The little things that piss you off

[Sarah K]

Oh. Okay...

I just can't help be see cash grab when I see her I guess.

this is the only gripe beyond it being a cash grab imo.

and wouldn't her doing poorly financially support my idea that this is a cash grab???

I look at weight watchers commercials, not the program - the ads, as almost a skid row for celebrities looking for a cash grab. when kirsty alley, charles barkley, jason alexander, and jessica simpson pop onto those commercials I think, "washed up celebrity looking for a cash grab."

[TheyCallMeDrug]

we've got a quoter! you win? if you feel like joining the conversation please help yourself by reading a lil further than doing an CNTRL F of 'cash grab'

[Sarah K]

Don't deny your ill-informed stance if you don't want it quoted for you?

I dunno.

[TheyCallMeDrug]

i guess i'll just know better than to fuck with Oprah around these parts is the moral of today. Again quick comments are fun but reading is really where you might learn something.

[Sarah K]

I obviously read, if I was able to discern that you thought it was a cash grab.

[TheyCallMeDrug]

I obviously read, if I was able to discern that you thought it was a cash grab.

sorry, hard to believe you when quotes are so thoughtless and fun and CNTRL F is so REALZ.....read this again.

I get that there's a sexist angle to this argument that you guys keep pointing out but I promise you I wasn't coming at it from that view point in this case.

I look at weight watchers commercials, not the program - the ads, as almost a skid row for celebrities looking for a cash grab. when kirsty alley, charles barkley, jason alexander, and jessica simpson pop onto those commercials I think, "washed up celebrity looking for a cash grab."

For that reason I was very surprised and offended that Oprah popped up as the face of this year's, jump on the weight watcher's ad campaign. I think she's more than the other celebrities that have come before based alone on her influence of minority groups that I've professionally worked with.

Oftentimes these people cant afford to get caught up in weight watchers and other diet programs that cost money. There are many government subsidized programs out there that people in these situations need to be taking advantage of - not signing up for the new weight watchers deal because of Oprah. Then they end up sending their kids across the street to get honey buns from the bodega cause they're tight on money and the unhealthy cycle continues. I work in the South Bronx with families and this area has one of the worst rates of obesity amongst minorities in the nation and shit like this doesn't help, period. There are NYC wide programs where these families can get free fresh produce, discounted meats, and free family nutrition seminars but instead they're busy watching Oprah and her weight watchers commercials on TV not knowing any better. The groups I work with fight tirelessly to get this information out to people who are otherwise completely unaware. Like I said before, she's selling false hope in a gimmicky situation to some, not all, people who are actually dying from weight issues by the time they're in their 40's and 50's. If Oprah wants help them she should take action instead of offering memberships and calorie counting.

That's my angle. I get there are many to this argument, but I'm not bringing this up for any reason regarding gender, body image, etc, etc.

it's amazing how conversations and ideas evolve over the course of back and forth comments sometimes and quoting one liners can distort all of that.

lemme know when you finish with all the words! since you're in the city i can come read it to you if that helps. i'll be in manhattan and brooklyn on saturday for read alouds .

even better when I'm back to work on monday you can come up to the South Bronx and meet some of these impoverished families I work with that are being subjected to the media and Oprahs nonsense. Get off the 2 line North at 149th St and Grand Concourse. Walk toward the projects a few blocks and you'll see my building on the right. You can help me with my call list of parents who need to be contacted about their unpaid student's NYC Healthy lunches because they dont know how to sign up for free meals and spend their money on god knows what instead. That delinquency goes on their credit report and the next thing you know they can't get a bank account and they're buying Rush cards to avoid credit fees and getting swindled by fucking Rev Run. http://thinkprogress.org/economy/201...-announcement/

Or maybe you can help and contact ACS about the two kids that have been neglected physically and nutritionally while they've been in the homeless shelter for the past two weeks? Then you'll go to court with me in a few months to testify against the single mother and the 40-something-yo grandmother in person? Then you can watch her kids get taken away and put into foster services right in front of her by the court magistrate with me!

