What is it about the month of December and the sudden appearance of so many bogus lists? Best Sporting Moments of the Year, Best Free-Range Frozen Turkey Buffet Brands, Top Ten Christmas TV Specials… These lists become a list in themselves.
Besides their obvious vacuity, the problem with these lists is that they rarely offer any educative thought. They conform to what is considered to be informed and intelligent, rather than shooting straight. A classic case in point comes from the perennial list of Best Books. For some strange reason James Joyce’s Ulysses is always near the top, despite the fact it is tiresomely long and rambling, and makes zero sense. People feel the need to demonstrate their literary chic, however, hence this silly book’s powerful list-iosity.
To this end the only list we really need is a list of things one should do their utmost to avoid or ignore, to wit:
Bono
Margarine
Discussion of climate change
James Joyce
The entire newspaper, excepting the Letters to the Editor
Brunch – whatever that is
Going out at night
Lycra cycling costumes
Most wind instruments
Balinese resorts
I could expand on these points, and joyfully so, but the sort of people I’m interested in talking to will require no explanation.
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