People I do not get

So, the one thing all geeks can relate to, regardless our passion or fandom of choice, is how often we have to hear from non-geeks just much they simply don't 'get us'. We hear it from family members, to classmates, to colleagues, to random strangers... we simply cannot get away from it. We're told how we 'have no life', how our interests are 'just a phase’, we have to defend and/or explain all kinds of aspects of our interests pretty much on a regular basis. Yet, we are always expected to see the non-geeks' point of view. I think pretty much every geek in the world is aware that not everyone shares or understand their passion and interests, but it doesn't seem like non-geeks realize that their interests can be just as baffling to us as ours are to them. So, with that in mind, I'm going to make a list of people/interests that I simply do not get...

Sports - I can to some degree understand that some people find the act of participating in sporting activities fun, as it's social and exercising produces endorphins. But I have never been able to understand the enjoyment-factor in watching other people running after a ball, or chucking things or themselves at far distances. Where's the entertainment in that? And how come being caught up in the performance of a certain team or athlete is considered so much more acceptable than getting caught up with characters in a book, movie or television show?

Fashion - I understand the concept of seeing a cute top in a store, trying it on and liking what you see so much you have to have it (even when the price tag is a bit steep). I get having a certain style (I myself am building up a small collection of teefury shirts with all kinds of brilliant, geeky and not to mention; beautiful motifs). What I don't get is brand-obsession. I don't get people who spend tons of money on single articles of clothing (or accessories) because it's by X designer. What happened to simply letting your eyes be the judge of what you find beautiful instead of a required brand-stamp somewhere on the product (whether displayed for everyone to read or hidden away on the tag itself)?

Jewellery - Again, I completely understand the concept of enjoying the beauty of a product. And with jewellery I also understand that certain items need to be of specific materials due to potential allergies (like with earrings having to be nickel free). But what's the deal with all the jewels? Why is it so important that the 'diamond' is 'real' or of a specific carat? Why does it have to be expensive or exclusive? And why the hell are 'diamonds a girl's best friend'? Want to know what I'd do if I had a diamond? I'd sell it, because I can think of a bunch of other things I'd rather use the money for.

Shoes - A bit related to the fashion-paragraph, but gets its own entry simply because of the stereotypical image of all girls having to be obsessed about shoes. Now, I get that different shoes have different types of usage, but I tend to limit that to one pair of each type (except heels, I absolutely detest heels - I'm convinced they are torture devices from the dark ages) and replacing them when they ultimately break. I don't understand this compulsion to own dozens of shoes that to me look exactly alike. And I really don't understand taking forever to simply match a pair of shoes to your outfit - as if people are going to look down and judge you on whether or not your shoes completely match the colour scheme of your outfit...

Reality television - The disturbingly growing trend of reality television is the bane for many of us television fans as they are cheaper to produce than fictional television shows (yet still manages to attract a lot of faithful viewers). Now, there are plenty of television programs focusing on real life people that is highly interesting and compelling for many different reasons. However, the genre that calls itself 'reality television' has pretty much very little to do with actual reality, and I really cannot see the entertainment value in most of them. The concepts are a dime a dozen, a bunch of people willing to walk all over one another for fame and money. Yet a ton of people tune in night after night to watch people essentially be jerks to one another. I just don't get it.

Now, I could probably add more to this list if I really think about it, but I will stop there. Maybe I will make a follow-up entry sometime in the future, who knows? So, to anyone reading this, are there interests out there that simply baffles you, yet are generally more accepted than your own?