Have some awareness of the city you live in my dear. Not everyone lives in gentrified areas of NYC and Brooklyn and frankly everyone in the Bronx looks at that ignorant shit with disgust.



edit: and if by some 0.05% chance you live in the hood please DM me asap, i need that piff. lolz

[Substance242]

"Little things that piss you off"

When interesting topic turns into debate about some woman I hardly heard of... :-)

Also, we need to add BMI to profiles... ;-) (joke)

[TheyCallMeDrug]

after this convo i needed a good joke

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oprah_Winfrey

[Jinsai]

"Little things that piss you off"

When interesting topic turns into debate about some woman I hardly heard of... :-)

Also, we need to add BMI to profiles... ;-) (joke)

You've hardly heard of Oprah? Dude, I don't even watch TV, mostly avoid it like the plague, but Oprah is an institution.
Maybe it's an American thing.

I'll hang out here on the side lines of the argument, and just say that calling out PC culture is fair to a degree. We've become lunatics. And so sure, it's reasonable to say that we should stop being so hypersensitive... but then just be wary that you don't get taken under the wing by other people bitching about "gosh darn political correctness" who have been holding the fort down since 1972, like their grandpappy before them, and they're so glad all you intrepid young folks are joining the "fold."

It's easy to miss, but the whole "PC" thing as a term started as an excuse to be a shitty person. If you get into the roots of the initialism, it's "people won't let me tell racist/sexist jokes anymore and they're totally bumming me out!" It's been creatively expanded since people forgot about the shitty initial usage, and it's come full circle to the point now where even reasonable people are complaining about PC values.

It's ok to be "politically correct" if that means not hating women and minorities, and feeling that women should be paid the same as men, and feel that some minorities shouldn't be statistically more likely to wind up in prison than white people. Not only is there nothing "wrong" with gay people, a homosexual couple is potentially deserving of just as much respect as any straight couple could be. If that gay couple turns out to be a couple of horrible people, which is totally possible, go ahead and tell them to go fuck themselves... for the reasons that apply to them being horrible people. Like everyone else. If someone is awful, tell them they're awful in a way that illustrates why they're awful.

It's ok to call out institutionalized racism, sexism, homophobia, and profiling.

But that's not really being "politically correct," it's being sensible, and not an asshole. You don't have to save the fucking world, and if you try you're going to fail. Things will be fucked, but just be real and respect people. The reason doing that was originally labeled "politically correct" is become someone was such an asshole that they couldn't fathom why someone would do that if they didn't have some ulterior (totally political) motive... and the sad truth is that a lot of people now are grandly gesturing how "PC" they are to make themselves feel better... which pretty much makes them full-circle assholes.

Just be real and try to treat people well if they haven't given you a reason to do otherwise is a good rule

[allegro]

For that reason I was very surprised and offended that Oprah popped up as the face of this year's, jump on the weight watcher's ad campaign. I think she's more than the other celebrities that have come before based alone on her influence of minority groups that I've professionally worked with.

Oftentimes these people cant afford to get caught up in weight watchers and other diet programs that cost money. There are many government subsidized programs out there that people in these situations need to be taking advantage of - not signing up for the new weight watchers deal because of Oprah. Then they end up sending their kids across the street to get honey buns from the bodega cause they're tight on money and the unhealthy cycle continues. I work in the South Bronx with families and this area has one of the worst rates of obesity amongst minorities in the nation and shit like this doesn't help, period. There are NYC wide programs where these families can get free fresh produce, discounted meats, and free family nutrition seminars but instead they're busy watching Oprah and her weight watchers commercials on TV not knowing any better. The groups I work with fight tirelessly to get this information out to people who are otherwise completely unaware. Like I said before, she's selling false hope in a gimmicky situation to some, not all, people who are actually dying from weight issues by the time they're in their 40's and 50's. If Oprah wants help them she should take action instead of offering memberships and calorie counting.

Let's clear up some misconceptions, here:

Oprah didn't actually RECEIVE any money just to do that ad; SEE THIS.

Winfrey purchased a 10% stake in the weight-loss company, buying 6.4 million shares for $43 million—along with options to buy an additional 3.5 million shares at the same price, of $6.79, the Wall Street Journal reports.

After her vote of confidence, investors scrambled to get in on the action Monday, and the price doubled to $13.92 at closing. That means, on paper anyway, Oprah just made about $75 million in one day.

