Calling All Mainstreamers!

[keefmoon]

Just wanted to start a thread that says I am happily a mainstreamer, and wanted other people who like normal, mainstream things to come on to say hi. Recently I have felt on here a bit out of place by liking mainstream things like The Office, Extras, Family Guy, Simpsons etc because everyone knows a deeper, darker comedy or cartoon. Also, everyone on here seems to love dark, broody unknown grunge bands (to me at least). I love bands like Beatles, The Who, Pink Flod, Radiohead, Oasis, Arctic Monkeys, Kasabian etc and don't mind admitting it. Computer game tastes? TEW, obviously, along with Football Manager and Pro Evolution Soccer, and occassionally GTA and any of the Smackdown games or Grand Turismo. So this thread has been started for anyone who isn't particularly obscure in their tastes. Sure, I have a few cult enjoyments (Peep Show, although that too has now become mainstream, or Longpigs, a cult Britpop band) but generally I'm a middle of the road guy. Say hi here and don't feel out of the loop anymore! What do you like that everyone else likes? Don't be ashamed! I'm well beyond my teen years and yet I can still watch the OC or Dawson's Creek quite contently. Perhaps that makes me uncool. So what?! This is the place to post what you like and not give a damn whether people like more credible stuff than you. Something tells me that maybe just being ourselves and admitting if we aren't cool may give this place the happy vibe it used to have. Or start off even more arguing and flaming. I pray it's the first.

[PeterHilton]

Radiohead is mainstream? When did this happen? ;)

[G-Prime]

Hiya keefy. Yeah, I'm a mainstreamer too... Kind of makes me feel out of place everywhere geeks go. As far as music goes... I'm into a little bit of everything. Nothing too obscure. TV... I watch a lot of stuff that gets airplay on the free networks over here, which pretty much screams 'mainstream'. And nice to see an OC fan who isn't ashamed of it ;)

[G-Prime]

[QUOTE=PeterHilton;228517]Radiohead is mainstream? When did this happen? ;)[/QUOTE] Radiohead has been mainstream for a long, long time.

[keefmoon]

[QUOTE=PeterHilton;228517]Radiohead is mainstream? When did this happen? ;)[/QUOTE] The other side of the pond they have been a huge success, sold millions of records and virtually everyone owns OK Computer or The Bends, or knows the words to Creep, so they probably are mainstream. [QUOTE=G-Prime;228518]Hiya keefy. Yeah, I'm a mainstreamer too... Kind of makes me feel out of place everywhere geeks go. As far as music goes... I'm into a little bit of everything. Nothing too obscure. TV... I watch a lot of stuff that gets airplay on the free networks over here, which pretty much screams 'mainstream'. And nice to see an OC fan who isn't ashamed of it ;)[/QUOTE] Hi buddy, glad to hear you are a mainstreamer as well! As for The OC; yeah, I'm an unashamed fan! I'll fully admit I like it, except the last ever episode, which really did suck. The first series in particular I thought was really good and regardless of the fact that I'm a year or two out of my teens, I still watched it and enjoyed it. Which is what it's supposed to do. It never claims to be cool, or anything it's not. It's meant to be entertaining, and I think it was.

[shamelessposer]

Isn't this thread a little self-defeating? You're trying to deliberately marginalize yourself by saying you aren't marginalized. ;)

[keefmoon]

[QUOTE=shamelessposer;228523]Isn't this thread a little self-defeating? You're trying to deliberately marginalize yourself by saying you aren't marginalized. ;)[/QUOTE] Ha! Fair play! What I intended by this thread was just everyone and anyone who doesn't feel like they like unusual or cult-like things can realise that they aren't out of place. Plenty of people like regular, middle of the road stuff. I didn't mean to marginalise anyone, more just say that you can like uncool, popular stuff like The OC and not feel like an idiot just because everyone on here seems to like some Japanese Anime thingy. However, I completely get what you're saying! But at the end of the day, to quote Marge Simpson (very vaguely) "I don't care whether I'm cool or not. But that makes me cool, right?!"

