which I personally believe to be utter rubbish**, it's not as if any of it comes with the house when I buy so it doesn't make the slightest difference to me.

**Rubbish is a substitute for my first choice word which probably wouldn't get past the swear filter

Unfortunately it does apply to some. When house hunting with my first wife there was one i liked though it was an elderly lady's house full of the usual ornaments and chintz. Even though i said to my wife all that stuff would be gone she wouldn't even consider the house because of it.

I suppose if the house is empty it looks bigger, personally i like a house which looks like a home.

Experience vouchers.

Oh yes i hate them. My company gave everyone one a year ago as a "post-covid" thank you, i'd rather they'd have given me 50 quid to be honest, at least that would have been used.

 

[Bletchleyite]

There seems to be a generally accepted logic that a house containing 'clutter' (ie a house that actually looks like someone lives in it rather than a show home) will be off putting to buyers, which I personally believe to be utter rubbish**, it's not as if any of it comes with the house when I buy so it doesn't make the slightest difference to me.


**Rubbish is a substitute for my first choice word which probably wouldn't get past the swear filter

Wouldn't bother me but apparently some people genuinely do find it hard to see past gaudy or scruffy decor and junk, despite them being really easy to fix.

 

[Busaholic]

Mine is a bit more than cluttered. It has taken me over seven months so far and I am only now getting to the point where I have moved all the folding crates (full off books), wine boxes (full of books), plastic boxes (full of...) and small bits furniture (stacked with books). I now have to sort through the ankle-high sea of bits on the floor: there will be things in there I want to keep. But the agents think I should just dump everything and grab the money.

Sounds like a picnic compared with what I'm faced with: three floors (plus attic) crammed full of STUFF, including thousands of books (well, I did run a bookshop for thirty years, mostly on the grounds that my late wife's reading habits had to be mitigated by buying wholesale ) including all the accounts of the shop with invoices/receipts going back to Year One, 1988. I'd probably be prepared to sell the place at £50,000 off if I could 'sell as seen' rather than with vacant possession. Oh, and hundreds of bus timetables mostly from the 1950-1985 period that I'll be offering to a good home (but recipient collects!) when they come down from attic storage.

 

[gabrielhj07]

I'd like to nominate people who stand on the left hand side of escalators to be banned. Alternatively, people who stand on the right but leave their children/luggage obstructing the left.

 

[D821]

I'd like to nominate people who stand on the left hand side of escalators to be banned. Alternatively, people who stand on the right but leave their children/luggage obstructing the left.

Yes! I don't get how they don't realise they're the only person stood on the wrong side.
Oddly, Merseyrail used to have signs to this effect, but they were removed at some point.

 

[birchesgreen]

Yes! I don't get how they don't realise they're the only person stood on the wrong side.

Many people go through life in a daze.

 

[gabrielhj07]

Oddly, Merseyrail used to have signs to this effect, but they were removed at some point.

TFL play announcements nice and loudly on the Tube, yet for many it seems to be in one ear, out the other.

In a similar vein, people who not only put their luggage on the left, but seem to have brought with them most of the contents of the British Museum, often across more suitcases than they have arms. Especially bad when they actually try to lift their luggage over the suitcase-prevention fences.