Sometimes, popular things live up to the hype; other times, they're huge letdowns. Recently, we posted about the popular things that people are sick of trying to be convinced are great, which prompted a whole lot of discussion of more well-liked things people secretly can't stand. Here are a few of their controversial takes, and I'm curious if you agree.
1."For me, it's matcha. Everything is matcha flavored, and it's disgusting."
2."Babies. When someone brings their baby to work, the whole place nearly shuts down. Everyone wants to hold the baby or make faces to make the baby smile. To me, babies are about as interesting as a block of cheese. When they start communicating with words, that's when children get more interesting."
—Michele, 53, Texas
3."You can't convince me that spending an entire day at the beach is fun. I'll go for an hour, but all day is extremely boring. I hate sand getting everywhere, I hate being hot, and I don't really like swimming in the ocean. And eating lunch on the beach? What a pain in the ass."
4."Taylor Swift. I don't think she's bad, just overrated. I don't change the station when she comes on the radio, and I have a few of her songs on my playlist. I just never really got into her music the same way other people did. I listen to rap mostly, and my Swiftie sister is constantly trying to convince me that her music taste is better than mine. I understand that's her opinion, and that's fine. But don't be mad at me for listening to Might Delete Later instead of TTPD just because you think it's better."
—Anonymous
5."Summer. I do not understand why so many people claim to love being hot, sweaty, and stinky for four to five months out of the year (where I live, anyway). I get that I'm sensitive to heat (I think anything over 70 degrees is too hot), but it seems to me that people who 'love' summer are also the ones with nice houses with central air, a lakehouse/cottage, and a boat. I cannot WAIT for fall."
6."Pickleball. Everyone says you have to play it; it's so much fun. I've played tennis and ping pong. I'm not missing out on anything but an injury at my age."
—Anonymous
7."Bidets. Talking to people who own them is like talking to people who found religion. STFU already."
8."QR codes. Yes, they hold a lot of information in less space, but I want to read a menu on something larger than a phone screen."
—Anonymous, 60, Oregon
9."Food that is stacked a mile high or has numerous unnecessary additional food things skewered to it (which I call 'over-wrought food'), or is served on a shovel or a piece of wood or in a shoe, and is not really good after all. If there's a gimmick, I'm not going there just to have another 'Look where I went!' photo for social media."
10."Reality television is the worst. It shows the lowest common denominator of humanity, promotes unhealthy lifestyles, and is all fake to boot."
—Ellie
11."Tattoos. I've just never understood the appeal. People permanently marking their bodies with supposed 'artwork' that is either bad or only they know what the hell it means just doesn't make sense to me."
12."iPhones are the biggest scam of modern times. Their screens are smaller than most Androids/Google Pixels, and the interfaces are terrible! They keep coming out with new versions, but they are basically all the same. What are they on now, iPhone 20? Every time I use someone's iPhone (normally to help them figure out how the f*ck it works), I'm just more convinced they are trash. Plus, why would you want to spend a thousand bucks on a new phone that will just have an outdated iOS in a year or two? This is planned obsolescence at its worst."
—Sarah, 31, Iowa
13."Pets. I'm happily pet-free."
14."Living in a big city. I grew up rurally, moved to a city of 85,000 when I was 18, then moved to a city of over a million people, and have since moved back to the city of 85,000. We had our two kids in the big city, and everything was a drag. It's competition for everything: park, daycare, swim lessons — you name it. The whole 'there's so much to do there' thing is BS. What actually should be said is, 'Everything is an event!' Costco run? Half your day. Parking downtown? Good luck. Quiet dinner out with the family? Nope. Imagine moving to a place with all the amenities of a big city without the competition or lineups. That's the sweet part of living where we do now. And houses are half the price. Thus, we own one in town and one at a lake 45 minutes away."
—Anonymous, Canada
15."Marriage in general. Even if I find a man with whom I want to spend my life, no part of me ever wants to get legally married. I'm an atheist, so I have no religious ties to marriage, and I just don't feel the need to bring the government into my relationship. I could easily live the rest of my life in a committed relationship without ever getting married."
16."Self-checkout. While self-check is great for use as an express lane, there are more problems than they are worth. As customers, we are waiting in line for several minutes behind people who may have large orders or those who may have large items that need to be scanned. Sometimes, you have to wait for the attendant to assist you."
"On the employee side, it's the root of many issues: there are registers that freeze, coupons that are eaten by the register, change is not given back to the customer, sale prices do not ring up, EBT and WIC cards that can't be used due to tender options not being available, and card readers that go down. Worst thing ever for retail."
—Dani
17."Disney. It's too expensive to stand in line for hours with a bunch of people who don't understand personal space."
18."I'm really tired of people telling me I need a smart app for every appliance, light bulb, electrical outlet, etc. I can get up to preheat the oven. I can set a timer to tell me when my food is cooked. I have a friend who has smart apps for everything in her house. When her Wi-Fi went out, she had to reconnect every item in her house to the Wi-Fi, taking her an entire day! No, thank you! I will keep my dumb appliances and be quite happy."
—Anonymous, 66, Ohio
19."BookTok. (To preface this, this is just my opinion of the books on there. No judgment if you enjoy these kinds of books. I know free time can be hard to come by, so if you want to read these novels for escapism, you do you, boo.) The same 10 or so books are being recommended over and over. So you think ACOTAR and Shatter Me are must-reads? So does every other account on this corner of TikTok! I just want to find some new recommendations!"
20."High-waisted pants. They're not comfortable, and I don't like them. Please at least give me the option of a couple of pairs of low-rise, too. And now we're going back to flair leg? I just want my low-rise skinny stretch jeans and leggings!"
—Anonymous
21."I can't stand Jeeps. I honestly wanted one as a teen because they seem so fun. Go on the beach in your jeep, put the windows and the doors off, etc. But then I heard about a horrible accident involving one with the doors off and top down. It turned me off forever. Now, when I see one on the road, and everything is all 'open,' I just cringe and say a prayer they make it home safely. I once saw one driving in a sudden downpour, and the whole family was soaked."
22."I have seen what it takes to launch a business, especially one that employs other people. There is nothing on this earth that I want to do badly enough to start my own business. In my field, it is pretty common to move on to doing the same role as a consultant to smaller businesses, and I could see myself doing that as a bridge between full-time work and full-time retirement. Just me. No employees or hustling to grow my business."
23."Wine. Being a millennial mom, I'm supposed to want to unwind with a glass of wine. I've tried different kinds. It all tastes awful. And dry wine? Yes, because beverages are supposed to make you more thirsty."
24."Casinos: they're loud and full of smoke, the games are basic and uninteresting, and there is virtually no service at tables, even when you tip generously. I don't see how any of it counts as entertainment. Yet I have friends who happily spend hours at the tables, throwing away stacks of money on games with no 'skill' involved for a similar cost of an evening at a concert or major league sporting event."
—Anonymous
What are some things you're tired of everyone trying to convince you are great? Comment below or fill out this anonymous form!
Note: Some responses have been edited for length/clarity.