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Post by beth on Jul 9, 2013 15:45:02 GMT -5
I ran into an article written 6 years ago on MSN UK listing 10 social taboos in 2007. I'm not sure I agree, but then I'm not in the U.K.. Here they are ...
1. Giving money to beggars
2. Speaking to a stranger on a bus or a train
3. Holding the door open for a woman
4. Saying that 'Imagine' by John Lennon is rubbish
5. Complimenting a friend/relative on their children
6. Owning up to drinking full-fat milk
7. Asking for a cup of tea in an upmarket cafe
8. Being irreverent about Princess Diana
9. Arguing that taxes are good
10. Contesting that England has a 3rd rate football team
Let's say you're in the break room at work or at a bar with friends or taking the small kids to a park with a parents group and one of these subjects came up. Wouold you stay away from the taboos, feel uncomfortable owning up to them or just not care.
Are these still as taboo as in 2007? If not, can you list some things that are, today?
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Tempus Fugit
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Post by Tempus Fugit on Jul 9, 2013 17:47:09 GMT -5
I ran into an article written 6 years ago on MSN UK listing 10 social taboos in 2007. I'm not sure I agree, but then I'm not in the U.K.. Here they are ... 1. Giving money to beggars 2. Speaking to a stranger on a bus or a train 3. Holding the door open for a woman 4. Saying that 'Imagine' by John Lennon is rubbish 5. Complimenting a friend/relative on their children 6. Owning up to drinking full-fat milk 7. Asking for a cup of tea in an upmarket cafe 8. Being irreverent about Princess Diana 9. Arguing that taxes are good10. Contesting that England has a 3rd rate football team Let's say you're in the break room at work or at a bar with friends or taking the small kids to a park with a parents group and one of these subjects came up. Wouold you stay away from the taboos, feel uncomfortable owning up to them or just not care. Are these still as taboo as in 2007? If not, can you list some things that are, today? I don't mind admitting that, having been brought up by parents born in the mid-40s, I regularly practice No. 3. I'm also guilty of Nos. 8 & 10. So there.  |
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Post by beth on Jul 9, 2013 19:31:12 GMT -5
I wish I'd seen the original article because the reasoning behind each "taboo" might have been mentioned. As it is, in a few cases, I just don't get it. Giving money to beggars I don't with a few exceptions. There's a guy who brings his folding chair and beggers cup to the sidewalk at the end of one of the main bridges (Ohio side) each weekday just before the workers come spilling out of the office buildings in the city and walk past him to the parking tiers located there. He is well educated in English Lit and history but has no degree. He can't bear the thought of being a cashier at K-Mart or a bagger at Kroger, so he became a begger instead. The irony is, he makes a good deal more than he would at an entry level customer service job. When I'm passing by at that time of day, I'll leave a little to salute his free spirit.  2. Speaking to a stranger on a bus or a train
I don't do this. 3. Holding the door open for a woman If she has her hands full or is trying to balance a child with other breakables, yes, certainly ... the same for a man, of course. 4. Saying that 'Imagine' by John Lennon is rubbish The Beatles were pop musicians. I admire their work but don't think they are/were anything above humna beings, after all. 5. Complimenting a friend/relative on their children I do it all the time. Is that bad? 6. Owning up to drinking full-fat milk No, because I don't like it and don't drink it. If you do ... by all means, enjoy. Why would anyone care? 7. Asking for a cup of tea in an upmarket cafe I would if I wanted. How silly. 8. Being irreverent about Princess Diana Why? I think she and Charles were caught up in a very difficult situation. They didn't handle it well, but it could have been worse.
9. Arguing that taxes are good
Have never objected to paying my share. We get a lot of benefit here and should help out. I'd even be enthusiastic about it if they'd award some contracts and fix the crumbling bridges. 10. Contesting that England has a 3rd rate football team.
Oh geez ... I wouldn't touch that. Not qualified to make a judgement call.
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Tempus Fugit
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Post by Tempus Fugit on Jul 9, 2013 19:33:57 GMT -5
No.2 can get you stabbed in certain parts of this country!
