People Saying they Don't Like King Because He's Popular

[orange]

Anyone else hate this? It gets right on my nerves.

"Who do you read?"

"Stephen King."

"Oh, that's original! I'm more of a fan of *insert underground author here*."

Drives me up the wall. I hate it when people do that, and it doesn't end there! Music is the same. Silly people trying to be different and original, and ironically end up like the rest of the fools who think the same as them. I'm not afraid to say old King knows his stuff, that he's inspired me like every indie band of this century was inspired by the Beatles, and ain't noone going to tell me nothin' different !

[/rant]

[delores 74]

Amen!

[staropeace]

I know stuff growing at the bottom of ponds that is smarter than some folks.

[crazycrashink]

That is a very interesting point. Luckily, I don't have to worry about it because very, very few of my friends read. So no matter what I read, I'm always a dork HAHA! :smile2:
Most importantly though, read what you want! If your magination loves it, must be doing something right!

[boogerb53]

People tend to raise their eyebrows when I say I read Stephen King. In my real life, I don't know anyone else who reads him. I was in the Japanese restaraunt the other nite waiting to pick up my order and I was reading Black House. When the young girl brought me my order, she said "That was a great book! I love Stephen King!" I almost cried from happiness!

[Mr Nobody]

Yeah, it's like a kind of snobbery. Some people just like to feel superior because they appear to be more discerning, etc.
I recently got into a 'chat' with someone who said SK's work was largely derivative. They then mentioned Bram Stoker and Dracula, saying something like 'I prefer to stick to classical works by well-respected authors.'
I came back with 'Like Stoker, who was so 'well respected' by readers he died in poverty and was chucked into a pauper's grave?'

Bottom line is, we all know the sort of writer SK is. If others don't like him and have read some of his work...that's fine. We can't all be the same. If, however, they're ignoring his work for fear of appearing to be just like a lot of other folks...well, it's their loss, and they are truly the ignorant ones.
I'll have a wager too that, if you were to see these people's bookshelves, a lot of them would have at least one SK book in there. They just think they have some sort of reputation to protect.

[pandora]

It's so hard to find SK's books here where I live. I'll go to a thrift store or yard sale and if I'm lucky I might find 1. People around here say he too "gory" or they don't read horror. Still looking for Swan Song in hard back version, but in this area it's like finding a needle in a hay stack.

[dw1345]

Just tell them that there's a reason why he's popular. It's because he is original and he knows how to tell a good a story. Unlike some other "popular" writers out there, Stephen King deserves his popularity. Although I'm not entirely sure I'd even use the word popular-- he's not exactly as mainstream as the people who tell you he is think. He's really only popular among the people who can understand his genius, like us Constant Readers. :smile2:

[Bryan James]

Pop them in the danglers, jump out the window, and take the next sloop to Shanghai.

That's as interesting a response as any other.

Just my opinion,
BJS

[marew1]

Anyone else hate this? It gets right on my nerves.

"Who do you read?"

"Stephen King."

"Oh, that's original! I'm more of a fan of *insert underground author here*."

Drives me up the wall. I hate it when people do that, and it doesn't end there! Music is the same. Silly people trying to be different and original, and ironically end up like the rest of the fools who think the same as them. I'm not afraid to say old King knows his stuff, that he's inspired me like every indie band of this century was inspired by the Beatles, and ain't noone going to tell me nothin' different !

[/rant]

Well put!!!!

[Jula]

Well, to each their own, but I think a true lover of reading wouldn't dismiss an author simply because he's popular. It's just not a concrete enough reason for me to not want to read someone's work.

[Dani~]

I think it's safe to say you won't get any argument from us! True talent is timeless.
Love the Beatles reference! :smile2:

[jenboxer77]

Yeah, well those people don't have a clue! Just keep hangin' around here! We all like Stephen and aren't afraid to say so! :biggrin2:

[MellowLedbetter]

I see this kinda thing all the time, especially with peoples music tastes.

At the end of the day you just gotta pity them because they don't REALLY enjoy reading the books, they just enjoy talking about them.

[OhmyGod!]

Oh I agree totally! I never understood how people can be so smallminded. If you like the books...it about that, isn't it? Not about the reputation, if it's mainstream or not. Just because you like to read his stories. And yeah, same with music, movies whatever.

But I don't mind if people want to be unique or original or whatever. Because people do tend to go along with mainstream because they don't want to look further/think for themselves, think what they really like. Those people are in my eyes just as silly as the people who trash mainstream because something is mainstream.

[Sawney Beane]

Personally,I don´t think there´s anything wrong with trying to create something original or having a go at something new as long as you re honest to yourself,but you´re right.The problem with underground art,wether it´s music and literature,is that sometimes, no matter how crappy something is, someone will find it o.k. just for the mere fact of not being mainstream.Wich is ridiculous.

