Am I the only American alive who couldn't care less about LOTR?

[liberalhistorian]

I've NEVER been interested in Lord of the Rings, despite the fact that I'm the daughter of two English teachers and everyone I know, friends and family, are really into it. One of my uncles got me The Hobbit for Christmas when I was around ten years old or so, hoping to start my "indoctrination" as he jokingly called it, and I didn't particularly care for it even then. Everyone was always surprised at that, because Tolkien and I share a birthday, albeit 73 years apart (January 3, 1892 for him, 1965 for me), so I guess they just assumed that I'd automatically be interested in him just for that reason!

I'm really beginning to feel like an outcast when it comes to LOTR, because I seem to be the only one who doesn't understand what people are talking about when they refer to characters, storylines, etc., etc. I've noticed that there appears to be no middle ground where LOTR is concerned, people either really love it or, like me, they couldn't care less and don't understand what all the fuss and bother is about. This is not to say that I don't recognize Tolkien's unique genius in creating such a complicated, detailed fantasy world, as well as just how groundbreaking his LOTR books were at the time. I'm just not interested in them.

And now it looks like the third movie is poised to win the Oscar this year, which means I'll have to force myself to watch all of the movies because I love the Oscars and always try to watch all the nominated movies every year. So, does not being at all interested in LOTR make me some kind of backward weirdo, as some around me have jokingly suggested? Or are there others on here that feel the same way? PLEASE come forward if you're there, and don't be shy! We can all feel like outcasts together!

[jpgray]

1. If I got pressured to like it, I would probably hate it

It's one of my most annoying qualities. :D

Trust me, everyone goes through this--there is some anti-hype reaction that nabs every single one of us at some point. Are the Strokes and White Stripes good for being modern bands? Yeah, but I can't stand them--that anti-hype hit me hard.

[Booberdawg]

2. I've never had any interest in it either

So you're not alone.:hi:

[JohnKleeb]

3. no

[sistersofmercy]

4. No you're no alone, I read The Hobbit and stopped there many years

ago, just not my cup of tea.

[greatauntoftriplets]

5. No.

And I don't let it bother me.

[liberalhistorian]

15. I suppose I probably

shouldn't let it bother me either, then!

[stevedeshazer]

6. What's LOTR?

I've never heard of it? :-)

Happy birthday in advance, BTW...

[liberalhistorian]

14. Thanks!

I can't believe I'm only a year away from the big 4-0, btw.

[Newsjock]

7. No, you're not

In general, my interest level in an event is inversely proportional to the amount of hype it receives.

[Liberal_Dog]

8. Never Read LOTR

I don't know why, but I have never read LOTR. I love science fiction and fantasy books, so I would probably like it if I were to read it.

[liberalhistorian]

16. I know what you mean, I love

science fiction too. I've never really been into fantasy that much, though.

[jonnyblitz]

9. nope...although I will eventually watch them all one day

to see what the fuss is about. I have this tendency to be a contrarian to stuff that is SUPER hyped even if it is worthy. Probably not a good thing. :shrug:

[liberalhistorian]

17. I'm the same way, too

Jonny, I tend to get irritated at anything that's overhyped and that everyone's supposed to go nuts over.

[kanrok]

10. No, I have absolutely no interest in seeing it either

I'm just not big on fantasy stuff.

[ellie]

11. No, I don't care about it either,

and at three hours plus, who can sit that long? As Vivienne Leigh said when asked what she thought about Gone With The Wind: "Hard on one's ass."

[liberalhistorian]

12. Well, I'm certainly glad to see

that I'm not alone in this!

[liberalhistorian]

18. I could sit through

a movie for that length of time if I'm interested in it, I've sat through many really long movies. But if I'm not interested and I don't care, then even a half-hour is too long.

[AnnabelLee]

13. I'm not interested in it either

Fantasy type movies/stories have never interested me. I guess I don't have much imagination.:shrug:

[elperromagico]

19. Couldn't care less about it.

[madrchsod]

20. i never read the books

and never really wanted to..but the movies blew me away. there is so many things happening thru out the movie it was hard to decide which story to follow. i recomend you watch the movies and see what you think..i resisted-but i found resistence was futile

[FarLeftRage]

21. I never read any of Tolkien's books

And I never had any interest.

My younger brothers have read all of Tolkien's books, while I was reading Poe, Twain, and Dickens.

[liberalhistorian]

22. Your reading Poe, Twain and

Dickens shows excellent taste. I'm re-reading A Tale of Two Cities now, and enjoying it as much as I did the first time I read it almost twenty years ago.

[FarLeftRage]

25. Amazing coincidence!

I am also re-reading "A Tale of Two Cities".

I read Poe and Twain back when I was in high school circa 1976...

[NightTrain]

23. Never read the books, never saw the films...

...and don't plan to. :boring:

[liberalhistorian]

29. LOL!

Now why didn't I think of using the "boring" icon, that would have been perfect!

[Lydia Leftcoast]

24. I read the books many years ago and

thought they were OK. That's it, just OK.

I saw the first movie with my brothers two years ago on our annual siblings' outing. My first brother, who had not read the books, was totally bored and confused. I barely remembered the books, so I was slightly bored, but not confused.

I am in no hurry to see the other two films. The second is already on cable, so maybe I'll watch it if I don't have anything better to do.

I basically don't like movies that are made up mostly of special effects.

[T Bone]

26. I tried to get 'into it'

but fantasy is just not my thing and Frodo's bug-eyes everytime he turns around, just seem so annoying and contrived.

[pansypoo53219]

27. me me me

i read narnia and i like to read, but i never tried them and do not really care.

[liberalhistorian]

30. Ah, now Narnia,

those were great books, written, btw, by C.S. Lewis, who was a teaching colleague of Tolkien (they both taught at Oxford University) and his friend as well.

[Kat45]

28. Nope. I couldn't care less either. n/t

[mitchum]

31. Not interested at all

[Mass_Liberal]

32. yes

you are alone. So very alone. In the rain.

[kodi]

33. who gives a damn what you think. you only posted to be a contrarian

there are a lot of things i don't particularly care for, but i dont go around posting on this site acting like some insufferably smug diletant casting ridicule at pop culture.

you posted to prove to yourself and others that you are some sort of superior being, like others give a flying fuck about your tastes?

that attitude just sux.

either you have no competence to discern quality, escapist fiction or are completely devoid of the ability to see craftmanship in a wide variety of cinematic endeavors that the filmmakers of those films showed.

i dont particularly like al sharpton's conked hairdo but i dont dedicate a whole fucking thread to pissing and moaning about it.

[Kanary]

34. I never "got it"

Not only could I not get "into" Lord Of The Rings when everyone was reading it, but....

all these years later,.....

~~~gasp~~~

I can't seem to find an interest in Harry Potter, either.

I guess somehow I'm just not with the "in" crowd...

Kanary

[Mick Knox]

35. I absolutely CANNOT watch them..

They bore the hell out of me. Good Sleeping pill though