Has the word "fun" lost whatever meaning it might

[Jack Spencer Jr]

I'm not sure which forum this would fit in, so I'm putting it in the birthday forum. If it can go elsewhere, it can be moved.

Role-playing is a social fun activity,..

I pulled this quote from another thread and the presence of the word "fun" here struck me as off and made me think of how businesses have been abusing the word fun. I had worked in several restaurants and most of them had put "making a fun place to find great food at a reasonable price." Now the reasonable price and food quality I get, but how the hell do you make it "fun?" Now I work for a cellular phone company and part of their mission statement is to give their customers fun, reliable service and a reasonale rate. It's a phone. They dial or it rings, they talk to people and and they hang up. How do we make that fun? Especially when its a call telling them their grandmother died or something like that. "Mr Johnson, we have your test results..." Is it just me of has the word the term and concept of fun been into the meaningless abyss of coroporate buzzword?

[J B Bell]

I forget who said it, but it's from over 20 years ago:  "The bluebird of happiness has died of exhaustion in the pursuit of 'fun.'"  So your complaint isn't new; not that that makes it any less valid.

The idea of pursuing fun is, I think, one of North America's big cultural mistakes.  Enjoyment comes from satisfaction in doing things, and people like doing all kinds of different things.  "Let's go have fun?"  What the hell does that mean?  It might have meaning for different groups whose members know each other; very often it means "let's get altered on something, converse about trivialities, and try to score some sex," and that's what most advertising seems to be referring to (during prime time anyway), but man, I know I have other stuff to do.

We should re-title this on "curmudgeon's corner."  :)

--JB

[Walt Freitag]

Well, you can always try the Litany Against Fun:

I must not have fun. Fun is the time-killer. Fun is for inferiors, servants and the help. I will ignore fun. I will work through it. And when the fun is gone only I will remain--I, and my will to win. Damn, I'm good.

-- From Ellis Weiner, National Lampoon's Doon, 1984

- Walt

[Jason13]

I had fun reading your posts...

[Larry L.]

Doon? Is that like Bored of the Rings?

[neko ewen]

Doon? Is that like Bored of the Rings?

Sort of. On the planet Doon (a.k.a. Arruckus) Pall has to join forces with the Freedmenmen and learn how to ride the giant pretzels that roam beneath the surface, and eventually learn the secret of the mind-altering substance vital to galactic civilization known as... beer.

I never did finish reading it. :P