[tak113454]

Haha, love it.
When I was in college we had a file sharing network on DC++ and I posted asking "Does anyone have any Stephen King movies?"
And some girl wrote back, "Uhh, no way! Stephen King = MAINSTREAM"
Still makes me laugh!

[dsurrett]

When people ask me who I read and I say Stephen King, the most usual answers are "I don't like horror" with a grimace as if to say "why would you waste your time like that?" or "Me too." As I've stated elsewhere in the message board, the people who don't like him are usually surprised when I tell them who wrote Shawshank Redemption or The Green Mile.

[Robert Gray]

I just laugh at those people. It doesn't upset me in the slightest. They are the ones cheating themselves out of a good read (many of them). Let them suffer for the lack. It doesn't cost you anything.

[demorgan]

To be honest. Ive never ran into that situation.

[LadyHitchhiker]

If people don't like SK because he's popular than maybe I have a chance of selling my book! ;)

[Haunted]

It's so hard to find SK's books here where I live. I'll go to a thrift store or yard sale and if I'm lucky I might find 1. People around here say he too "gory" or they don't read horror. Still looking for Swan Song in hard back version, but in this area it's like finding a needle in a hay stack.

No second hand book stores? Does your library have book sales? Have you tried Abebooks.com?

[Haunted]

Someone that says that they don't like Mr. King because he is popular has to be the dumbest dang cluck and doesn't deserve the space he is taking up in this world!!!! sheesh

[Sawney Beane]

And some girl wrote back, "Uhh, no way! Stephen King = MAINSTREAM"
Uhh,no way¡ That Girl = STUPIDITY

[blunthead]

Ignorant people rely on assumptions because they don't know how to think. Consider the idea that most people who don't like sK have never read anything he's written. I'd put money on it.

[smooth operator]

The first thing you learn in critical thinking is "Consider the source." Nuff said.

[Jasonbobdude]

Some people don't like things just because they get overly hyped. I'm kind of the same way about most things, but Stephen King is just a great writer. I'm not going to pass his books by just because they're popular.

[JimmyPrice1015]

Yeah, I heard that at a party last week cause somebody saw my friends Dark Tower books. A bunch of random people and me heard him and all happend to love King, he got booed for saying he ''hated stephen king, but had never read any of his books, I saw Maximum Overdrive once, though.''

[tillyn]

My friends / coworkers role there eyes at me, I know most of them haven't read a Sk book, so i think there thinking about the movies they've seen. Not all are good so maybe that is what there judging it from? I do have one of my coworkers reading one though, she is reading J.A.M. she said she is liking it. So on to the next! (Remember the old saying Don't Judge a book from it's cover.)

[Bryan James]

the people who don't like him are usually surprised when I tell them who wrote Shawshank Redemption or The Green Mile.

And I add "Stand By Me" (no need to call it by the original name, given the context of the discussion you are having).

Last week I had four books on my desk at the art gallery, three were King's, and I had the opportunity to school 4 people on this thread's subject.

"Oh, I don't like vampires and gory stuff."

"Did you know that he also wrote...(insert pertinent information)."

"Um...uh. Really? I watch that all the time. I love that part where....Stephen King wrote THAT? Maybe I'll try him again."

THAT is a cool moment.

I do have to admit, I lied to one supreme jackace tourist a few weeks ago, hard enough to convince him that Stephen King wrote "Forrest Gump."

It was fun.

BJS

[Wendy Capps]

I too hate when they do this. One comment I got was "He's too descriptive, it take's too long to get to the point". Obviously a lazy, uneducated reader. That is just one of his many talents as a writer. I Love his detail and enjoy how I can relate to some character personalities. This is what keeps us unique constant readers turning pages well into the night and beyond!!! Long live the King!!!:smile2::love:

[pegg]

being famous about your work it's an achievement that has to be admired. It takes too much to become what some people manage too , so as Stephen King. So it is a good thing to see that the person you admire becomes famous about his work.

[O'Hara]

It bothers me more when people get stuck on the stereotypical aspect of it all. His name has been slung aroung so much as a horror writer, that people don't see much else. I don't even find most of his books that terrifying; they make me think about things in life I haven't ever given much thought to before. I love how he can write in a way that is both creative and stretches the imagination, yet also has that underlying philosophical aspect that is wonderful to dive into if one so chooses. The books aren't promoting devil worship =/

The funniest, though, was one day when I was reading It at work during my lunch break. We were too busy for me to leave, so I sat in the break room and ate there. Now I work in southern GA, and pretty much everyone I work for is like hardcore christian and whatnot. I haven't got anything against that, but it amuses the hell out of me when they came back, asked what I was reading, and I showed them the cover. Every single person either hurried off or just abruptly changed the subject. They all think I'm weirder now. Isn't a problem for me, but I see that everywhere, and it sort of makes me sad that people are so closeminded. Don't put something down until you've at least read or participated in it.

