My nominations (Room 101)

Member Name: Charris2002

Product:	Room 101
Date:	07/11/08 (127 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: You may agree

Disadvantages: You may disagree

Hmmm. Such a rich vein to mine. I really will have to limit myself on this opinion or it could turn into an epic. Okay, without further ado, let's have look (in no particular order of irritation). I've no doubt I'll have upset some people by the end of this, but nothing is meant to offend!

I think I'll start with those hellish creations known as 'Call Centres'. These are generally the habitat of a strange breed - people who are unable make decisions, who when confronted by a query that isn't listed on their script succumb to blatant lies (promptly forgotten) or whispered conversations with their fellow chimps, who have at their disposal some of the most up to date customer service computers and software (that without fail 'goes down' when my details are needed). These people also seem to use a wide range of aliases in their dealings with customers (I am sure it's the same moron I speak to every time whether it's Sky, my bank, BT or the RAC) or are all called Steve or Julie. They also have an aversion to giving out their full name - 'Just ask for Steve' - amongst the 500 staff, he's the only Steve. Oh Yes? Or, it's actually located in India and they don't know where the Head Office is.....And, this is after you manage to negotiate the automated telephone system requiring you to press every button on your phone (followed by the star key) in countless permutations to eventually be told 'All our agents are busy at the moment...and be aurally assaulted for eons by a toneless version of some puerile pop music or classic. In they go, please.

Pop Socks (or is it Sox?) - I really don't care by whom these are being worn. One flash of these and I'm sorry but that's it. No way on earth would I ever have become involved with anyone who wears these disgusting items. Half tights, half sock, usually in the repulsive American Tan colour, these have got to be one of the biggest turn offs of all time. Ladies (I assume it's mostly ladies who wear them), I have only one question - Why? You buy expensive clothes, expensive shoes and accessories and wear these things. It's not sexy to see half a pop sock riding above your shoe lines. It's not nice, it's not clever and please, think how you feel about men who wear white furry sports socks all the time. If you let me have pop socks, I'll throw in white sports socks at the same time.

Exploitation TV - I include in this Big Brother, I'm a Celebrity, Pop Stars, Pop Stars The Rivals, Fame Academy, The X Factor et al. Known popularly as 'Reality TV', do we really wish history to remember us as the generation that spawned this dross? Reality does not come into it. These programmes feed off our baser human characteristics - would we choose to take trips to mental institutions as our Victorian forebears did as a form of entertainment? Would we even countenance it in today's politically correct atmosphere. Of course we wouldn't, but we encourage this form of 'entertainment'. How much different is it? Well, the argument goes, people choose to go on these shows in the hope of becoming famous (and rich) so it's their choice. Personally, I find no pleasure in seeing people put into a zoo and asked to perform for our entertainment only to be vilified, laughed at and ultimately rejected. For the few who are a 'success', fame and fortune may follow but as we all know, it's not always a recipe for happiness.

Johnny Rotten, the ultimate punk anarchist. Punk had a great impact on me in it heyday. Sid Vicious, Johnny Rotten etc were at the anarchic forefront of the punk revolution. What has he done recently? Almost appeared on I'm a Celebrity (until he had a hissy fit and stormed off) and now he's advertising Country Life butter - about as far from anarchy and social revolution as you can get!!! Rotten is such an appropriate word. In he goes, head first!

Finally, on a more serious note (and somewhat ironically in an opinion that requests that disappearance of certain things that I dislike........) I would like to put intolerance into room 101. Not petty intolerances, but the big issues - intolerance of others, their cultures, their beliefs, their religion, their differences, their way of life all despatched forever into the darkest, deepest realms of room 101. Of all our faults, intolerance has probably been the most destructive, corrosive of all since the beginning of time - maybe it's never going to be eradicated, but it's worth a try - we have our faults as a species but we also have some admirable characteristics too. Surely it's time to allow them the rein we have allowed intolerance, we may be pleasantly surprised.

Summary: Some of my pet hates displayed for all to see.........