Bandwagons you avoid

[Eric]

Children

Hahaha.  Yes!

[so.mpls]

Yep. Subsidizing everyone except for the kids playing the sport and producing the television product that leads to all those lucrative TV deals...

A free education isn't nothing...

[nanu]

On that note, I have a feeling that there is a measurable correlation between wedding party decadence and failed marriage rates. In other words, the more ridiculous the wedding budget, the shorter the marriage. Just my observation so far!

There is actually data that shows correlation between the two - expensive weddings lead to higher divorce rates.
However, weddings with a lot of guests also lead to less divorce, so ideally you'd find a way to have a cheap wedding with a lot of people.

I didn't ready the study (only news articles about it), but you can find it here: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2501480

[MandalayVA]

Veganism.  It's not healthy, you're not saving the animals or the planet.  For every little cow you think you're saving, a kid in Brazil is living in hellish conditions so you can have your tofu burger.

Just to correct that, the vast majority of soy grown in Brazil is for exported animal feed. Cattle farming is the really destructive force down there as the soil is very unsuited to it, but it's cheap enough to be popular anyways. So people there are living in hellish conditions to support North American's cheap meat obsession, not for the sake of tofu burgers.

If animals ate what they're supposed to--grass for sheep and cattle, all other land meat sources are omnivorous--the problem's solved.  Of course, there's no money in it ... 

[Zikoris]

Veganism.  It's not healthy, you're not saving the animals or the planet.  For every little cow you think you're saving, a kid in Brazil is living in hellish conditions so you can have your tofu burger.

Just to correct that, the vast majority of soy grown in Brazil is for exported animal feed. Cattle farming is the really destructive force down there as the soil is very unsuited to it, but it's cheap enough to be popular anyways. So people there are living in hellish conditions to support North American's cheap meat obsession, not for the sake of tofu burgers.

If animals ate what they're supposed to--grass for sheep and cattle, all other land meat sources are omnivorous--the problem's solved.  Of course, there's no money in it ...

I agree! Meat production would also be much lower and more expensive, and the majority of people would have to accept not eating meat at every meal, which would be a hard sell in America. But it's factually incorrect to blame Brazil's farming problems on vegetarians when the reality is that it's due to 1. animal farming, and 2. growing feed for animals.

[Pigeon]

College and professional sports.  What a total waste.  I work at a university and see absolutely no upside to sports on campus.

If it's a big school, the amount of money generated by football and basketball are surely subsidizing a lot of people's salaries (among other programs).

At most institutions it is actually student fees, support from the institution or support from the state that is subsidizing the athletic programs.  When you subtract those subsidies, athletic programs are generally not money-makers.  At non-BCS schools, even men's football and basketball rarely break even. 

[mathlete]

Yep. Subsidizing everyone except for the kids playing the sport and producing the television product that leads to all those lucrative TV deals...

A free education isn't nothing...

In many cases it is far less than what the kids are worth though. Especially given that many college football and basketball players aren't really academically prepared to get anything out of attending college classes.

If universities really stand by the quality of the education they provide, I think they should offer to pay college athletes the cost of their tuition and make enrolling in and paying for classes optional.

[mak1277]

College and professional sports.  What a total waste.  I work at a university and see absolutely no upside to sports on campus.

If it's a big school, the amount of money generated by football and basketball are surely subsidizing a lot of people's salaries (among other programs).

At most institutions it is actually student fees, support from the institution or support from the state that is subsidizing the athletic programs.  When you subtract those subsidies, athletic programs are generally not money-makers.  At non-BCS schools, even men's football and basketball rarely break even.

That's why I said "big" (read: BCS) schools.

[Public Hermit]

-Marriage/Girlfriends
-Kids
-Walking Dead
-Pop Music
-Gluten Free foods
-Obesity
-Soda
-Materialism
-Twitter(I don't get it)
-Sports
-Reality TV Shows
-Friends
-Sobriety
-Cars made in the 2000's
-Instagram
-Eating Out
-Religion

[Le Poisson]

Gym memberships.

Everyone at teh office/on facebook, etc seems to belong to a gym. Some even go! And they talk about how its such a great deal - "Only $2 per day!" - "Really you pay that much? Mine is $1.50 a day!" etc.

No one seems to have figured out you can go for a jog for free! If you want to lift weights, go help someone build something or do some landscaping! I did once join an indoor soccer league though - $30 for 4 months, 2 games a week. On a per-game pricepoint I was about the same as a $1 per day gym, but I was getting banged up too much so I quit.

