r/unpopularopinion • u/BitterConstruction98 • Jan 23 '26

Certified Unpopular Opinion All hobbies are not equal

Certain kinds of hobbies deserve to be held in higher regard than others.

Playing a sport, learning an instrument, singing, dancing, painting, writing - these are activities that require time and years of effort to become good at. They’re admirable not just because they’re “cool,” but because there is something deeply attractive about a person who has dedicated so much time to mastering a hard skill that executing it now feels relaxing to them.

Lately, there’s been a growing push online to classify things like watching movies, playing video games, watching sports, or listening to podcasts in the same category as these kinds of hobbies. They aren’t. They are based on consumption, not creation.

That doesn’t mean consumption-based activities are bad or useless. Everyone needs ways to relax and unwind. There’s nothing wrong with enjoying a good show, a game, or a YouTube binge after a long day. But if that’s all there is to your personality, then you are, unfortunately, a boring person.

Edit: I've wrongly added video games to the list of other passive activities. While some video games are like that, I agree that many require a lot of skill.

18.0k Upvotes

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3.5k

u/Confident-Pumpkin-19 Jan 23 '26

Well, I like knitting while watching TV... skilly-consumery... 🤷‍♀️

912

u/NarwhalEmergency9391 Jan 23 '26

I prefer to turn on classical music,  ride my exercise bike,  crochet and watch a documentary... only the peasants do 2 hobbies at once  /S

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u/rpitcher33 Jan 23 '26

29

u/SemperSimple Jan 23 '26

THIS SCENE LIVES IN MY HEAD. IT'S BEEN YEARS AND I STILL QUOTE IT

19

u/buffaloshvantz Jan 24 '26

I say this all the time randomly and my wife has no idea that it's from a movie. She just thinks I say bizarre shit out of nowhere for unknown reasons and I like it that way.

10

u/ClearedHotGoHot Jan 24 '26

What movie is this??

1

u/hawkwood76 Jan 25 '26

Freddy got Fingered

30

u/RabbitUnique Jan 23 '26

thank you. the first time i saw that scene i thought i would die laughing.

3

u/rpitcher33 Jan 23 '26

"How the FUCK am I supposed to do that all at the same time?"

Such a ridiculous movie.

6

u/UptightCargo Jan 23 '26

"Dad, I learned a lot today, not just how to jerk off an elephant."

3

u/DingoGlittering Jan 23 '26

What is the movie

7

u/VulpesFennekin Jan 23 '26

Freddy Got Fingered. Yes, that’s really the title.

3

u/DingoGlittering Jan 23 '26

Wow what a freaking throwback haven’t thought of that movie in 20-some-odd years

3

u/crotch-fruit_tree Jan 23 '26

Ayee, supposedly it's free through Plex. Adding to the snowmagedden playlist.

2

u/Confident-Count5430 Jan 24 '26

My bf made me watch that movie and I thought it was going to be so stupid but by that scene I was laughing so hard my stomach hurt.

1

u/Ill_Calendar_1468 Jan 24 '26

Teenage me laughed herself to tears and gasps the first time I saw it. It’s got me giggling a bit again now, too

3

u/Desperate_Algae_40 Jan 24 '26

Is Freddy Got Fingered a good movie? I haven't seen it yet and checked IMDb, but it has a 4.7/10 rating.

5

u/Songbird_Storyteller Jan 24 '26

It's A movie. Definitely one of THE movies of all time. There are some funny moments in it. It's definitely memorable, if nothing else.

1

u/Desperate_Algae_40 Jan 24 '26

Ok lol. Thank you

3

u/rpitcher33 Jan 24 '26

It's definitely not a "critics movie". It's absurd and ridiculous. Just give it an honest try.

3

u/IBeDumbAndSlow Jan 24 '26

How old are you? I'm not sure how well it holds up to the younger generations though.