[Undertaker666]

[QUOTE=keefmoon;228528]you can like uncool, popular stuff like The OC and not feel like an idiot just because everyone on here seems to like some Japanese Anime thingy.[/QUOTE] I don't like The OC, Dawson's Creek or Anime so where does that put me? :confused: What constitutes "mainstream" for bands/artists? Record sales/critical acclaim/how famous they are/other?

[G-Prime]

I used to be into anime... then I got over it. I've still got like... 100 GB of the stuff lying around though...

[keefmoon]

[QUOTE=Undertaker666;228531]I don't like The OC, Dawson's Creek or Anime so where does that put me? :confused: What constitutes "mainstream" for bands/artists? Record sales/critical acclaim/how famous they are/other?[/QUOTE] Blooming Man U fans, overcomplicate everything... :p Dawson's, OC, anime etc were just examples. I think Dawson's Creek and The OC are about as popular and mainstream as they come. I'd base mainstream bands on record sales or how famous they are. The idea wasn't to pigeon hole people in a very narrow way. It was just for anyone who likes things that aren't that unusual, which most people seem to be on here recently.

[Guest loves2spooge]

ive never been into scifi anime or anything like that so im mainsteam as they come i watch what ever is on free to air tv or listen to whatever music on the radio

[G-Prime]

Dawson's and the OC are mainstream amongst teenagers, but amongst adults you get Grey's Anatomy, Law & Order's etc.

[G-Prime]

You know what else is mainstream? Joining the IRC channel so I don't have to sit here refreshing :P

[Undertaker666]

I wouldn't say i'm a mainstreamer, some stuff I like but others things I hate with a fiery passion. I just like what I like, I don't label myself or think about what others might think of me. One thing i'm picky on is TV shows, usually comedies. There have been some great shows over the years and it's when they become more mainstream that they tend to become a bit crap. Examples are: Shooting Stars The Fast Show (series 1 and 2 were great, the others.... meh) Bo Selecta (series 1 and 2 were great, the others.... meh) The League of Gentlemen (series 1 and 2 were great, the others.... meh) Banzai! With music I like everything except reggae but I can tolerate the occasional Bob Marley song. From Marilyn Manson to Tom Waits, Iron Maiden to Mozart, Insane Clown Posse to Leonard Cohen or Captain Beefheart to Britney Spears, I like most stuff. Yes, I did say Britney Spears, I own all of her albums - laugh away!!! :p With films I think it is good to look outside of the mainstream because there are some great film makers out there who don't get the credit they deserve. Plus you get to see the various comedic aspects from different countries, if I see another American teen college movie I think my head will explode. How many American Pie films have been made now? 6,593,497? :rolleyes:

[shamelessposer]

[QUOTE=keefmoon;228528]Ha! Fair play! What I intended by this thread was just everyone and anyone who doesn't feel like they like unusual or cult-like things can realise that they aren't out of place. Plenty of people like regular, middle of the road stuff. I didn't mean to marginalise anyone, more just say that you can like uncool, popular stuff like The OC and not feel like an idiot just because everyone on here seems to like some Japanese Anime thingy. However, I completely get what you're saying! But at the end of the day, to quote Marge Simpson (very vaguely) "I don't care whether I'm cool or not. But that makes me cool, right?!"[/QUOTE] Oh, I understand it. I just like antagonizing people and Republican voters of all races, creeds, and TV viewing habits. It's like my calling or something. :) Just to make it clear, it's not like I think there's anything wrong with being "normal" or "average," it's just that I'm, um, not. But I'll take an average person any day over someone who's trying too hard to be pretentious and artistically relevant. You mainstreamers are all right, as long as I don't have to listen to your horrid music or watch your stupid TV shows. :D

[cappyboy]