See also this:

When Winfrey appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show Friday, she explained how the deal was made and joked about why she didn't clue Ellen DeGeneres before telling the world about her partnership. "Weight Watchers called me in like mid-July," she said. "We had our first meeting in August and they said, 'We would like you to come onboard our program and do what you do: self-empowerment, self-enrichment. We think that you can bring another level to us for Weight Watchers.' I said, 'I can't do it unless I actually go with the program. First of all, I've never endorsed anything. I've never been a spokesperson for anybody. So, I will have to do the program myself to see if I actually like those points, because I've been resistant to points.'"

Winfrey explained that in the early '70s she never went to a Weight Watchers meeting, but added that she "might have signed up" for the program and not followed through with it. Back then, she recalled being opposed to the company's point system. But in July, Winfrey said, "'Let me try it and see if I like it.' As of today, since Aug. 12, I have lost 15 pounds. But I am excited about Weight Watchers being able to bring a healthier more holistic approach for everybody."

Also, your perception of Oprah demographics are totally off:



Further, I think you have a total misunderstanding about the cost of WW and how it works. People who live in that ghetto (who are the smallest portion of Oprah's demographics) can absolutely use the WW "points" system to get healthy and lose weight. Vegetables and fruits are ZERO points in the WW system, but that honeybun will put them way over their daily point limit. You don't BUY any food via Weight Watchers. Sure, you see those WW frozen meals in the frozen section, but those were added as a convenience line in relatively recent history to compete with Lean Cuisine and Healthy Choice. WW's main focus is point-counting (vs. calorie-counting, points are based on calories) using your own foods and recipes, and weekly meetings which includes weigh-ins. MOST Americans have ZERO knowledge of nutrition and caloric value of food and just how many calories they are eating every day; WW helps them learn that information, and many people continue using the WW points system (which for many is more useful than counting calories) and use it long after quitting WW. They also use the WW weekly meetings to help them get strength and support when their families are not on board their new eating plans and habits. There are rip-off point-counting apps for both iPhone and Android once you quit WW. (Personally, I still prefer calorie-and-nutrient counting and like connecting to my FitBit so I use MyFitnessPal.) But, at any rate, that demographic is NOT the target demographic of Oprah or WW. At all. Not by a longshot.

If a celeb didn't actually USE Weight Watchers and simply got a check to promote it, I'd say that's a "cash grab." But losing a bunch of weight is no easy feat for these people. And the celebs who have used WW to lose this weight are actually big WW fans and some have OFFERED to endorse WW. Jessica Simpson, for instance, continues to use WW and exercise even though she is no longer a spokesperson. These people didn't get on TV in a WW commercial just for the cash; they actually USED the program and successfully lost weight and continue to use the program, which is not just a simple paycheck. That's like saying that your weekly paycheck is just a "cash grab" and that you didn't earn any of that money. You're being unfairly judgmental.

[Sarah K]

Ayyyyy, guy attempting to be a cunt, let me know if you know of any jobs like that in BK, that would be amazing, and actually where my heart lies. Haha. I just haven't found something in the field that would pay me what I need to live since moving out this way.

I'd do anything social work related, but I don't have a degree. When I was in the midwest, I worked with people who had mental illness, helping them to establish goals so that they could eventually live independent lives. I was a supervisor there, but places out here still want a college degree, regardless of that.

LET ME KNOW.

[TheyCallMeDrug]

Ayyyyy, guy attempting to be a cunt, let me know if you know of any jobs like that in BK, that would be amazing, and actually where my heart lies. Haha. I just haven't found something in the field that would pay me what I need to live since moving out this way.

I'd do anything social work related, but I don't have a degree. When I was in the midwest, I worked with people who had mental illness, helping them to establish goals so that they could eventually live independent lives. I was a supervisor there, but places out here still want a college degree, regardless of that.