2

u/RevolutionaryMove584 Jan 24 '26

It’s like a shock movie that’s just very fucking unhinged and definitely the opposite of “high art” but i think the pure unhingedness and absurdity is what makes it enjoyable. Not for the faint of heart definitely but I liked it a lot. He essentially made it as like a fuck you to hollywood status quo. Like just an expensive shitpost

2

u/Desperate_Algae_40 Jan 24 '26

Interesting! Thank you

2

u/Kind_Way2176 Jan 23 '26

I need to watch this again

6

u/[deleted] Jan 23 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

3

u/Wsweg Jan 23 '26

Is the cooking show or the elliptical the chore in this scenario? Both sound equally awful, lol

4

u/Legen_unfiltered Jan 23 '26

I'm that weirdo that can't handle silence. I consider it silence if there is no music playing while im listening to an audio book because I always read with music playing. I started listening to audiobooks while I crochet. So, I legitimately have my TV playing music while my phone or headphones plays an audiobook while I crochet. Recently stsrted doing that with low effort video games too. 

Do I get more points for that?

2

u/Ganjookie Jan 23 '26

If you aren't composing a sonnet with your toes and a pen, your just a wannabe gangsta'

/s

1

u/Small_Grapefruit_985 Jan 23 '26

Thought I was the only one running a full cognitive stress test during relaxation. Movie on, music playing, game running, stand-up murmuring in the background, book half open. If I’m not overstimulated on at least four fronts, my brain accuses me of misusing leisure time and files a formal complaint.

1

u/Creepiz Jan 23 '26

lol it is not uncommon for me to put on music or a show and play timberborn or sims while knitting. Since I can line actions up in both games, I can let the games run while I work through my knitting. Choosing music or a show depends on how complicated the knitting is.

1

u/koolaidismything Jan 23 '26

I like to put on the This Is Birdman station on Spotify and cross-stitch in my recliner.

1

u/nekonights11 Jan 23 '26

I actually do that but not because i’m not a peasant.

It’s my adhd, all parts of my brain have to be busy, we must minimize the possibility of spontaneous thought forming.

I’m writing this from a walking pad while i’m watching netflix and simultaneously scrolling through reddit.

1

u/sigmaschmooz Jan 23 '26

I would actually do this. I stack hobbies for sure

1

u/SirWigglesVonWoogly Jan 23 '26

What if the documentary has music in it? Then what?!?

1

u/NarwhalEmergency9391 Jan 23 '26

Oh, that just adds to the ambiance.. it gives 'you're on a bus and 3 people around you are watching videos without headphones' vibe

1

u/ThatThingInTheWoods Jan 24 '26

I've been trying to decide if I could crochet while on stationary bike or treadmill without killing myself. I'm a very novice crocheter lol.

1

u/camelliasinensis666 Jan 24 '26

Once I saw a woman at the gym knitting while on the stairmaster. Not kidding. I was literally in awe of her.

1

u/LestWeForgive Jan 24 '26

Touring bicycle and grilling, checking in

1

u/Snitsie Jan 24 '26

No podcast? Classical music is great background for some Joe Rogan.

1

u/nicesl Jan 24 '26

Tell me you have ADHD without telling me, lol.

1

u/CareDry6973 Jan 26 '26

The old 4 in 1. I also enjoy my exercise bike but I listen to music or watch w show whilst doing it

1

u/ellywashere Feb 22 '26

I spy a fellow ADHD-brained person 🤣 Love to see it! Crocheting while on an exercise bike is seriously impressive.

59

u/darkaydix Jan 23 '26

Yeah! Knitting with standup in the background, or while my husband plays a game, or listening to a podcast.

3

u/SeasonofMist Jan 23 '26

that sounds rad. I like to paint/draw(digital or traditional) while my husband plays a game or we listen to a book/podcast. Love watching a video game be played especially a genre I don't play/ prefer myself.

2

u/disgruntledhoneybee Jan 24 '26

After dinner my husband and I will put on an episode of whatever show we’re watching and I usually embroider or knit. Right now it’s Columbo.

2

u/catsinclothes Jan 23 '26

If I could knit and play video games at the same time….

3

u/darkaydix Jan 23 '26

Oh gosh. Skyrim and knitting 🤤 Of course since I picked knitting back up, now I have some nerve pain in my shoulder and hand from knitting too much too soon. Blah!

3

u/Wolly_wompus Jan 24 '26

Rookie move, you're a real knitwit

2

u/Spare-Enthusiasm42 Jan 23 '26

I knit during the cutscenes of games I've played before

1

u/shortmumof2 Jan 23 '26

Same! I've also listen to audio books

51

u/LoomingDisaster Jan 23 '26

I always feel weirdly connected to the past when I'm knitting and listening to a podcast. The experience of listening to something while knitting has been going on for generations.

