What the Heck Happened to Rollerblading? (2017) • Hacker News Board

Re: What the Heck Happened to Rollerblading? (2017)

#121

Post by bobbytit » Sun, Sep 05, 2021, 6:24 PM UTC

coldtea wrote: post #107

bobbytit wrote: post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What jokes have changed the course of history? It would make a good book.

There's a long list of comedy that affected politics, from Aristophanes critiques of the Pelloponisian war (and obsfuscating relativism introduced by philosophers, which contributed to the charges against Socrates), to Jonathan Swift's "Modest proposal" aimed at then prevalent policies against the poor and/or Irish, US (Twain and others), and Europlean humorous writers and playwrights with considerable influence in t…

Bill Burr was blaming that one specific joke for the demise of blading. Can you think of an example where a single joke has changed the course of history in a significant way? I don't doubt the impact humour has had. It is the favorite method that our rulers use to feed us propaganda.

Re: What the Heck Happened to Rollerblading? (2017)

#122

Post by haswell » Sun, Sep 05, 2021, 6:28 PM UTC

Interestingly, roller blading is moderately popular on the lakefront trail in Chicago.

I bike the trail almost daily, and I see a decent number of people out on blades each time. It’s nothing like the 90s, but I always think about how fun it looks as I ride by.

Re: What the Heck Happened to Rollerblading? (2017)

#123

Post by bobbytit » Sun, Sep 05, 2021, 6:34 PM UTC

q-big wrote: post #91

Fricken wrote: post #57

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Lower back tattoos were popular amongst young women in the 90s. Then the term "tramp stamp" caught on like wildfire and the practice came to an abrupt stop.

> Then the term "tramp stamp" caught on like wildfire and the practice came to an abrupt stop. In Germany, the same happened, but via the term "Arschgeweih" ["ass antler"]. For the readers who understand German: there also existed a song "Bye Bye Arschgeweih" by Ina Müller: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bIY1SZ_boEQ (the song title is of course a pun on the refrain line "Bye-bye, Miss American Pie" of the song Ameri…

Ass antler. That is hilarious.

Re: What the Heck Happened to Rollerblading? (2017)

#124

Post by ohwaitnvm » Sun, Sep 05, 2021, 6:35 PM UTC

therockspush wrote: post #15

xsmasher wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The same critique applies to skateboarding, and that seems as popular as ever.

I bladed and still skateboard. What made blading lame is having to carry around a pair of shoes if you want to go anywhere. Otherwise you're like the guy clicking around the coffee shop in your clip in bike shoes and tights.

Look up “Doop” skates. I have a pair of three-wheeled (100mm monsters) doops that I can step into somewhat like snowboard bindings. I much prefer my roller hockey skates most of the time, as the ankle support on Doops is almost nonexistent, but after the first couple minutes each time you adjust and can go for a while. I don’t know if this is true for all of their models, but mine disassembles each skate into a boot and a wheels+rail section, meaning it’s very easy to pack them in luggage for a trip.

Re: What the Heck Happened to Rollerblading? (2017)

#125

Post by pastage » Sun, Sep 05, 2021, 6:39 PM UTC

silverpepsi wrote: post #117

dochtman wrote: post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, homophobia is a thing even in NL; what I think the GP post was trying to point out is that there’s been no connection between inline skating and any particular sexual orientation in NL. That rings true to me as another Dutchman who owns inline skates (though only for three years).

Well there's a more fundamental dependency we don't have an answer to - Is it common in either language (or perhaps English is used in this context) to make fun of things that disgust you by calling them gay? Growing up in the Midwest of the US in the early 90s, I knew to call things 'gay' if I wanted to discourage my friends from doing them much earlier than my Christian parents allowed me to find out the secret of…

Yes in Sweden I did it in 1990 even though I grew up in an evironment were being homosexual was normal. Still being gay was not cool in society, and they were gravely mistreated. We still have a long way to go.

Re: What the Heck Happened to Rollerblading? (2017)

#126

Post by laurent92 » Sun, Sep 05, 2021, 6:41 PM UTC

bobbytit wrote: post #13

mikestew wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But why was rollerblading ever associated with homosexuals to begin with? As one who did not know anyone in the 90s who was both a rollerblader and an out gay person, is it a "yeah, but looks gay" thing? I dunno, seemed like one of those things one says when they can't afford rollerblades, or can afford them but sucks at it and gave up.

My recollection is that the flamboyant gay rollerbladers zipping around places like Venice Beach became a meme of sorts.

Also in Malcolm in the middle, the father teaches Malcolm rollerblading, and uses this kind of flamboyant clothing and the camera emphasizes the tight clothes.

Re: What the Heck Happened to Rollerblading? (2017)

#127

Post by ohwaitnvm » Sun, Sep 05, 2021, 6:41 PM UTC

elliottkember wrote: post #70

If you’re in SF, there’s a rink in GG park by 6th ave on the north side. There’s always music playing, it’s a good time. Very popular

And if you’re into roller hockey we play pickups at Dolores Park rink on Wednesday nights and Sunday mornings. (18th and Church closest intersection)

Re: What the Heck Happened to Rollerblading? (2017)

#128

Post by sgarman » Sun, Sep 05, 2021, 6:43 PM UTC

dharma1 wrote: post #105

I’ve been looking into buying a pair of roller blades for the past month or so. Any recommendations? Never really roller skated aside from a couple of roller discos but used to play ice hockey so should be easy enough. I’ve discovered a nice scene in London for this, lots of different ethnicities and ages roller skating/blading and usually always good music and vibes. Looks like a lot of fun

Checkout inlinewarehouse. FR Skates, Powerslides are great. FR was made by previous Seba skate creator. The three wheel skates are the way to go if you are at an intermediate or greater level.

Re: What the Heck Happened to Rollerblading? (2017)

#129

Post by fao_ » Sun, Sep 05, 2021, 6:44 PM UTC

Svperstar wrote: post #12

About 10 years ago I read a bunch of former roller bladers and skateboarders talking about the death of rollerblading in the 1990s. It is much easier to do tricks on rollerblades, also it was viewed as a "gay" activity in a much more homophobic time in society. There was a picture of a rollerblader in a skating mag and they photoshopped pink makeup on his face and made his rollerblades purple. Skaters started calling…

> Skaters started calling rollerblades "fruit boots" and that killed it for a lot of people who didn't want to associated with something seen as weak and "gay".

Their problem, a lot of fellow queer people rollerblade and they have a hell of a time.

It's actually extremely funny how homophobes will stop having fun specifically because something gets coded as queer. Like they're deliberately cutting off their nose to spite their face.

Re: What the Heck Happened to Rollerblading? (2017)

#130

Post by comprev » Sun, Sep 05, 2021, 6:49 PM UTC

silverpepsi wrote: post #117

dochtman wrote: post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, homophobia is a thing even in NL; what I think the GP post was trying to point out is that there’s been no connection between inline skating and any particular sexual orientation in NL. That rings true to me as another Dutchman who owns inline skates (though only for three years).

Well there's a more fundamental dependency we don't have an answer to - Is it common in either language (or perhaps English is used in this context) to make fun of things that disgust you by calling them gay? Growing up in the Midwest of the US in the early 90s, I knew to call things 'gay' if I wanted to discourage my friends from doing them much earlier than my Christian parents allowed me to find out the secret of…

There is a surprising amount of homophobia in Friends - possibly one of the most famous TV shows of all time.

Like the extensive racism in Fresh Prince, the homophobia in Friends is brushed aside because "it was the 90s"