To wish the fun police would just go away and leave people alone

[Jusfloatingby]

I was at an anniversary party last night. In the living area there was music and dancing, in the kitchen there was a gang of people (including me) sitting around chatting, drinking and having a laugh. In comes one of the fun police insisting we should 'join the party' - which we thought we were doing- and come into the sitting room and dance around the place with them. The reason we had chosen the kitchen in the first place was because we didn't want to dance and preferred to chat and joke and enjoy ourselves in our own way. She just wouldn't go away and everyone reluctantly trailed after her into the living area.
Its the same at weddings. These pests just won't let people sit back and watch the dancing or slip into the bar with a group of friends they want to have a catch up with.

Why can't people be left alone at parties to just enjoy themselves without knowing that any minute some jolly 'rocking around the Christmas tree' type is going to come up and start haranguing them and forcibly pulling them out onto the dance floor, or up to take part in the karaoke or do the conga.

AIBU to think these self styled 'life and soul of the party' types are a PITA?

Argh group photos! Actually I think I started a thread about those.

YANBU. I don't dance. Some people won't take no for an answer on this, but I really don't, and a refusal seems to offend them

Are you me?
I hated this so much when I was a teenager that it actually put me off going to parties at all for years. I even insisted on a small registry office and drink at the pub after wedding because I couldn't bear the thought of a 'do' and dancing in front of people.
I still can't don't dance and looking back I think it was because those awful people made me stubborn. Left to my own devices I might eventually have got up and had a go but I wasn't going to do it because other people told me to!

I would join you WhereYouLeftIt but I'd empty the thread

I don't mind dancing at weddings or on a night out but more often than not at house parties I usually end up in the kitchen.

Oops meant to add when I've got a few drinks down me and there are other's dancing, I'll join in occasionally.

YANBU

Sometimes I like to get trollied and dance, sometimes I like to sit and chat and have a laugh.

I can't bear it when someone decides I'm boring because I'm not drinking or not dancing.

Bugger off!

Well I like to dance, do fancy dress, play games and leap around, though I don't drag up people who are clearly Not Playing to join in. I've more often encountered the one sulky fuck who decides to Have A Crisis and start blubbering about something (usually not enough attention being paid to him/her) or keeps tutting at how silly everyone else is, or starts trying to discuss religion or politics when everyone's telling fart jokes and doing impressions.

I think the actual issue is that some people are arseholes incapable of leaving other people alone.

My mum used to be this sort of person. But she did get the message in the end. Doesn't do it now.

..or people who put your name down for Karaoke and then try and force you on stage when it's called.

I like to dance sometimes, but not all the time. Sometimes I like to sit quietly and chat and be first to the buffet . I can't stand people who think everyone has to enjoy themselves in the same way.

I don't really drink either - which generally seems to mean I am a complete killjoy and totally uptight. I'm not, I can have a good time without it, and I can generally get home under my own steam without vomiting in the hydrangeas.

Group photos are the work of the devil, - I got caught up in one recently, and it appeared on the internet. I look hideous. A potato in a dress, doing a serial killer smile. Awful. Surely to God, of all the photos they took, that wasn't the best one of me????

God yes, Nancy! The karaoke police. 'Oh come on, you've got a great voice, it'll be really fun...' No it won't, I don't want to sing in an empty bar whilst you dance around a pole, I am 45 not 5!!!!!

I don't like the people who make you drink, either. Sometimes I drive, deliberately, so I have a good reason not to. It's not right though, is it? "I don't want to end up vomiting in the hydrangeas" should be reason enough.

"The cry of "Group photo" sends a chill down my spine"

Same here, even more so when it's followed up with A) Dance off, B) I'm going to put it on FB and tag us all in it and c)KARIOKE!

It just makes me with I didn't even bother going out.

Oh God ToughAsOldBoots - you have reminded me of a hideous party involving that game where you pass an orange under your chin to the next person and that other game where you drop a key on a bit of string down your clothes and pass it on to the next person, and various random men use it as an excuse to grope you.

I'd rather stick a knitting needle in my eye.

'I think the actual issue is that some people are arseholes incapable of leaving other people alone.'

Can't argue with this!

Group photos oh GOD don't. I currently work with a group of women who are all about 20/21/22. Lovely ladies, but every time we go NEAR a pub, it's suddenly "PHOTO! PHOTO!"

I've only known them 2 months and I think there's more photos of me with them than there are with me and my immediate family.

Put the iphone down.

These are also the people who say:

I'm going to get you out of your shell

I'm going to show you how to have fun and you'll like it!

Awwww come on! (while physically dragging you out of your chair) you're making us all miserable (when that's not the case AT ALL)

Have a few more drinks, then you'll be up for it

feel free to add your own...

Just wanted to join hands with everyone here and give a resounding YADNBU!!
I hate everything mentioned above. Even on my own fucking Hen Do, the fun police decided to take over and force me to wear ridiculous head gear, take a stupid amount of posed pictures and take part in numerous embarrassing 'hilarious' dares. All I wanted to do was get drunk! It was horrible.

why didn't you tell her to jog on and say no thanks -simples

chipmunch This was pre-mumsnet, I'm far less stupid polite now

YANBU, I hate this too.

My DH doesn't dance, to the extent that we didn't even have a party at our wedding as he absolutely refused to do the whole 'first dance' thing. You should see the death stare that he dishes out to anyone who tries to insist that he gets up and dance. They don't tend to ask again

Also, add to this list, party games and those horrendous ice breaking exercises that are so unfathomably popular with workplace training co-ordinators

I thank my lucky stars that I am now a SAHM and no one pops up at my front door demanding that I tell everyone something about myself that would surprise them or some such tripe.

absolutely agree.hate group behavior,don't do group behaviour
the gimp saying cheer up might never happen,the wooh let's all dance
I identify the im a laff me types and fastidiously avoid. for the quiet and interesting

God no, YANBU.
And why do people get so personally affronted about whether or not you have a drink in your own hand.
Let me decide when I fancy another drink! It has nothing to do with anybody else!