Not, like, politics or racism or anything like that, but everyone should have some weird or obscure thing they like that is definitely not something everyone likes. There is some kind of weird, obscure, maybe hard to find thing that speaks to you on a specific level that only a certain amount of people also like. I think it’s an important part of finding yourself.
For instance, my favorite book series is John Dies At The End, not just because it’s the most fun you can have reading a book, but because it introduced me to gonzo lovecraftian as a genre. I try to get everyone I know to read those books. A lot of people just don’t get it. Garth Marenghi’s Dark Place might have been the most formative experience in my life. A lot of people just don’t get it. (I’m from the states, I understand a lot of folks from the UK understand how great it is. Even better than quantum leap.) Tetsuo: The Iron Man is probably my favorite movie of all time. My brother loved it, it has made some people stop talking with me. I like weird shit, I could go on. I raced home from school to watch Beetleborgs.
What weird, obscure, specific thing have you fallen in love with that it seems like nobody else is aware of?
Also, Phantom Crash is the best game there ever was. I will fight you.
(This was an actual thought I had in the shower. I take long showers.)
I also love that book so you’re not special. Take that.
Or maybe we’re both special.
I love to knit. Not that polarizing, but I hate the softness supremacy, everybody is in a race to have the fluffiest, softest wool that looks and feels good but doesn’t really keep you warm.
I want that working class wool, I want that rustic fall-into-ocean-get-rescued-and-keep-working wool. I love local yarn made with scratchy-ass local wool and I want to feel it on my skin, I want it to stink of sheep when it gets wet.
I like my polarising sunglasses. And old exploitation flicks.
I picked up some sunglasses that said they were polarizing on the tag, but so far everyone likes them.
Any recommendations?
so far everyone likes them. Any recommendations?
Keep wearing them?
Solid advice. Thanks!
Oh god, I’m a little slow. Nice one :)
Vinegar Syndrome has done plenty of impressive restorations and re -releases of classic exploitation movies and other obscure stuff in the last ten years, making them accessible to the curious and the arty and the insane. Check out their catalogue and pick out some that sound interesting.
I think the charm is to go find your own way through this wilderness of b-/c- and z-movies, plow through awful but entertaining grindhouse and every once in a while you stumble across something that blows your mind that neither past or new audiences seem to appreciate in any way.
Best of journeys! Feel free to report back when you come across your nuggets of gold.
Fuck yeah, thanks! I will be checking them out.
I don’t care for the Beatles.
They insist upon themselves
I think most artists do, but a lot of people also insist upon them. They also suffer from the problem of being so influential that they were copied to death, which makes them sound derivative even though they were the inventors.
I will die on the hill the Velvet Underground was profoundly more influential on rock music than the Beatles. I’ll give the Beatles they were a cultural phenomenon but only like 10 of their songs are still listanable in 2026. Where I can listen to all 4 VU albums back to back and like most of what I hear.
Right there with you. I just don’t get the appeal.
I like anchovies on pizza.
You know how when someone asks you to tell them about yourself and suddenly you can’t remember a single trait you have? That’s this question for me. I have trouble talking to other people because the stuff I’m into is so weird and obscure and I’ve definitely been like “well most people don’t like this but I really love…” , so I started to get really excited reading this question because finally one for me! except now I can’t think of a single obscure thing I’m into :)
I love Alice in Wonderland and there is this rather obscure claymation version that was done by Czech director and artist Jan Švankmajer called Alice. Its very creepy and off putting, but also a surreal masterpiece, with things like animated animal skulls and other animated taxidermy. Its one of my all time favorite movies, but I’ve talked to other people who have watched it and for the most part people seem to dislike it.
You can watch it in full here and come to your own conclusion https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tK_l74cSPGY
I havent thought about Jan Švankmajer in ages, thanks for reminding me of him! All of his stuff is so off putting and surreal, I really like his works.
He is great right? I think under appreciated really. Loved this one too: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1THMc9g5SaU
My preferred sleeping temperature is to be a little bit sweaty.
I’m obsessed with a genre I can’t quite find a solid name for, but it’s the middle of a venn diagram where the circles are “surreal horror” and “uncomfortable comedy”.
Stuff like Adult Swim Infomercials, Your Pretty Face is Going to Hell, Buffet Infinity, and Greener Grass.
I watched that new movie Buddy this weekend and was absolutely cackling at the most horrifying parts because the context made them hilarious.
Your Pretty Face is Going to Hell is one of my favorite shows. Henry Zebrowski is a gem.
Have you watched Monkey Dust?
No, but I just found a stream for it and just a few minutes into the first episode I’m digging it. The bit with the dad killing himself because he thinks the kid’s life with his mom is so much better, then the kid yelling up the bloody stairs “can I come live with you?” Perfect.
Thanks for the recommendation! I’m going to binge this all tonight and then be a bit sad when it runs out.
Aye, that storyline gets pretty dark like
Probably a few genres that fit that description, but one i enjoy a lot is Afro-surrealism.
Media like “Atlanta” and “Sorry to Bother You” are a couple of personal favorites, but there’s lots more
Adultswim’s ‘too many cooks in the kitchen’ is also very good at this experience, but I wouldnt call it afro-surrealist.