HAHAH what? Lifting weights is a awesome cheap and healthy hobby. You cant get as strong doing landscaping as you can lifting weights.

The awesome thing about this thread is watching all the folks who ARE on a bandwagon feel like they have to defend their position. Bro, if you wanna lift, go for it! I have no need to look like Mr. Universe, and can find way more productive ways to keep fit enough to lift pens at my desk for 8 hours a day.

[Guses]

-Religion (including Apple)
-Fashion
-Talent tv shows
-Caring about what celebrities do
-Twitter, Facebook and social media in general
-Cell phones
-Unscientific/unsubstanciated trends

I do enjoy watching sports but I don't consider myself to be on the sports bandwagon.

[The_path_less_taken]

You're asking me to differentiate between obsessions and 'dislikes', right?

Could be a long list...quicker to just say that I soooo couldn't care less what anyone else is:

1. wearing
2. voting for
3. going to church to worship
4. eating
5. living inside: house/condo/cardboard carton...whatever floats your boat, baby.
6. sports: I rarely even know what season it is...except baseball is summer, right?
7. not interested in facebook/twitter/snapchat etc
8. Basically anything that people 'expect'...please don't bother me with that. I'm perfectly happy to let you do anything that doesn't harm others or get in my way...and I'm hoping for the same.

Because I'm really into animal rescue I used to donate to the big organizations until I realized they're for the most part a self-perpetuating biz. When Katrina hit I sent a check to one and those bitches kept sending me cards and shirts and tchotzkes and crap for year...I think they just recently have finally stopped.

Now, I donate to locals gigs that I can investigate...I wanna know what per cent of the money goes to the actual cause I care about, versus into buying a Lexus for some fuckwit.

So now: "You need someone to pick up 800lbs of dog food for your no kill shelter? Let me get my truck keys."

[Jane]

-Marriage/Girlfriends
-Kids
-Walking Dead
-Pop Music
-Gluten Free foods
-Obesity
-Soda
-Materialism
-Twitter(I don't get it)
-Sports
-Reality TV Shows
-Friends
-Sobriety
-Cars made in the 2000's
-Instagram
-Eating Out

I hope you mean the show...
Is sobriety a bandwagon? That's a bit sad.

[Public Hermit]

-Marriage/Girlfriends
-Kids
-Walking Dead
-Pop Music
-Gluten Free foods
-Obesity
-Soda
-Materialism
-Twitter(I don't get it)
-Sports
-Reality TV Shows
-Friends
-Sobriety
-Cars made in the 2000's
-Instagram
-Eating Out

I hope you mean the show...
Is sobriety a bandwagon? That's a bit sad.

I've been burned too many times. It's just easier to be alone. I'm very introverted anyway...

Many on this forum put "alcohol". So I went in a different direction with that one....

In retrospect, I shouldn't have put those next to eachother, but whatever lol

[The_path_less_taken]

-Marriage/Girlfriends
-Kids
-Walking Dead
-Pop Music
-Gluten Free foods
-Obesity
-Soda
-Materialism
-Twitter(I don't get it)
-Sports
-Reality TV Shows
-Friends
-Sobriety
-Cars made in the 2000's
-Instagram
-Eating Out

I hope you mean the show...
Is sobriety a bandwagon? That's a bit sad.

I've been burned too many times. It's just easier to be alone. I'm very introverted anyway...

Many on this forum put "alcohol". So I went in a different direction with that one....

In retrospect, I shouldn't have put those next to eachother, but whatever lol

But only face to face, right? IRL you maybe don't hang out with a lot of people and chat?

But look around dude: you're hanging right now with a huge, international group of like-minded people.

Very much NOT alone.

Which can be a good thing. What I love best about online relationships is you get to interact as little or as much as you choose.

And at the time you choose. I have to go drag some fields with the tractor now, but you people will still be here when I get back...

[so.mpls]

In many cases it is far less than what the kids are worth though. Especially given that many college football and basketball players aren't really academically prepared to get anything out of attending college classes.

If universities really stand by the quality of the education they provide, I think they should offer to pay college athletes the cost of their tuition and make enrolling in and paying for classes optional.

No doubt about it.  I do think D1 football/basketball players at schools that are raking in the $ should be rewarded financially in addition to free tuition.

I was just trying to make the point that these athletes are still better off than they would be in the absence of college sports programs.  Maybe not to the degree they should be, but better off nonetheless. 

It's fairly silly to say that there's no good reason for college sports, as some are in this thread.  Aside from being a source of entertainment for the community (not unlike art museums, theaters etc), having a major athletic department benefits a university financially and academically, benefits the local economy, and benefit the athletes.

