Perhaps you were being flippant, but the mindset of "If it took a while and wasn't 'productive' or charitable or 'real art', then their time would've been better spent on something else" -- and I'm not sure how else to read "Some people have way too much time on their hands" -- is wholly disingenuous unless the speaker spends every waking moment being productive or working to better the world in "acceptable" ways.
Me, I have a job, I raise and show dogs, I make my donations to various charities, volunteer now and then -- so if I choose to spend time raiding in World of Warcraft, or watching some movies, or reading trashy lit, or building a model of the Taj Mahal out of toothpicks, or staging a massive earth punch on a beach, what of it? Who's to say what's "too much time" to spend on a given enjoyable endeavor?
I honestly never thought of it as anything but conversational filler -- just a way to make a remark on something that I thought needed remarking on but didn't have.much to say about. Now I know that a surprising number of people attach a whole host of unintended (for me, anyway) sentiments to the phrase!
I was really, honestly taken aback at the vehemence. Sorry guys!
I suppose it's more that, all too often, I've heard people intentionally dismiss such activities as a waste of time, using the same phrase, so it raised the collective dander of folks who appreciate such time-wasting. :)
I could not wholeheartedly agree with your strident disagreement for this instance more.
(That's beautifully creative, and I'd be very, very surprised if it took more than ten minutes from conception to execution, including the "go get those guys from down the beach" and the argument-over-who's-the-earthbender steps.)
I can see where you're coming from in terms of just meaning it as an off-hand comment;small talk.
But when you say it all on its own, as an early comment to this, it comes off much more "They shouldn't waste time doing that."
I think you're also running into the geek annoyance at the mainstream going "Gods, how do you have the free time to do these silly things?" when talking about playing computer games/tabletop RPGs/minature wargames/writing fanfiction/vast numbers of other geeky pursuits, completely ignoring the amount of time the average member of the general public spends sat in front of a TV each day.
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(no subject)
Date: 2011-12-01 02:47 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2011-12-01 02:55 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2011-12-01 03:38 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2011-12-01 03:43 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2011-12-01 11:40 pm (UTC)Me, I have a job, I raise and show dogs, I make my donations to various charities, volunteer now and then -- so if I choose to spend time raiding in World of Warcraft, or watching some movies, or reading trashy lit, or building a model of the Taj Mahal out of toothpicks, or staging a massive earth punch on a beach, what of it? Who's to say what's "too much time" to spend on a given enjoyable endeavor?
(no subject)
Date: 2011-12-01 11:43 pm (UTC)I was really, honestly taken aback at the vehemence. Sorry guys!
(no subject)
Date: 2011-12-01 11:57 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2011-12-01 04:33 pm (UTC)(That's beautifully creative, and I'd be very, very surprised if it took more than ten minutes from conception to execution, including the "go get those guys from down the beach" and the argument-over-who's-the-earthbender steps.)
(no subject)
Date: 2011-12-01 07:02 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2011-12-03 11:53 am (UTC)But when you say it all on its own, as an early comment to this, it comes off much more "They shouldn't waste time doing that."
I think you're also running into the geek annoyance at the mainstream going "Gods, how do you have the free time to do these silly things?" when talking about playing computer games/tabletop RPGs/minature wargames/writing fanfiction/vast numbers of other geeky pursuits, completely ignoring the amount of time the average member of the general public spends sat in front of a TV each day.
(no subject)
Date: 2011-12-01 06:54 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2011-12-01 07:01 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2011-12-01 07:13 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2011-12-01 07:14 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2011-12-01 03:57 pm (UTC)(no subject)
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Date: 2011-12-02 12:33 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2011-12-02 04:47 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2011-12-07 01:52 am (UTC)