Which typically male interests/activities give you the ick?

[GoldfinchFeather]

Meant as a lighthearted thread, so hope nobody gets bent out of shape over this - also, I've added the disclaimer of 'typically' male to close off anyone taking umbrage with that... 😅

Dipped a toe back into OLD recently, and already feeling pretty exasperated with just how flipping dull a lot of men are. A lot of them that I've come across only seem to be interested in two things, football and going to the gym.

Maybe that's okay for some people, but these two things alone are enough to put me off. I hate football for a lot of reasons, namely the idiotic behaviour that a lot of football fans display, plus the fact that it's just so painfully boring to watch. I couldn't date a football fan, because being subjected to daily conversation about who was best at kicking a ball around would slowly drive me mad. Don't even get me started on fantasy football or 'accas'...

As for men who spend most their lives in the gym? Yawn. Nobody cares how many 'reps' you've done, or how tough 'leg day' was, Steve. Give me some proper intellectual stimulation, ffs!

Where are all the men who are interested in the arts, nature, books, photography, politics etc? Or even just sports that aren't as unbelievably boring as football? Or do they no longer exist?

So, tell me ladies. Am I alone here, or are there typical male interests that would really put you off a guy, no matter how attractive they might otherwise be?

arts, nature, books, photography, politics etc

They're taken, gay, or are weirdos that are yet unknown to you.

gaming
tech
porn
cars
music
porn
sports
gadgets
discussing how things work
“pissing higher up the wall” conversations
gadgets plus sports eg running trackers
conversations about cost of these gadgets
sports equipment eg latest football boots
porn
porn
did I mention porn?

Anyone whose whole personality is the gym.

😂

Me too. Me and my OH had so many wonderful holidays on our road bikes in the mountains (better than lying on a beach IMO but each to their own). My 3 yo had a pedal bike and he loves it, when he's older we'll try and use bikes for transport, which is great for traffic, great for childhood obesity levels and great for the environment.... I am sure there are inconsiderate cyclists (I know I encounter a fair few inconsiderate drivers and presumably the Ven diagram for adult men who cycle and drive is almost 100% inclusive).

Putting on a condom - I am a gay woman. 🤢

who think they are really something and want to play in the local pub, when friends are round, every opoportunity

I got some cringe just reading that. Very David Brent.

Golf. Complete dealbreaker.

Even if you shared lots of other interests?

My DH is a football fan and it’s a big part of his life - has been since he was a child. But he’s also an avid reader, loves history, art and the theatre.

I have interests that DH doesn’t enjoy and that’s okay. It’s healthy to have some separate interests. The snobbery around football is such a shame though.

I generally have no problem at all with men who do sport, though I'd avoid ones who were very into football due to the culture around it. Especially the kind of men whose mood is dictated by whether 'their' team wins or loses.

So this is a bit of an in-joke with a colleague of mine, and in hindsight probably doesn't make much sense here/isn't funny! If you have to explain why something is funny then it's probably inherently unfunny. 😅😬

Awww one of my oldest friends is a morris dancer. It’s a local tradition.
He’s such a nice guy but he’s been single forever. Perhaps that’s why?! 🤷🏼‍♀️

Not so much the ick just bores me and that's gaming eg Xbox etc.

The real ick would be horse racing and gambling. Despite living near a racecourse I've never got on with it.

Bob Dylan
Bruce Springsteen
Computer Games
Porn

Why have mumsnet taken away the laughing emoji on the icon button? This is the thread that needs it.

Scouts
Orienteering
Bird Watching
World of Warcraft
Model Railways
Model Soldiers
The Sealed Knot
The Freemasons
Philately

That's great! All credit to them. Having a skill like being able to speak another language (either partially or fully) is seriously impressive - or a man who could play the piano...swoon! 😂

I find the most interesting people have a broad range of interests - my post was more directed towards the men (of which there seems to be a depressing many) who make football and or the gym their entire personality to the point where conversation about anything else is more or less impossible.

Think it needs this instead.

Totally agree with this about some cyclists. A family member of mine is an avid cycler, cycles every single day without fail. He cannot understand why so many cyclists wear those ridiculous lycra outfits as he says they don’t actually make people any more aerodynamic. It’s almost like a cultural thing. And I notice a lot of cyclists take over the whole road and have absolutely no regard for anyone else. I enjoy cycling and have an ebike but I don’t take over the whole road when I’m doing it like a lot of people do.

I'm not as opposed to motor racing as football, for the simple fact that the average F1 race tends to be in a much more glamorous/exotic location than the average football game.

Would I want to attend a football match at some dismal football ground at a place like Slough, in the freezing cold and rain, while sat next to a drunken lout with a bald head and beer belly who is turning the air blue with his foul language? Absolutely not.

A trip to Monte Carlo while the Grand Prix is on? I wouldn't be against it. 😂

Football
Golf
Gym bros
High protein dieting
Raves
Drugs including occasional use
Living in the pub

Boring.

DH likes football, but doesn't talk about it excessively. He chats to his mates, colleagues, brothers about it if there was an interesting game on, and occasionally me (I don't hate it though).

He's not boring though. He likes music, trivia, he's very handy, we can talk about science and politics, we watch motor racing together, he does arts and crafts with DD, we do gardening together.

Sometimes football is just an easy thing to write down or break the ice with. Most football fans are more than just football fans (some aren't, granted).

If all you're going off is a profile, bear in mind that most people have bunged a couple of "generic" things on there and that's the most effort they've put into it. You need to talk to people to get to know them.

What's wrong with Slough??

There are some iconic football teams and stadiums in some amazing European countries. DH and I are supporters of (different) pretty rubbish teams (not in the least obsessive, neither of us could name the squads for example), but also "follow" teams from countries we like visiting (a bit, again not religiously).

I have a friend who regularly goes to Barcelona to see them play and the rest of the time just has a lovely holiday. His girlfriend uses it as a way to go to nice cities "aren't Barca playing X in the euros? Shall we try and get tickets and go for a few days?".

Hunting, shooting and fishing - just No

Disclaimer - I am a vegetarian.

Just stage magicians generally. Creepy AF.