Don't know that I really fit this thread as much as I might once have. But I do still have my moments. Like with TV, I watch Desparate Housewives. Laugh if you want but the leads are very sexy ladies. Plus I love the show's mix of brutal honesty and playful sensuality. And it can be darn funny too. Watched the first couple seasons of Lost before this season's opener totally confused me and chased me away. Not that I feel I miss much with Medium now being opposite Lost. My Name Is Earl on Thursdays. Not the deepest show in the world by any stretch. However the writers do seem to have mastered the art of writing smartly about stupid people and crafting very strong well-rounded characters. Musically, I have bought the current Nelly Furtado album and enjoy several of the songs on it with Promiscuous probably being my favorite. Although admittedly I did prefer Whoa, Nelly to Loose on the whole as an album. I've pretty much always backed Gwen Stefani on her music. Ditto Pink although I've lost track of her a bit post Family Portrait. Big fan of folks like Toby Keith, Montgomery Gentry and Gretchen Wilson in the country mainstream. Can generally live with Carrie Underwood, current Pretenders cover aside. Some of Kelly Clarkson too. Although my favorite notable with American Idol ties is probably Clay Aiken. Movies not so much. Although I am hoping to get to the new Shrek and Spiderman sequels. Still it's hard to be very mainstream movie wise when you've felt perpetually ten years behind since about Clinton Administration #2 And I promise not to knock the mainstream out of hand. That is so long as you promise to understand I take my mainstream selectively.

[Remianen]

[QUOTE=Undertaker666;228545]I wouldn't say i'm a mainstreamer, some stuff I like but others things I hate with a fiery passion. I just like what I like, I don't label myself or think about what others might think of me.[/QUOTE] Yeah, I'm the same way. Although I have to say I'm probably NOT mainstream because I tend to despise the things that catch fire with "the people", from designers (quit wearing Hilfiger and moved to Claiborne & Perry Ellis in junior high when "everyone" started migrating from Polo/Ralph Lauren to Hilfiger though I won't wear any jeans that aren't Levi's Silvertab), to music (expanded my musical tastes when "hip hop" started getting huge around 1990 or so) to reading (my favorite authors are names like Poe, Wilde, and Chaucer as well as Weis & Hickman, Salvatore, Patterson, King, Grisham, Rice, Greenwood, and Koontz). I've also consciously refused to wear a pair of Nike sneakers since the pair of Cortez I had when I was 10 (almost 25 years ago). Mainly because "everyone" loved Nike and people were killing people for Air Jordans. Oddly enough, I used to get teased mercilessly for my devotion to Reebok back then (because "anyone who is anyone wears Nike! WTF is a Reebok?" Not like they knew who Nike actually was. :rolleyes: ). Anyway, TV wise, I am VERY mainstream in my love for The Daily Show, CSI, CSI: New York (gee, I wonder why :p), Shark, Chappelle's Show, Mind of Mencia (okay, maybe that's not mainstream :p), Reno 911, etc. But I also love me some Food Network, ESPN, NFL Network, and Comedy Central, which probably aren't all that mainstream. Musically, I often say my tastes range from Abba to ZZ Top and pretty much everything in between. It really depends on my mood. Like, I've had 'Beautiful Day' by U2 on repeat for the last 11 or so hours. I'm generally not a fan of pop because it really requires no talent or skill to produce (it's too formulaic). Incidentally, the same can be said for most rap albums nowadays so I don't generally buy too much of that either. Mainly, I like danceable music so that's mainly what I listen to most of the time. I don't go to the movies very often because my Netflix subscription costs me less than it costs to go see ONE movie and I get more value from Netflix. Plus, the stuff Hollywood churns out now is pretty sad in quality. I did go see Pathfinder and Grindhouse though and I'm planning to see NEXT tomorrow morning. I generally despise "feel good" movies and blatant money grabs ("American Pie 37: Pants on Fire"). Overall though, it's tough. Here, 'mainstream' is synonymous with 'lemming' in that it's used often as an insult or epithet. But I think I'm mainstream in some of my tastes but counter-culture in the majority of them. Like I said, once something catches fire and starts becoming ubiquitous, I generally move away from it. Well, except my car insurance but I was with GEICO well before the ads started. :p I have my mainstream/kitschy tendencies though (I have at least one t-shirt from every Planet Hollywood AND Hard Rock Cafe that has ever opened anywhere in the world ;)). Oh and I love Vegas. That's gotta be mainstream!