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Tempus Fugit
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Post by Tempus Fugit on Jul 9, 2013 19:35:01 GMT -5
And I think No.8 refers to the disproportionate and frankly insane hysteria when she became part of a tunnel roof support.
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Tempus Fugit
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Post by Tempus Fugit on Jul 9, 2013 19:36:25 GMT -5
Quite. Surely the sin here would be to ask for a mug of tea?! Or mug of coffee...
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Post by beth on Jul 9, 2013 19:37:14 GMT -5
"I don't mind admitting that, having been brought up by parents born in the mid-40s, I regularly practice No. 3. I'm also guilty of Nos. 8 & 10. So there."
So, do people sniff in your general direction or look down their noses at you when you do these things?
I'm going to try to think of come current social taboos here but it could be an uphill battle to find more than 5.
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Tempus Fugit
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Post by Tempus Fugit on Jul 9, 2013 19:55:54 GMT -5
"I don't mind admitting that, having been brought up by parents born in the mid-40s, I regularly practice No. 3. I'm also guilty of Nos. 8 & 10. So there." So, do people sniff in your general direction or look down their noses at you when you do these things? I'm going to try to think of come current social taboos here but it could be an uphill battle to find more than 5. Not really. On No.3 most smile and say, "Thank you." On No.8 it was a while ago now and, in any case, I was just as entitled to my opinion that it was stiff s**t for her and hers but I never knew her so what's it to me back then as I am now. On No.10 (settle in with a cup of tea for this one) it's a bunch of over-rated, over-paid, over-cosseted prima donnas chasing a bag of wind up and down an over-sized lawn for an hour and a half on Wednesday evenings and Saturday/Sunday afternoons. And there's too many non-eligible (i.e. foreign) players in the UK top flight leagues to ensure there is a big enough pool of suitable talent, so we get the same old selections each time. They know full-well that the prestige attendant to another cap is in the bag because there's no-one else and so, I think, coast a bit - when they're not concentrating more on preening, strutting and not getting their manicures damaged by a rampaging opposition. The same old same old are getting on a bit now, too. Even Beckham's pretty much realised that he's not got many matches left in him - but he got dropped from the national squad a few years ago. Then there's Rooney; a Neanderthal who likes, er, "older" women - preferably on a transactional basis - and who all the opposition players know exactly how to wind up so he cooks off and gets a red card, which is another by-product of allowing the domestic leagues to be rammed with overseas talent (and something else we can shout at the EU for). I mean, when Beckham lined up to take a penalty in an England-France match (Euro '04, I think it was) you just knew what was going to happen. Beckham and the French goalie, Barthez, both played for Manchester United around that time, until Becks left for Madrid. Several times a week down at the ManU training ground our Dave would practice taking penalties and Barthez would be stood in front of him to practice stopping them. Old Fab' knew exactly where Davy would put the ball. And so it goes. Any time we play internationally against a Western European team, at least, the opposition have a pretty good idea of what our team will do on the pitch because several on each team play alongside or regularly play against the entire England squad at club level. Still, at least we invariably qualify for tournaments unlike the oatmeal savages!  |
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Post by beth on Jul 9, 2013 21:13:12 GMT -5
"I don't mind admitting that, having been brought up by parents born in the mid-40s, I regularly practice No. 3. I'm also guilty of Nos. 8 & 10. So there." So, do people sniff in your general direction or look down their noses at you when you do these things? I'm going to try to think of come current social taboos here but it could be an uphill battle to find more than 5. Not really. On No.3 most smile and say, "Thank you." On No.8 it was a while ago now and, in any case, I was just as entitled to my opinion that it was stiff s**t for her and hers but I never knew her so what's it to me back then as I am now. On No.10 (settle in with a cup of tea for this one) it's a bunch of over-rated, over-paid, over-cosseted prima donnas chasing a bag of wind up and down an over-sized lawn for an hour and a half on Wednesday evenings and Saturday/Sunday afternoons. And there's too many non-eligible (i.e. foreign) players in the UK top flight leagues to ensure there is a big enough pool of suitable talent, so we get the same old selections each time. They know full-well that the prestige attendant to another cap is in the bag because there's no-one else and so, I think, coast a bit - when they're not concentrating more on preening, strutting and not getting their manicures damaged by a rampaging opposition. The same old same old are getting on a bit now, too. Even Beckham's