[Eric]

Zombie apocalypse talk/prep.  I don't get why that's entertaining.

[sloof70]

Girls - being a gay married man saves money.

I wish I liked gentlemen. We'd be a couple of gay tradesmen. I'd be an electrician, him, a plumber. (The "pipe" and "cable" jokes would run rampant.) Maybe we'd be open-minded and have a cute carpenter boy on the side that gets invited over for some three-way play. We'd make oodles of money, and we could do pretty much everything for ourselves. Build our own compound from the ground up! Live the dream!

But dammit, as a straight man, dudes are gross. I know, I am one.

[mathlete]

I was just trying to make the point that these athletes are still better off than they would be in the absence of college sports programs.  Maybe not to the degree they should be, but better off nonetheless.

Most of them are for sure. Every single non-D1, or non men's basketball or football athlete is certainly better off. A lot of the men's D1 basketball and football players are better off too.

Some players (namely the exceptional ones) are hurt by the process. For example, if the one and done rule had existed when LeBron James was 18, he would have missed out on a year of NBA experience and a year of NBA earnings. The NBA/NFL likes having the NCAA serve as their free developmental league and the NCAA likes being able to use the "amateur" status of their athletes to make lots and lots of money. The rules that you have to play college (generally) before going pro are a wink and a nod between the two leagues.

Anyway, sorry for derailing the thread.

[mathlete]

I wish I liked gentlemen. We'd be a couple of gay tradesmen. I'd be an electrician, him, a plumber. (The "pipe" and "cable" jokes would run rampant.) Maybe we'd be open-minded and have a cute carpenter boy on the side that gets invited over for some three-way play. We'd make oodles of money, and we could do pretty much everything for ourselves. Live the dream!

But dammit, as a straight man, dudes are gross. I know, I am one.

Women can do those jobs too. I get your point though. Not many do.

Marry a nurse. Lots of women are nurses and that is a skill that pays good money and that will be in demand for a while.

[Guses]

Zombie apocalypse talk/prep.

That is not a bandwagon. ... Is it?

[Lanthiriel]

I love that religion got added to this! The ultimate bandwagon, that I am definitely not on. +1 also for alcohol and kids.

[mathlete]

Zombie apocalypse talk/prep.

That is not a bandwagon. ... Is it?

I'd say that the Zombie thing in general is a bandwagon.

I jumped on rather early but later jumped off because it's just too much.

[MandalayVA]

Zombie apocalypse talk/prep.  I don't get why that's entertaining.

How about just zombies in general?  Besides, there's this:

[Guses]

Zombie apocalypse talk/prep.

That is not a bandwagon. ... Is it?

I'd say that the Zombie thing in general is a bandwagon.

I jumped on rather early but later jumped off because it's just too much.

Hmmmm, still not getting it.

In my view, a bandwagon is built of preconceived notions or needs, I don't see how a mythical creature is a bandwagon.

Sure zombies are more popular in these times, but I don't necessarily equate popularity with bandwaggonning. Unless you like zombies just cause they are popular....

BTW, love the Zombie poster MAndalayVA, totally stealing this!

[dragoncar]

blogs.

I always considered MMM a blog.  Is it not?

/sarcasm......but Sol is a loose cannon.  So who knows.

MMM is a blog.  Sol said blogs.

[Le Poisson]

Zombie apocalypse talk/prep.

That is not a bandwagon. ... Is it?

I'd say that the Zombie thing in general is a bandwagon.

I jumped on rather early but later jumped off because it's just too much.

Hmmmm, still not getting it.

In my view, a bandwagon is built of preconceived notions or needs, I don't see how a mythical creature is a bandwagon.

Sure zombies are more popular in these times, but I don't necessarily equate popularity with bandwaggonning. Unless you like zombies just cause they are popular....

BTW, love the Zombie poster MAndalayVA, totally stealing this!

IOt actually is a 'thing' People stocking their basements and building saferooms for the zombie apocalypse. Pretty harmless, and not altogether bad since their stash can be used for a lot of other more realistic emergencies. But certainly, there is a fairly large group who are perpping for the zombies to attack. Its a pass time and a culture, the same as, say a bowling league might have been 20 years ago.

[Eric]

Zombie apocalypse talk/prep.

That is not a bandwagon. ... Is it?

I'd say that the Zombie thing in general is a bandwagon.

I jumped on rather early but later jumped off because it's just too much.

Hmmmm, still not getting it.

In my view, a bandwagon is built of preconceived notions or needs, I don't see how a mythical creature is a bandwagon.