LET ME KNOW.

thats the problem. NYC doesn't need midwest transplants like you in the city looking for work or to 'do good' and you're actually part of the problem. you know nothing of the area and it's history and your presence financially pushes low income families from areas they once lived into industrial areas that families shouldn't be living in.

people who came here like you are a dime a dozen and are contributing to the gentrification of upper NYC and areas all over BK. best thing you can do for these people is to go home.

or pick up a paper and try to look for a job. i heard that works as well. but im not sure how you expect to get a job in that field anywhere in NYC without a degree. people devote their lives to being social workers, teachers, and community outreach. They do so by spending years and lots of money to go to college and get undergrad and masters degrees and unpaid internships. not by sitting around hoping things fall into place and someone helps them get a job. You seem to be painfully unaware of the reality of your situation.


edit: and i like the word cunt too. cunty cunty cunt...has a nice ring to it. but we gotta watch out or else they might think we're being sexist .

[allegro]

you know nothing of the area and it's history

You mean "its."

"It's" is a contraction of "it" and "is."

You're welcome.

By the way, the Midwest includes Chicago and Detroit.

Are you actually blaming outsiders for the gentrification of NYC and its boroughs? Okay, that's just a load of crap. Having been in Manhattan in the 70s when it was a fucking SEWER, with junkies and hookers at the Port Authority and in Times Square and all over the fucking place, what "gentrified" everything was MONEY. The same thing happened here in Chicago. People started earning WAY MORE MONEY. People FROM CHICAGO, not some fucking FOREIGNERS from other lands, but people who got degrees and management jobs and 2.5 kids and suddenly real estate in Lincoln Park that used to be a ghetto was worth $2.5 million, because some astute real estate developers bought up the land and VOILA! And Bucktown / Wicker Park, where you could find winos lying on the sidewalk on any given day, and was full of cool art galleries and stuff, was suddenly hip and featured on MTV's Real World, and then the artists had to go find somewhere else to live. And Boys Town with the cool gay bars and restaurants suddenly became hip to young married people with kids who then bitched that the gay bar music was too loud and they started kicking out the gay bars and restaurants and the Boys had to move to Andersonville. But these new residents came from HERE, in ILLINOIS, from the CHICAGO AREA.

The people who chase out the poor aren't equally poor people like Sarah who can barely make it from week-to-week; it's REALLY REALLY RICH DEVELOPERS who buy up the properties and convert them into high-income properties.

[Sarah K]

I'm not going to get into a pissing contest with you because you're mad that you got called out on something very silly. You can make assumptions about me, my intentions, and all of that. You're just going to end up looking even more silly in the end.

*Kanye shrug*

[tony.parente]

Holy shit today I learned Oprah is quite the conversation starter on ETS.

[Sarah K]

And I honestly couldn't give a fuck about Oprah one way or the other. Lololol... I just thought that repeated comment was funny.

[tony.parente]

And I honestly couldn't give a fuck about Oprah one way or the other. Lololol... I just thought that repeated comment was funny.

Black + woman + fluctuating weight = fucking minefield topic to discuss lmao

[TheyCallMeDrug]

I'm not going to get into a pissing contest with you because you're mad that you got called out on something very silly. You can make assumptions about me, my intentions, and all of that. You're just going to end up looking even more silly in the end.

*Kanye shrug*

im not mad, thanks for the concern though. im not making any assumptions about you other than what you've told me. you live in NYC, moved here from the midwest, are a female and don't seem to be doing very well out here. that's about it.

back to the conversation though, i still don't think you understand the argument, or really care to based on your last comment, but thats ok. if you feel like connecting the dots by going back and rereading the posts lemme know.

You mean "its."

"It's" is a contraction of "it" and "is."

You're welcome.

and here comes the grammar police. you guys are getting desperate lol.

[allegro]

and here comes the grammar police. you guys are getting desperate lol.

I'm an English Lit major, I can't help it.

[TheyCallMeDrug]

I'm an English Lit major, I can't help it.

it makes you look pretty petty in a legit conversation

EDIT: AND GUESS WHO'S STUPID FACE I JUST SAW AGAIN ON TV LOLOLOLOL. alright, I'm done.

[allegro]

it makes you look pretty petty in a legit conversation

THIS is a "legit conversation?" HAAAAAAA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA.

I have quoted statistical demographics, info, sites up the wazoo, I do legal research for a living, but this is a waste of time.

I'm off to do my real job.