pretty much realised that he's not got many matches left in him - but he got dropped from the national squad a few years ago. Then there's Rooney; a Neanderthal who likes, er, "older" women - preferably on a transactional basis - and who all the opposition players know exactly how to wind up so he cooks off and gets a red card, which is another by-product of allowing the domestic leagues to be rammed with overseas talent (and something else we can shout at the EU for). I mean, when Beckham lined up to take a penalty in an England-France match (Euro '04, I think it was) you just knew what was going to happen. Beckham and the French goalie, Barthez, both played for Manchester United around that time, until Becks left for Madrid. Several times a week down at the ManU training ground our Dave would practice taking penalties and Barthez would be stood in front of him to practice stopping them. Old Fab' knew exactly where Davy would put the ball. And so it goes. Any time we play internationally against a Western European team, at least, the opposition have a pretty good idea of what our team will do on the pitch because several on each team play alongside or regularly play against the entire England squad at club level. Still, at least we invariably qualify for tournaments unlike the oatmeal savages! I can only speak for myself, but I've never ever heard of any of that. It's automatic and necessary to clean out a basin we've used, no matter what it was used for. Just a little cleaner and a quick swish .. not a big deal. Also, that's a more personal thing than a social thing. One major social taboo here is uncleanliness. Clothes can be old, even shabby but must be clean ... ditto shoes, socks and undergarments ... not to mention personal cleanliness. No body odor unless one has just come off the track without a chance to shower. This has nothing to do with your other half ... that's between the people involved, but in social situations .. even a trip to the car wash .. in this country you're generally going to be judged for cleanliness on a continuing basis. I'll be thinking and try to come up with some more U.S. taboos. |
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Post by beth on Jul 9, 2013 21:27:24 GMT -5
Quite. Surely the sin here would be to ask for a mug of tea?! Or mug of coffee... Oh. I thought they were talking about Starbucks and ordering just tea instead of a latte or a frappuccino. |
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Post by mouse on Jul 10, 2013 3:06:09 GMT -5
I ran into an article written 6 years ago on MSN UK listing 10 social taboos in 2007. I'm not sure I agree, but then I'm not in the U.K.. Here they are ... 1. Giving money to beggars....................................................I never give money to beggers 2. Speaking to a stranger on a bus or a train...................................have met incredibly interesting people on trains etc [but don't speak to people I don't know on buses 3. Holding the door open for a woman...............................................I will hold the door open for pregnant women or women in general 4. Saying that 'Imagine' by John Lennon is rubbish...................................john lennon was rubbish full stop..an over paid junkie 5. Complimenting a friend/relative on their children..........................................only if the children deserve it 6. Owning up to drinking full-fat milk......................................................yup 7. Asking for a cup of tea in an upmarket café.................................................any up market café would sell tea anyway 8. Being irreverent about Princess Diana.......................................................over indulged manipulative not very bright women 9. Arguing that taxes are good...................................depends on the tax 10. Contesting that England has a 3rd rate football team.......................................................it has,,,if they were not third rate they would win more often |
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Post by mouse on Jul 10, 2013 3:10:13 GMT -5
Quite. Surely the sin here would be to ask for a mug of tea?! Or mug of coffee... Oh. I thought they were talking about Starbucks and ordering just tea instead of a latte or a frappuccino. I wouldn't consider starbucks to be upmarket taboo today.....still the sainted dianna......being critical of low life and their odious sprogs.... |
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Tempus Fugit
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Post by Tempus Fugit on Jul 10, 2013 3:49:51 GMT -5
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Tempus Fugit
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Science - making religion look stupid since the 17th century.
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Post by Tempus Fugit on Jul 10, 2013 4:44:51 GMT -5
Quite. Surely the sin here would be to ask for a mug of tea?! Or mug of coffee... Oh. I thought they were talking about Starbucks and ordering just tea instead of a latte or a frappuccino. I don't know about America but over here Starbucks is the beverage equivalent of McDonalds! |
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Post by beth on Jul 10, 2013 7:07:09 GMT -5
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Omega
