Bad fun. Bad.
Via Dorothea, an irritating article about “kidults” and “adulescents”. Apparently people refuse to grow up — which, as far as I can tell, means not living at home and not liking animated movies or anything else that you liked when you were a kid. (I’m not sure how this works for those of us who liked to read when we were children. As long as we don’t read “children’s books”, perhaps we’re safe?)
This irritates me. I feel I’m more or less grown up. I’m self-supporting, except for winter coats and boots, anyhow. But I *like* animated movies. I like the Disney movies, I liked Chicken Run. I love very good children’s lit. I enjoyed Harry Potter, too, despite it not being very good (nor is it terrible, though I’m annoyed by some of it). I like ice cream (good ice cream, freshly made? mmm. Something I can’t get in Dullness, sadly). I don’t like candy, and cupcakes are rather a pain, but lighten up — why stop people from enjoying these things? I can’t see why having fun need be a guilty pleasure.
And: yes, in Buffy and My So-Called Life, the main characters didn’t fit in, but Felicity? Yes, when she was in high school (ie, before the show started), she was a geek — and no one else in the show, except that roommate of hers, for a while, but in what way did that hold true of Felicity past a few episodes into the first season? (One could argue much the same for Buffy as of season 4, but I think it was going downhill by then anyhow.) Also, the guy who played Ben looks remarkably unattractive in the Gap ads.
It’s one thing to go back home, not pay food or utilities or rent, and live like a king on your salary which is 100% discretionary income. But perhaps this isn’t because adults read graphic novels (oh, I’m sorry, “comic books”) and like to go to amusement parks.