[TheyCallMeDrug]

THIS is a "legit conversation?" HAAAAAAA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA.

I have quoted statistical demographics, info, sites up the wazoo, I do legal research for a living, but this is a waste of time.

I'm off to do my real job.

yep you worked really hard not to see the other side of the argument and i commend your efforts LOL. and when all else fails belittle the conversation and go be the grammar police. it's certainly a tried an true message board tactic. anyways have a nice day at work!

[allegro]

yep you worked really hard not to see the other side of the argument and i commend your efforts LOL. and when all else fails belittle the conversation and go be the grammar police. it's certainly a tried an true message board tactic. anyways have a nice day at work!

I actually tried being nice to you when others weren't, dude. And the grammar comment was tongue-in-cheek sarcasm but you're overly sensitive, this board is full of sarcasm. I've been here since Jan of 2004, trust me. I did try seeing your side of the argument, but it was a ridiculous premise based on assumed (and faulty) demographics, that potentially insulted the overweight people on this board so that's why I called out the argument in the first place. When you clarified that you weren't against WW, itself, but instead were against Oprah, you then backpedaled a few times and didn't really even seem to be able to clearly pinpoint why you were against Oprah, since you then pointed at a few other celebs and their weight-loss program ads, so now we're back to a problem with celebs who make money from weight-loss ads, even thought these celebs actually did the work and lost weight on the program, rather than just doing an ad and putting their hand out for a check, so I'm still not really "getting" your argument, although I seriously tried. You cited the ghetto demographic because (assumedly) you work there and you erroneously assumed that was Oprah's demographic when it isn't; you compared Oprah to the Lotto when that's 100% faulty logic; you just seem to be pissed at advertising, or specific types of advertising, and think the "Things the Piss You Off" thread is a free-for-all when it kinda isn't?

And I don't think any of us are necessarily defending Oprah, since I'm sure that Oprah doesn't need defending. But there are lots of TV ads that are annoying, for sure, and since this is the ONLY TV ad that Oprah has ever done in her history that promotes a product, it seemed very odd for you to suddenly jump on her shit.

[TheyCallMeDrug]

I actually tried being nice to you when others weren't, dude. And the grammar comment was tongue-in-cheek sarcasm but you're overly sensitive, this board is full of sarcasm. I've been here since Jan of 2004, trust me. I did try seeing your side of the argument, but it was a ridiculous premise based on assumed (and faulty) demographics, that potentially insulted the overweight people on this board so that's why I called out the argument in the first place. When you clarified that you weren't against WW, itself, but instead were against Oprah, you then backpedaled a few times and didn't really even seem to be able to clearly pinpoint why you were against Oprah, since you then pointed at a few other celebs and their weight-loss program ads, so now we're back to a problem with celebs who make money from weight-loss ads, even thought these celebs actually did the work and lost weight on the program, rather than just doing an ad and putting their hand out for a check, so I'm still not really "getting" your argument, although I seriously tried. You cited the ghetto demographic because (assumedly) you work there and you erroneously assumed that was Oprah's demographic when it isn't; you compared Oprah to the Lotto when that's 100% faulty logic; you just seem to be pissed at advertising, or specific types of advertising, and think the "Things the Piss You Off" thread is a free-for-all when it kinda isn't?

i think you're actually overly sensitive about the weight issue and that's where the problem has been from since the start. i'm not fat bashing people here and your overly PC view makes it hard for you to see that.

there was no insult implied towards anyone but an over exposed celebrity that I'm sure can handle the insult. but you've been personally insulted since the get. it was an off the cuff remark about one of your heroes apparently and you took offense. maybe you should let people be pissed off in the things that piss you off thread and unless they're specifically calling you or being egregiously insulting keep your ego to yourself and move along? the world doesn't need your PC take on everyone's opinions.

edit: and being nice to me? lol im not here looking for friends. i don't have the play ground mentality where we all have to get along and the world is a happy place.