Sure zombies are more popular in these times, but I don't necessarily equate popularity with bandwaggonning. Unless you like zombies just cause they are popular....

BTW, love the Zombie poster MAndalayVA, totally stealing this!

None of these lists are bandwagon things.  Buying a house?  Having kids?  Obesity?  Alcohol?  Where is the bandwagoning there?  You hit the nail on the head when you said "sure zombies are more popular in these times".  That pretty much qualifies them for bandwagon status according to this thread and my lack of recognition of their entertainment value.  Ya feel me?

[Le Poisson]

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/bandwagon - 2. a party, cause, movement, etc., that by its mass appeal or strength readily attracts many followers:
After it became apparent that the incumbent would win, everyone decided to jump on the bandwagon.

By this definition, a bandwagon is more or less a fad that a lot of people join in on. Like say, the Zombie Apocalypse.

[southern granny]

Alcohol. I don't get it. It tastes toxic to me, makes me feel out of control, and is high in calories. I realize I'm in the minority on this one.

I agree.  I have tried having a glass of wine every night for the health benefits, but it was like taking medicine.

[rocksinmyhead]

I love my smartphone, but I'm not buying into the constant upgrades. My iPhone 4S works fine, thanks. My flats aren't Tory Burch, and my coat certainly isn't Montcler or Canada Goose, yet I'm stylish. Oh, and I manage to be fit without owning a single item from Lululemon.

OMG Lululemon has to be my least favorite bandwagon of all time. Second-least-favorite is Crossfit (at least that still has a positive benefit for many people... it's just expensive and annoying as fuck).

I WISH I didn't like alcohol, LOL. Unfortunately I think many forms are delicious. I actually wish I could increase my tolerance by 2-3x because I don't really like getting drunk, but I greatly enjoy craft beer, cheap wine, and many cocktails (still un-mustachian, I know :))

[The Happy Philosopher]

1. Replying to forum threads about bandwagons.
2. Wait...darn it!

[NoraLenderbee]

--Spas, facials, pedicures, etc. to “treat” yourself. Not my idea of a treat at all.
--Removing the hair from my coochie.
--Paying someone else to remove the hair from my coochie. N.F.W.
--Twitter, Instagram, Vines, whatever the "latest" is.
--Celebrities. Kim Khardashian, who khares?
--Status items (BMW, Coach purse, etc)
--Paleo, “killer wheat,” etc. If the low-carb diet works for you, that’s great! I am not interested in it. I’ve seen (and tried) enough food fads to know that there are always some people who do great on them, and some who don't.
--TV : Orange is the New Game of Downton Abbey Thrones Breaking Whatever.
--Tattoos. If someone wants to decorate themselves that way, go for it. Just not my cup of tea at all.
--Zombies and Vampires and all that stiff.

Juicing and smoothies. I much prefer eating the actual food in a non-pulverized baby food form.

Me too.

[Guses]

--Spas, facials, pedicures, etc. to “treat” yourself. Not my idea of a treat at all.
--Removing the hair from my coochie.
--Paying someone else to remove the hair from my coochie. N.F.W.
--Twitter, Instagram, Vines, whatever the "latest" is.
--Celebrities. Kim Khardashian, who khares?
--Status items (BMW, Coach purse, etc)
--Paleo, “killer wheat,” etc. If the low-carb diet works for you, that’s great! I am not interested in it. I’ve seen (and tried) enough food fads to know that there are always some people who do great on them, and some who don't.
--TV : Orange is the New Game of Downton Abbey Thrones Breaking Whatever.
--Tattoos. If someone wants to decorate themselves that way, go for it. Just not my cup of tea at all.
--Zombies and Vampires and all that stiff.

Juicing and smoothies. I much prefer eating the actual food in a non-pulverized baby food form.

Me too.

TMI

Also, not my cup of tea but I am sure plenty of guys find that sexy....

[Liz]

Multi Level Marketing.

Enough said.

Big second to this!

[firewalker]

Skydiving, definitely skydiving. Tried it once and, wow, you wan't to talk painful!

[Missk]

Jamba Juice.

[Torran]

--Spas, facials, pedicures, etc. to “treat” yourself. Not my idea of a treat at all.
--Removing the hair from my coochie.
--Paying someone else to remove the hair from my coochie. N.F.W.
--Twitter, Instagram, Vines, whatever the "latest" is.
--Celebrities. Kim Khardashian, who khares?
--Status items (BMW, Coach purse, etc)
--Paleo, “killer wheat,” etc. If the low-carb diet works for you, that’s great! I am not interested in it. I’ve seen (and tried) enough food fads to know that there are always some people who do great on them, and some who don't.
--TV : Orange is the New Game of Downton Abbey Thrones Breaking Whatever.
--Tattoos. If someone wants to decorate themselves that way, go for it. Just not my cup of tea at all.
--Zombies and Vampires and all that stiff.