Oh yeah Too Many Cooks is great, that’s one of the Infomercials. Casper Kelly did that, Buddy, and YPFIGTH. He’s one of my favorite creators in that sphere. The Adult Swim Yule Log specials he did are also really good.
I’ll have to check out Atlanta, I guess I assumed it was some basic standard dramady. But I liked Sorry to Bother You. I thought the second half was some fever dream I had for a while.
Atlanta is definitely more subtle and less horror-comedy, but the surreal elements can catch you when you’re not expecting it and it has the same effect IMO
You should check out the movie Friendship with Tim Robinson and Paul Rudd. It’s like an I Think You Should Leave skit that just keeps going, which quickly turns into a surreal psychological horror situation. It’s fucking hilarious.
Oh I love some polarizing foods.
Anchovies, sardines, black licorice, really spicy stuff, mustard greens. Not together. But love all of those.
Obscure? The Ramsey Midwood song Feed my Monkey is so good.
I like yellow mustard with my fries
For instance, my favorite book series is John Dies At The End
Love that book!
I will die on the hills that:
- Conan the Barbarian is a philosophical movie asking deep questions about family and identity…a true masterpiece.
- Darth Jar-Jar is 100% true and I wish wish wish Lucas had had the guts to actually follow that storyline.
I’ve gotten into pro cycling in the last few years. But living in the US, I haven’t met anyone in person who has any idea what I’m talking about when I go on about Tadej Pogacar.
In fact, I’ve met a few people visiting from Europe this year (Netherlands and France) and they didn’t seem to follow cycling that much either.
Most people know who Pogacar is in France, because anyone who has cable likely watches the Tour de France. It’s kinda like the Super Bowl, even people who don’t care about cycling tend to have it on at least in the background.
The Pogi reference was more for the American friends, but I did ask a French cab driver about the tour (late June this year) and he was more interested in talking about indoor soccer/football than cycling.
Fair enough. Guess there’s really nothing that is truly universally liked.
I follow cycling in the US. Crazy year for both Tadej and Jonas though. WVA and Visma are crushing La Vuelta which is fun to see.
As someone who grew up in italy you only heard about cycling during the Pantani times and generally around tour de france and other major events. Otherwise basically nothing but there is a lot of people who cycle themselves and take it religiously when it comes to fitness, equipment and doing it regularly
Thanks for saying this! I wouldn’t go as far as to say that everybody should have something like that. Rather, I think it’s important that if you happen to have something that you like and people question it, that you give zero fucks. 😊❤️
I agree, that’s a much better way to say it.
What is yours?
Basically all my interests are frowned upon. Or maybe rather my enthusiasm? I make “exaggerated” facial expressions out of joy, which people either laugh at or “alienates” them. I am interested in so many things - and actually study them whenever I get the chance - and I feel like a freak whenever I try to share my joy about it with people.
I can’t really think of anything polarizing or having shock value at the moment, other than being ideologically a revolutionary who hates revisionism, but that’s a political topic, which you wanted to avoid.
If I lower the bar quite a bit, maybe yuri? Yuri is one of the few things that make me feel relaxed. It’s like when I’m showering: shielded from the pains of the world. Yuri specifically also helps somewhat with my gender dysphoria - until I stop reading, that is.
I’ll update the comment if I think of anything more polarizing.
I’m really a fan of the dogmatized occultisms. The orders like Illuminates of Thanateros, Golden Dawn, John Dee’s books, even Wicca, Discordians.
It’s really interesting rabbit hole that’s a nice open-mindness exercise, plus it’s fascinating to experiment with.
Almost everyone I’ve met who showed any interrest in occultism was always taking it too seriously, to the point of sounding unhealthy. They either knew and read the actual sources, and were too much into it, or they had some kind of random vibes-based new-age approach (and also were too much into it to the point of sounding insane).
I never really understood that. Maintaining an open mind while still keeping a little bit of dostance from it, taking it more like a research into history with a bit of curious practice (basically LARPing would be a perfect analogy), is fun and what I did, but people usually just let it take over their lifes in very unhealthy fashion.
I’ve tried out several of the orders/practices, and each one was fascinating to get into, I would say had overall positive effect on my life, even if it was just having fun larping/method acting and exploring what effects it has on my mental state.
I never interacted with the community, though. I’ve only met one other person who has similar aproach, and a lot of people who you’d consider insane upon hearing how they talk about it.
I highly recommend giving it a try with open mind. I work in IT, never really was into spiritualism or religion, but getting through i.e this book on Wicca, with an open mind, without prejudice and giving it a honest try, was really an eye openning experience. I didn’t stick with it for long, but the few months I tried were suprisingly fun. It’s basically solo LARPing.
Also, the whole history around that and other cults is really fascinating read, but trying out the practice is where most of the controversal (for some) fun is. But again - it’s like with religion - you have to be careful not to let it take over your life, annoy others with it, or use it as an excuse for anything, from why your life sucks or why you can be a dick.
Ah, finally, a kindred soul. Not only do I enjoy occultism, as in a subject to study (and I am familiar with all those you mentioned) with a bit of amusement sprinkled in, rather than practice, but also conspiracies. Truth be told, I don’t think I believe hardly any conspiracies at face value. Though plenty hold a lot of weight when you consider the evidence, not many feel like they’re 100% correct. But I sure like to read about them.
