RANT
7 Monthly Rants
October 25th, 2006

These are things that bother me and I felt like making them bother you too.

1. Unenthusiastic Radio Station Prize winners: I do a lot of driving right now as I live 45 minutes from my job, so I listen to an awful lot of radio. There is nothing more annoying when someone wins a prize on the radio and they sound as excited as if they’ve just made an appointment for a root canal. Come on people!  Or else the listener that wins money and when asked what they plan to do with the money they say “pay some bills”. That answer sucks! Go shopping, take a trip, propose to your girlfriend; anything is better than paying bills with free money! I think radio stations should be allowed to take away the prizes when people are not excited or have a boring answer as to what they’ll do with their prize.

2. People who brag about themselves over the radio: As long as I’m on the subject of the radio.. I have another pet peeve. I have no problem with calling into a radio station to request a song, win a contest, or remark on something the DJ said. However, at night, certain radio stations have people calling in all night long looking for “Hot Women Over 40” or “Hot Girl Check In”.  These girls (I know they have ones geared for guys too but it’s not as bad) call in and tell the DJ that they are a hot girl who is sitting there with her girls and they all can get any man they want. Ok, you dumb dumb girls. If that is the case, why are you sitting at home or driving around in your car trying to convince an on-air personality how hot you are? NO ONE CAN SEE YOU!!!!! Everybody “looks” like Angelina Jolie over the radio. Sheesh. 

3. Slow turners in the left hand turn lane: Your one job as the first person in the left hand turn lane is to TURN! The second that green arrow comes on your ass better be turning. Not only that, you should be anticipating when the arrow is about to appear. As a driver, you will find yourself sitting through 4-6 different cycles at certain intersections at rush hour. How soon you make it through a particular light is depending on the first car in the left turn lane. There is nothing more annoying than the first person chatting on their cell phone or searching in their glove box and missing the light and turning when the arrow is yellow. By that person’s lolly-gagging the rest of us are shit out of luck.

4. That toe fungus medicine commercial: Ok seriously, I’ve just come home from a long day of work and I grab some dinner and settle down to watch a little TV.  All of a sudden there is the most disgusting sight ever: a group of cartoon “fungus monsters” crawling beneath someone’s old yellowish toenail. Who the hell wants to see that? We have all heard of toe fungus, we don’t need to see it.

5. Inconsiderate movie patrons: I truly enjoy going to the movies. I am a huge supporter of seeing movies in the theater as I feel you can appreciate even the worst movies if you are seeing them on the big screen. Clearly, there are quite a few people who do not understand the concept that they are not at home. I am so annoyed at people talking through the movie. Shut the hell up! Do not discuss the entire plot while the movie is playing. Grab a drink after and discuss it there! The worst of all is the cell phone. They have about 20 reminders to turn off your cell phone before the movie starts yet every single time, someone’s phone will go off. I was at an animated movie recently and not only did this one lady’s cell phone go off but she proceeded to answer it and have a lengthy conversation. I did get in trouble later when I returned my nieces and nephews home to my sister and brother in law and the one little urchin told mommy how “this one lady kept talking on her phone till Aunt Jen threw a Junior Mint at her”. I am not condoning throwing food to silence someone, but seriously, shut the hell up and let us enjoy the movie we’ve just paid an arm and a leg for. As a side note, if you’re going to make out during the whole movie, please utilize the last row. When you are sitting in front of me or next to me, it gives my date the idea that he should try to get some too. As someone who isn’t a fan of PDA unless it’s in a bar setting, shooting him down in the movie theater is embarrassing for everyone.

6. People who rip on country music: Everyone is entitled to their own styles of music. I have no problem if you don’t like country music because you don’t like the beat, or it’s just not your style. What annoys me is those who rip on country music because of song titles. Or else the assumption that every song has to do with a pickup truck, a dog, and losing a girl. Is it then safe for me to say that every pop song has to do with bringing sexy back, sex, or remaking a previous 80s song? I’m the first to admit that some country songs have some really jacked up song titles but so does every genre. “Call me when you’re sober”, “I write sins not tragedies” “Chicken Noodle Soup” are just 3 songs on the Top 50 Pop charts with really odd names. I love all types of music and I’m certainly not going to judge an entire genre of music based on a few stupid song titles. If that was the case then after “8 Days a Week” I think we would have said “Hello Goodbye” to the Beatles.

7. Breaking News Reports: I remember back in the day when regular television programming was interrupted in the case of severe weather (ie. Tornado or major blizzard) or when the president was shot. Lately I have noticed that every single news story has become “breaking news”. Even when they are not interrupting a show, there is that text rolling along the bottom of the TV which I am forced to read. Seriously, is it necessary to interrupt my soap to let me know that human remains have been found in a construction site yet there are no leads whatsoever as to who the person is or what decade the remains are from? Couldn’t you wait until 5:00 pm when the news begins? In the past week, my shows have been interrupted to talk about an abandoned building fire, the possibility of a thunderstorm, and a missing person from Oklahoma who was found. I am in now way discounting any of these as being important stories; I just think they should reserve what “breaking news” actually is. Breaking news should be reserved for stories that are currently life threatening or those that need immediate action. Anna Nicole name who her “baby’s daddy” is should not qualify.

These are just some things that have been on my mind. You don’t have to agree with me, but I’d feel better if you did. These are my opinions and I’m sticking to them. 

-- Jen Camilerri
jen@stldmag.com

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