[Jinsai]

I don't know... it's always been a pet-peeve of mine. I was an English Lit major too, so I'm down with the grammar complaint... even though I constantly abuse ellipses in casual forum-speak. Something about people mixing up "you're" and "your" has always driven me crazy. I could handle the "its" vs "it's" thing. For some reason, that seemed like a more reasonable mistake to make. Maybe I just despair that the advent of auto-correct is giving birth to a whole new generation of kids who will think they're empowered by a device that miscorrects their grammar and saves them from learning to spell things properly.

I think things like this, and in my head I envision of a swarm of smirking brats riding around on those stupid "hover board" things while they drool into their smartphones and mutter to each other in text-lingo. "I know... I totes LOL'd so much... OMG." The first time I heard a kid actually voice the word "PWN" I discovered a new and special form of unresolvable misery flood into my world.

Oh well. Anyway, I don't give that much of a cream-puff fuck about Oprah. At least she encourages people to read books.

[allegro]

i think you're actually overly sensitive about the weight issue and that's where the problem has been from since the start. i'm not fat bashing people here and you're overly PC view makes it hard for you to see that.

there was no insult implied but you've been insulted since the get. it was an off the cuff remark about one of your hero's apparently and you took offense. maybe you should let people be pissed off in the things that piss you off thread and unless they're specifically calling you or being egregiously insulting keep your ego to yourself and move along? the world doesn't need your PC take on everyone's opinions.[

I'm sensitive to things that might offend people in this community, yes, because that is the Policy of this Board. We have learned that this is the best way to keep the peace around here, to be sensitive to each other. I assume you weren't here in the old days, when it WASN'T that way, and it was positively fucking EVIL around here. And we had deliberately-hurt feelings all the time, and people being so fucking mean it was like a sport.

And then the new board was re-booted and that type of activity was banned and most of us said good riddance.

I've never been personally insulted by anything you've said (except for maybe my intelligence). But I debate for a living, I am in law after all.

I am on Instagram and follow Michelle Obama. And one time, against my own personal policy and better judgment, I looked at the comments section when she met with Prince Harry when he went to the White House. And the comments shocked me to the core:

"Oh my god, don't let HER touch him!"

"She looks like a fucking monkey"

"I can't believe we have HER as a First Lady, we are ashamed of her Harry."

"She is shameful, I can't believe she is our first lady"

etc etc etc.

The anonymity of the Internet allows people to blurt things like this, but I don't understand the feelings behind them. Why do people feel this way? What prompts this hatred and disdain? Rhetorical question, since it's obvious racism plus a lot of other things.

[TheyCallMeDrug]

I'm sensitive to things that might offend people in this community, yes, because that is the Policy of this Board. We have learned that this is the best way to keep the peace around here, to be sensitive to each other. I assume you weren't here in the old days, when it WASN'T that way, and it was positively fucking EVIL around here. And we had deliberately-hurt feelings all the time, and people being so fucking mean it was like a sport.

And then the new board was re-booted and that type of activity was banned and most of us said good riddance.

I've never been personally insulted by anything you've said (except for maybe my intelligence). But I debate for a living, I am in law after all.

fair enough but we have admins here for a reason and I'd say let's let them do the job of policing the topics and deciding whats ultimately inappropriate for the board. i appreciate your heads up on the not calling out people specifically at the start but beyond that I think my topic has been stated tactfully enough to stand.

I've been here since 2005 and yes, I've seen some of the dark days of ETS.

[allegro]

I don't know... it's always been a pet-peeve of mine. I was an English Lit major too, so I'm down with the grammar complaint... even though I constantly abuse ellipses in casual forum-speak. Something about people mixing up "you're" and "your" has always driven me crazy. I could handle the "its" vs "it's" thing. For some reason, that seemed like a more reasonable mistake to make.

"Their" "they're" and "there" makes me nuts.

I think that grammar police are a legitimate service to society.

[Jinsai]

"Their" "they're" and "there" makes me nuts.

I think that grammar police are a legitimate service to society.

That's just the worst. Still, there's some kind of weird high I get when people type things like "their is no way your this stupid" into the internets. It's like watching someone pull off a really impressive magic trick. You just have to clap your hands, smile, and wonder how the hell that was accomplished.

[Archive_Reports]

My watch battery is dead and I've only just realized it.

(I spelled everything right, my punctuation is fine, and I haven't bashed any celebrities. Please don't yell at me.)