[djthefunkchris]

Remi, I think it's guarrenteed your mainstream for most the stuff you mentioned. Culturally I don't know, but most of that sounded mainstream to me. I thought I was, but I don't know half of the music or shows that people mentioned... I watch wrestling, Smallville, and that show that comes on after it ussually... and that's about it. Far as movie's, I like the hero flicks, but I can watch just about anything, as long as it's not comletely out there somewhere. I hardly watch tv or movies though, and bassically It's when my wife wants me to watch with her. Far as music.................. I'm into old school RnB. I like Earth Wind and Fire, Stevie Wonder, the Stylistics, Teddy Pendagrass, LTD, O'Jays, Isley Brother's (before R'Kelly Isley, lol). I like alot of the old Hip-Hop as well... from Kool Mo D, to Scot La'Rock. I like some of the stuff that comes out today too, but most of it sounds like... Well, it sounds ALIKE, I think is more like it. There are some that stand out, like Alicia Keys, sometimes Mary J. Blige (for some reason I like it when she just redoes the old ones though), that new guy out right now, he has a distinct (maybe not distinct, but more like VERY popular way of using the) Style to his music... Akon, or something like that. There are other's as well, but I'm mostly going to like stuff that has what I call substance to it... I like a song to have a beginning, a middle and an ending... And I don't want to be reminded of the songs title every other word or sentence. I could list ton's of bands and artists, but I chose one's specifically to outline (to anyone that knows them) the, probably more popular of them (far as mainstream or crossover goes). I get alot deeper then that though.

[Undertaker666]

[QUOTE=Remianen;228563]I tend to despise the things that catch fire with "the people", from designers (quit wearing Hilfiger and moved to Claiborne & Perry Ellis in junior high when "everyone" started migrating from Polo/Ralph Lauren to Hilfiger though I won't wear any jeans that aren't Levi's Silvertab)[/quote] You've got me thinking about clothing now. I've been wearing the same brand of shirts for [I]*counts in his head*[/I]... about 8 or 9 years now. In that time they've been in fashion and out of fashion on 3 or 4 occasions to my knowledge, at least twice though. It irritates the hell outta me when they're in fashion and someone says "oh, you're only wearing that because it's the current 'in' thing". I'd wear a garbage bag if [B]I [/B]thought it looked good on me, I couldn't care less if a big celebrity is wearing whatever they're wearing! Same with jeans, i've always worn the same brand for 8 or 9 years and i've had people saying "you should buy Levi's instead". Why? I hate Levi's and they cost twice as much and yet i'm supposed to wear them because society says I should?! Madness! It's a crazy ol' world we live in. [quote=Remianen]once something catches fire and starts becoming ubiquitous, I generally move away from it.[/QUOTE] With TV shows like the ones I mentioned previously (UK shows, doubt any US folks will know them) I tend to move away from them not because they've become mainstream, but because they've changed and tried to become more acceptable to a wider audience. Like with comedies when they go for more obvious jokes and that sort of thing. To me that's as if they're saying "screw you" to the original fans because they're not good enough anymore. Music can be a tricky one because it can be the same as TV, once they become famous they can change their music. I used to be a big fan of Green Day around the time Dookie was released (1993-1994?) when they weren't very well known over here. As more and more albums were released and they became more famous the music changed and now they come out with awful pop songs like American Idiot. Yes, I said it's a pop song, anyone can try and persuade me otherwise but they'd be wasting their breath! :p The Offspring is another band that changed, I loved their earlier stuff but as they became more famous with the release of Americana the music became more generic and 'blah'. Damn, I was only going to write a few lines and it's turned into a full on rant! :D

[Remianen]

