i can't believe nobody's talkin about this

OR how underrated is the most overrated word in the world

I like comedy and pop culture and talking about it. Now because it is easier to do all this on Twitter (or X...ugh), I will often shoot out a post with extreme statements declaring something as 'overrated', 'underrated' or how some aspect of some show is not talked about enough. I noticed that I would get very annoyed when I would see other people using such language. Well! What is their methodology? What is the baseline for correct levels of rated? How much conversation about the foley design of Game of Thrones is 'enough' and so on.

In a rare moment of self-awareness and honesty, I decided to do something about it, and be more conscious of the kind of language I use. Now, this is one of the least harmful effects of social media, but I did not want to be the sort of person to put ill-thought-out stuff on the internet, under my name. I have to remind myself that employers look at your social media (and I have made no efforts to hide my identity on the social internet).

But more importantly, I did not want to be the sort of person who feels better about their taste in media by declaring how only I know what some work's worth is. Because that's the implication, right? When I say something is underrated, I am trying to put myself in an exclusive in-group that knows what's up and categorize others as TMKOC-watching media illiterate dumb-dumbs.

It is also an instinct I have noticed (about myself and others) never to state likes directly, and to always state dislikes directly. Why do I find saying "I love something" more difficult than saying "something is underrated" or an even snarkier version of that - "y'all haven't seen something and it shows"? Sincerity is difficult, it makes you feel vulnerable.

I have a big problem with those words, by the way, 'underrated' and 'overrated'. Rated by whom? Because clearly there is a hierarchy in our minds on whose ratings matter. If too many people like something and those people are not in your in-group (imagined or actual), and there isn't social currency to be gained to be seen as being an admirer of that something, it becomes overrated. If there is social media currency to be gained because you don't see many people talking about it, it is underrated. The underlying, slightly sad implication is, that I am trying to make someone who hasn't interacted with that 'underrated' piece of media, feel bad.

But anyways. What do I know? This was written in 20 mins so I don't take any responsibility for the words if this is a bad piece. If it is good, I am just a genius and I would like to take all the credit.