Juicing and smoothies. I much prefer eating the actual food in a non-pulverized baby food form.

Me too.

Hahaha. I do like this list!!

I'd say:

TV series of any kind. Too. Much. Time.
Diamond engagement rings.
Expensive jewellery.
Label handbags. An ordinary handbag works just as well, amazingly.
Daredevil bucket-list things: skydiving, bungee jumping, etc. Terrifying, completely pointless.
Fake tan. Flipping weird.

Unfortunately I like many of the bandwagons listed here by others: alchohol, politics, instagram. Can't get enough of those filters.

[CheapskateWife]

I wish I liked gentlemen. We'd be a couple of gay tradesmen. I'd be an electrician, him, a plumber. (The "pipe" and "cable" jokes would run rampant.) Maybe we'd be open-minded and have a cute carpenter boy on the side that gets invited over for some three-way play. We'd make oodles of money, and we could do pretty much everything for ourselves. Live the dream!

But dammit, as a straight man, dudes are gross. I know, I am one.

Women can do those jobs too. I get your point though. Not many do.

Marry a nurse. Lots of women are nurses and that is a skill that pays good money and that will be in demand for a while.

Hey some of us girls do those kinds of jobs - and we like big tools too :-)!

I do those jobs!  And I love my hammer drill   :D

[CheapskateWife]

But dammit, as a straight man, dudes are gross. I know, I am one.

Marry a nurse. Lots of women are nurses and that is a skill that pays good money and that will be in demand for a while.

Pay attention to all the post-apocalyptic programming out there, and you will see that the folks that wield the most influence in a zombie/nuclear/biological contaigen apocalypse are the folks with medical skills.

[sloof70]

Skydiving, definitely skydiving. Tried it once and, wow, you wan't to talk painful!

Did the chute not deploy? I landed like a feather. Would recommend to anyone.

[LibrarIan]

I'll jump on the bandwagon and put in my two cents.

- New cell phones: No idea why people rush out to buy the newest version when whatever they had before is fine.
- E-readers/e-books: I mean, really?
- Facebook
- Trying to keep up with everything all the time, AKA information overload
- Fitbits: Are you really comfortable with some company having that much granular information about you?
- Debt: the ultimate bandwagon

[The_path_less_taken]

Skydiving, definitely skydiving. Tried it once and, wow, you wan't to talk painful!

Did the chute not deploy? I landed like a feather. Would recommend to anyone.

I'm guessing they didn't dump the wind from their chute upon landing and the wind took them sailing.

(speaking from experience: my first jump some guy was screaming at me from the ground and forgot to dump...the wind bounced me so far away they came and got me with a pickup truck. Ten more feet and I would have been dragged thru a barbed wire fence...images of cartoon cheese slicers stalked my dreams for weeks)

[MandalayVA]

E-readers/e-books: I mean, really?

I live in a small condo and there's not a lot of space for books, hence I adore my (very basic) Kindle.  You're just afraid you'll lose your job.  ;D

[marketnonsenses]

I'll jump on the bandwagon and put in my two cents.

- E-readers/e-books: I mean, really?

What is wrong with e-books? Do you think knowledge is a bandwagon?

[Eric]

- Fitbits: Are you really comfortable with some company having that much granular information about you?

How else would you know that exercise is good for you without a gadget that counts your steps taken?  Huh?  Answer me that?!?

[Carrie]

Girls' night out, girl weekends away or mani-pedi girlfriend dates.
too many girlfriends,  too much drama and stress. I'd rather get tipsy at home with the hubby.

Disney anything.  Not going, don't care, don't want to hear about how I have to take my kids for a magical childhood to be complete. Blah.  No character shirts either.

Busy-Ness & running around all the time to various kid activities and sports.  Stupid, expensive. Bragging about how busy you are.  (And how you don't have time for real relationships because you're just too busy.)

[Vertical Mode]

Twitter.
Instagram.
SnapChat.
Hashtags.

[eljefe-speaks]

Tapas! Kill it with fire!

[Grid]

I'll jump on the bandwagon and put in my two cents.

- E-readers/e-books: I mean, really?

What is wrong with e-books? Do you think knowledge is a bandwagon?

He's a librarian (as MandalayVA notes); he may have been being sarcastic?  Not sure.