Music: The Magnificent BeLIEve

Horror writer Stephen King says that he loves Metallica, AC/DC, Anthrax, etc but he never cared for Black Sabbath. And Im the same. Confession time: I am a massive lifelong fan of heavy metal but I have never owned a Sabbath or Led Zep record. Doubt ive even picked one up in a record store. Sure ive heard the music, and like some of it (tho not a big fan), but my metal collection that I started nearly thirty years ago (!?!) has been just dandy without Physical Graffiti and Master of Reality among its ranks. And I had to Google both bands to find those album titles. A lot of folks buy albums simply to join the same miserable queue. They fall into the trap of thinking they must like a band because everyone else does. This is the only way I can understand how the God awful Beatles were so popular. People just liked them because others did. Why? Humans are herders.

Looks fun!

The mind tricks people into believing the music is good. Of course someone will try telling me that they actually like a certain popular band but I take it as a huge pinch of salt because of the Trick. Afterall the mind is for the most part a mystery. Its easy for it to have you believing you feel the sound when you most likely do not.
And it probably happens in my beloved metal scene the most come to think about it. There are a lot of theatrics and imagery involved with certain bands, Slipknot for example, and I have no doubt that some fans are only attracted because its the current 'in' trend.
Naturally im not saying every fan of Led Zeppelin or The Beatles *puke* has been conned by their whimsical minds but I am saying a lot have. And its not exclusive to music.

A Grenade In A Floral Display

If you want to have a heated debate (or fancy starting an online flame war) try these subjects on for size ~

1. Death Penalty

Always a good topic and never fails to send the petticoats flying. (Usually by those who are against it.) This topic (much like the one below) is almost guaranteed to start spiteful and personal insults (with few, not all) on both sides when the debate is over with. It will never be resolved so the human mind reverts to pulling monkey gibs at the opponents. Jolly good fun it is too, when kept in check.

2. Fox Hunting

This gem never fails to get the party (soon to be riot) started. This subject attracts perhaps the most frightening people (even more so than death row groupies.) I have personally heard vegetarians and hunt saboteurs admit that when they see people buying meat in supermarkets, that they would like to kill them. Yes you read that correct dear reader. I know its a minority and most veggies are not like this but still, that tiny group among the sane ones is pretty scary.

3. God & Religion

These should really be at the top of the list seeing as religion could be blamed for the most carnage and destruction that has befallen the world. 'My God is better than your God!' Shout some. 'There is NO God!' Yell others. Result? World in near ruin.
It is for this precise reason that I believe God to be a freshwater Pike with a stammer called William.

4. Abortion

Fancy a scrap? Abortion is pretty handy with its 'fists'. Occasionally this subject gets thrown into the death penalty debate and things really get steamy. Perhaps steamy is not the right word to describe the chaos. Try CRITICAL with a smidge of MELTDOWN on the side.
Humans are oh so much fun when they bicker.

5. World War II

A lighter one to complete the top five. Mention the second big dust up that was WWII to some Americans and they will insist they won it all on their lonesome; they saved Britain from invasion, won in North Africa and single handedly saved Europe. Only they didn't and to be fair most Americans know that it was combined courage, brilliance and heroism that saved the day. But its funny to watch those small few who think otherwise, puff out their chests like horny roosters in an attempt to play the ultimate superhero.
My personal theory why this happens is that the United States is still a young country without the ancient and medieval history of most others, and therefore needs to try and claim huge victories/historical events to be on the same 'level' as the rest. But like I say, its only a few and this subject isn't nearly as explosive as the previous ones.

Close but no cigar ~

Sports teams

These are quite ofen vulgar affairs and can quickly dissolve into racist attacks (usually amongst the football crowd.) Best avoided.

Racism

The knuckle draggers paradise! Thankfully due to most people growing up and mending their warped attitued toward peoples of different coloured skin and cultures, this subject really belongs in the past and is rarely (if ever) argued among civil human beings. Proof that humans are able to evolve when they want to.