[Matthew.Degnan]

i think these people say that because they can't read well enough to read SK, cos seriously you've gotta be a good reader to get through stuff like The Stand and It- Longest book these people have probably read is like 200 pages.

[Froglady]

Anyone else hate this? It gets right on my nerves.

"Who do you read?"

"Stephen King."

"Oh, that's original! I'm more of a fan of *insert underground author here*."

Drives me up the wall. I hate it when people do that, and it doesn't end there! Music is the same. Silly people trying to be different and original, and ironically end up like the rest of the fools who think the same as them. I'm not afraid to say old King knows his stuff, that he's inspired me like every indie band of this century was inspired by the Beatles, and ain't noone going to tell me nothin' different !

[/rant]

I hate that too! But I've come to a point in my life when I do not care so much what other people say. SK is a brilliant novelist, no doubt about that. And I have read lots and lots of "underground" authors' work during my literature studies. Popularity comes from lots of people liking the stories and just because it's accessible does not mean it's bad literature, in my opinion.

[Speedygi81]

Just show them Different Seasons or The Green Mile, and see how quickly they take to SK's style.

[Sundrop]

I've never gotten the "he's too popular" thing. What I usually get, is "He's too scary" or "How can you read that stuff". I always mention the stories that lots of people don't realize were written by SK. It shuts them up, and gives them something to ponder. :)

[Mr. Jingles]

People think I am "strange" or "dark" because I love to read him so much. It also p's me off when people heard that to be different you should paint your door RED or BLUE or ORANGE....now everyone has red, blue and orange doors....WTF?

[Mr. Jingles]

Well put!!!!

Forgot to mention in my other post that my Grade 11 English teacher hated Stephen King. He only liked to talk about Shakespere (which I hate, sorry but I do) and other stuff that was written like, 1,000 years ago, and all of which I don't even rememeber now.....but I can recite "Salem's Lot almost word for word.:biggrin2:
I think he was jealous, cuz you know what they say....those who do, can....those who can't, teach.

No offence to teachers out there.

[tak113454]

I've never gotten the "he's too popular" thing. What I usually get, is "He's too scary" or "How can you read that stuff".

Hmmm!
True.
I didn't think about that.
I finally convinced my dad to give Stephen King a try with Duma Key... he hates "scary" books, and he sent me a message every single night, "Okay-- I'm liking it so far, but when is it going to get scary and gross?!"

Haha.
Anyway, I told him, spooky maybe, not scary--- he managed to get through it and liked it a lot!!

He said he always just assumed King books would be full of gore and bloodshed and violence!

[JAPerry]

This type of thinking is prevalent in many arenas, not just writing and music but art and movies as well. Good writing is good writing. Stephen King happens to have a gift - beyond that of writing - his gift is communicating to a mass audience. Then there are some gifted authors whose message just doesn't translate for the "common man". Hey, whatever floats your boat! :eyebrow:

[orange]

Forgot to mention in my other post that my Grade 11 English teacher hated Stephen King. He only liked to talk about Shakespere (which I hate, sorry but I do) and other stuff that was written like, 1,000 years ago, and all of which I don't even rememeber now.....but I can recite "Salem's Lot almost word for word.:biggrin2:
I think he was jealous, cuz you know what they say....those who do, can....those who can't, teach.

No offence to teachers out there.
Sounds like a typical prentious reader to me, the epitome of a King hater!

I don't like most classic literature. Even though I respect its influencing power on literature, I usually find the writing style is outdated and the overall stories drawn out. Shakespeare especially. I like somethign that can grip me and hold me until the end, like some Dickens books and (especially) Lovecraft. Old gothic horror and the macabre is brilliant in my opinion.

[Jax]

I think someone saying they don't like Stephen King because he is popular is absolutely ridiculous. That is really foolish. I would have to tell them what I tell my five year old when we're trying different types of foods.........."Try it, you'll like it!"

[Zgirlie]

That attitude irritates the crap out of me. I usually respond to that sort of statement with a smartass comment of some sort. The one that came to me just now was, "Yeah, I had you pegged as a nonconformist the minute you walked in here. You're full of sh**, and defecation is so mainstream."

[JohnDalglish]

Hi,

Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't 'breathing' fairly popular too?

And I believe 'eating' and 'sleeping' are also popular activities in some circles.

Does this make them bad? I must have missed THAT memo!

Long days and pleasant nights