LOL 'Taker, you sound old. :p Then again, considering I agree with you, I wonder what that says about me! I started wearing Levi's because, at the time, Lee was HUGE as a result of Run DMC promoting them. Yeah, Levi's were more expensive (especially since the Lee factory store is in Reading, Pennsylvania and my mother and aunts used to go out there like every 6 weeks or so) but for a kid who loved playing (American) football in the street, on concrete, my Levi's stood up to that punishment a lot better. When they started coming out with the various lines (520, 530, 540, 505, etc), I found that I could get the fits I like best (relaxed and/or baggy) without having to get them 3-4 sizes too big. (You know what I'm talking about. You've seen the 'sag' style, with the boxers showing and such) I'm bowlegged so having baggy pants helps cover that up really well. Besides, I don't like any clothing grabbing me....there. Fellas need room to breathe. :p What's funny is, I still have a pair of Levi's 540 jeans from 1989, and they're still wearable. :) And 'Taker, the phenomenon you mention (people saying you're only wearing something because it's "in") is one of the reasons I immediately move away from things when they become trendy. I like to stay ahead of trends to avoid that. With music though, sometimes you have to give artists some slack. The business has been in a steep decline and unit sales are the only way many artists can justify their continued existence. Some are above that (The Rolling Stones, for example, who can tour and make $200 million without a new album) but most aren't. It's also why some older artists hook up with current artists to do projects. Ron Isley hooking up with R.Kelly has made the Isley Brothers SO much money, [URL="http://www.vibe.com/news/news_headlines/2006/09/ronald_isley_gets_3_years_for_tax_evasion/"]Ron's going to jail for tax evasion[/URL]. :p Many R&B fans nowadays would have no idea who the Chi-Lites are but I bet they know the Isleys (or at least Mr Biggs)! It's why Jimmy Page did a song with P.Diddy (and saw a spike in Led Zeppelin as well as Page & Plant unit sales). Sting goes to P.Diddy and says, "Remix Roxanne for me". The list goes on and on. Oh and cappyboy, I'll say one thing about Clay Aiken. He managed to score a hit with a song that has him playing the role of a stalker (read/listen to the lyrics to 'Invisible'). :p

[Undertaker666]

[QUOTE=Remianen;228594]LOL 'Taker, you sound old. :p Then again, considering I agree with you, I wonder what that says about me![/quote] I'm old before my time. You are old though. ;) [quote=Remianen]I started wearing Levi's because, at the time, Lee was HUGE as a result of Run DMC promoting them.[/quote] Lee jeans are what I wear! I never knew anyone famous wore them until about 3 years ago when I started hearing people like Madonna and Nicholas Cage were wearing them. Again I got the "you're only wearing them because...." arguments even though i'd been wearing the brand since 1997-1998ish! I could get Lee jeans for £30 ($56?), they fitted me perfectly and never fell apart over time. Levi 501's were around £50 ($94?) and I had one pair (as a Christmas present), they didn't fit well and fell apart easily. Plus, why would anyone want jeans with buttons instead of a zip in the first place?! If you're in a hurry to take a wizz then you're in trouble! :p [quote=Remianen]Besides, I don't like any clothing grabbing me....there. Fellas need room to breathe. :p[/quote] Absolutely! I'll be the first to admit i'm not hung like a donkey but you need some free swinging room! :D [quote=Remianen]And 'Taker, the phenomenon you mention (people saying you're only wearing something because it's "in") is one of the reasons I immediately move away from things when they become trendy. I like to stay ahead of trends to avoid that.[/quote] If i'm ahead of the trends, in the middle of a trend or behind the trends, so be it, makes no difference to me whatsoever! I'm currently in the middle of a long haired, bearded phases which isn't trendy and i'm reminded of that fact on pretty much a daily basis. But do I care? Nope. :D [quote=Remianen]With music though, sometimes you have to give artists some slack. The business has been in a steep decline and unit sales are the only way many artists can justify their continued existence.[/QUOTE] But then that means they're only in the business for the fame along with the money and not for the music itself, therefore i'm not going to cut them any slack! I'll use Tom Waits as an example because he's done the exact opposite of the likes of Green Day and The Offspring. To begin with he was doing ballads, bluesy jazz and that sort of stuff that's easy on the ears. As he gained a following his later albums became more experimental and he began doing more of what he wanted to do. Of course I might be wrong though, Green Day and The Offspring may have wanted to do catchy sing-a-along pop songs from the very beginning. :p

