Reply #17: Are you absolutely sure that he is condescending to you...

[LeftishBrit]

or just perhaps expressing his own likes and dislikes, perhaps a little forcefully, just as someone might say "I hate broccoli; it's disgusting!" to express their own feelings, without it meaning that they are condescending towards those who eat broccoli?

The reason I'm suggesting this is that I have occasionally been misunderstood as being 'snobbish' about television programmes, because I tend not to watch TV to relax, but only if there is something of serious interest. But this isn't because I'm a snob about it, but because I have some visual processing problems which make TV-watching an effort for me, so it *isn't* relaxing for me. I still read plenty of women's magazines, children's books even at my age, etc., so it's definitely not a snob issue for me with regard to TV. But some people, especially if they *have* been criticized over their watching of soap operas, etc., misinterpret it in that way.

Of course, it may be that your friend really is a snob about TV, in which case it's probably part of the "Whatever I choose to do at the moment needs to be proven to be superior" syndrome. Some people are like that about their cars; some about their choice of music; any number about their chosen computer!