[tristram]

keefy, I'm a mainstreamer too brudda. In music, I like Pearl Jam, Pink, Smashing Pumpkins, GNR, Live, Green Day, The Doors, Kelly Clarkson, Foo Fighters, Matchbox 20/Rob Thomas, Eminem (yeah I don't buy his albums but I like some of his shiznit), Metallica, Gwen Stefani/No Doubt, R.E.M and the like. I don't give a fudge's icacle if they're mainstream or not, they happen to be heavily played on mainstream stations, but that's because they to me are good. I remember once talking to a bloke who said he too used to like Green Day, until they went commercial... so? Granted, to me in terms of Pearl Jam their top songs are generally considered (commerically/mainstream wise) Alive, Daughter, Jeremy, Better Man, and I must admit I prefer less known songs like Black, Rear View Mirror, Not For You, Love Boat Captain, I am Mine, Animal, Evenflow, Off He Goes, Dissident... yes still commercially known but I don't think known as their top songs as the predecessors were. On TV, I can happily watch American Dad or South Park or Family Guy or Desperate Housewives or The Simpsons (back when they were good at least), and as far as movies go I'm happy to watch your A Few Good Men, or American History X, or Rocky, or Rambo, all fairly mainstream movies in their day. I think most good things turn mainstream because they are popular, and have been well marketed. What's wrong with that? I do read stuff that probably isn't mainstream (as in probably because reading biographies isn't mainstream), like I've just finished Manhunt the 12 day hunt for John Wilkes Booth, and I'm reading the story on The Black Dahlia Elizabeth Short, and Nelson Mandela, and John F Kennedy and Unfinished Life, it's fun to learn. I don't make any conscious decision to be mainstream, I just get what appeals to me. I think the best decisions are made without any subconscious thought to what is popular or mainstream as such, you just like what you like and you should go with that.

[G-Prime]

[QUOTE=tristram;228607] I don't make any conscious decision to be mainstream, I just get what appeals to me. I think the best decisions are made without any subconscious thought to what is popular or mainstream as such, you just like what you like and you should go with that.[/QUOTE] Exactly what I think. I couldn't care less about what's popular and what's not. Being against something just because it's the current trend, makes you as bad as the people who follow the trend.

[Remianen]

[QUOTE=G-Prime;228624]Being against something just because it's the current trend, makes you as bad as the people who follow the trend.[/QUOTE] I disagree. I think it makes you first and foremost an individual. I've never followed a trend a day in my life. It just so happens the stuff I like, winds up "blowing up" and becoming popular. I'm the exact same way with technology. I had a plasma TV long before it was the thing to have (years! I bought mine in Japan and shipped it home). There are exceptions (like, I have 3 iPods but the first one is first generation and they weren't that popular when I got it), but by and large, looking like someone else isn't something I like too much. Plus, I'll admit that I really enjoy when people say, "Oh my God, where did you cop that (insert article of clothing)?" I won't deny it's unusual. Most people have the same view that you and 'Taker have. But by this point, it's unconscious to me. Like, in 2002, I bought a Calvin Klein flannel sleep shirt. One of my friends happened over at some point and saw me wearing it. His wife then calls me a few days later asking where I got it because he wants one for his birthday. Then I hear of 10 other people we know who have gotten them. Didn't realize I had quit wearing it until last November when I found the thing in the "winter clothes" trunk. People give roses on Valentine's Day, I give orchids, lillies, or daisies (tulips on occasion as well). I don't think that makes me nearly as sad as people whose lives revolve around chasing whatever the latest fad is.

[Undertaker666]

[QUOTE=Remianen;228641]I think it makes you first and foremost an individual.[/quote] But you yourself are an individual by the personality you have and by being who you are, the clothes you wear don't make you an individual. I had a friend at school who went through the 'goth' phase (well, he's still in it 10 years later! :p) because he wanted to look like an individual. The ironic thing is that on a Saturday afternoon in the town centre you could see 50 other people who looked exactly like him. [quote]I don't think that makes me nearly as sad as people whose lives revolve around chasing whatever the latest fad is.[/QUOTE] I don't think it's sad that people want to be different to others, that's perfectly understandable. But whilst some people's lives revolve around chasing the latest trend, it seems you're doing the same thing just in the opposite direction. Me, i'm too lazy to change. ;) (by the way, flannel nightshirts?! That's a sign of getting old! :D)