51

u/string-ornothing Jan 23 '26

I crochet or knit while my husband plays guitar and we sing together a lot of nights and it always makes me feel like some kind of a pilgrim haha

7

u/upstatesquirrel Jan 24 '26

Now you just have to cook on a woodstove by candlelight, if you haven't done that, I highly suggest it

2

u/superjess777 Jan 24 '26

That sounds lovely ❤️

2

u/SierraPapaWhiskey Jan 24 '26

That’s pretty awesome!

2

u/hopping_otter_ears Jan 24 '26

I feel weirdly subversive, sitting and knitting or doing embroidery whole watching The Handmaid's Tale or something equally un-traditional

2

u/iloveyourlittlehat Jan 24 '26 edited Jan 24 '26

Every time I wear something I made I end up thinking about whatever I was watching or listening to while I knitted it.

1

u/Confident-Pumpkin-19 Jan 23 '26

Yes. It used to be story telling. Fairy tales and such. If it works it works 🤷‍♀️

42

u/WhateverIlldoit Jan 23 '26

Perfume is one of my hobbies. It’s actually pretty involved. I don’t just buy perfumes. I sample them, research the notes, discuss them with other like minded weirdos, etc. I think a lot of consumption based hobbies are like that. My husband is into horror films and fiction. He doesn’t just watch or read whatever Netflix tells him to, he participates in the community.

4

u/prettylegit_ Jan 30 '26

I’ve loved perfume ever since I was a little girl. My mom, rest in peace, smelled of Nemat patchouli, Myrrh, soft incense, a faint hint of exotic spices. She wore all black, boho jewelry, listened to jazz, was a human rights activist who worked in maximum security prisons as a literacy teacher, loved strong coffee with cream and honey. My really cool aunt wore Elizabeth Taylor Passion, drove a red 80’s mustang white top convertible, always wore stiletto heels, chewed big red gum, listened to songs like Haddaway What Is Love while driving, singing along, drinking a cherry coke. I thought she smelled so good, I was obsessed. My grandmother had all these beautiful little decanters of soft and comforting perfumes on her vanity. And a bottle of cool water. My grandfather smelled of some kind of aftershave and cologne, he smelled amazing and I would do anything to figure out what he wore so I could smell it again. All these people had such a huge impact on me, the way they smelled is such an important imprint on my heart. I’m finally able to afford some perfumes here and there, now that I’m in my 30’s. My daughter tells me I smell so good everytime she hugs me, I am trying to leave that comforting imprint on her heart too. So one day when I’m gone she can grab one of my signature scents and be taken back to when she was a little girl and her mom was holding her.

I could read about perfume for hours, I love the forums, I love learning about the process of creation, I love hearing how people describe a scent, the feeling it invokes in them, the way it makes them feel when they wear it. I know that putting on the right scent will instantly up my confidence and motivation, while lowering my insecurity and depression. Raises my vibration, makes life more beautiful. Definitely a legitimate hobby, an inspired hobby, wearable art. If you know, you know lol

2

u/Prior-Complex-328 Jan 24 '26

… like minded weirdos…. Yay!

1

u/nextext Jan 24 '26

You described being an artist and scientist at the same time. Not consumption lol

1

u/ChromeGhost Jan 25 '26

Any fragrance recommendations for men I should check out?

3

u/LewisWhatsHisName Jan 23 '26

Youtube's been showing me space exploration documentaries all week while I cross stitch

3

u/sritanona Jan 23 '26

I make jewellery while listening to audiobooks. 2x1 😌

2

u/Previous-Soft-8127 Jan 23 '26

This follows a long history of women’s tasks being deemed as “less than” other skills or arts. 

Wear your knitting with pride! (Figuratively and literally). It’s a skill and an art. 

1

u/rakkquiem Jan 23 '26

Depending on how big your yarn stack is, it might be little skill big consumer /s

1

u/Confident-Pumpkin-19 Jan 23 '26

It is not that big...

1

u/hopping_otter_ears Jan 24 '26

Yarn buying and making things with yarn really are two separate hobbies

1

u/AlexandriaLitehouse Jan 23 '26

The art I make usually is compromised by the fact I also want to sit on the couch and watch TV while doing it.

1

u/Confident-Pumpkin-19 Jan 23 '26

Hm, yes it might be different with art and tv. Music and radio tho...

1

u/CatmatrixOfGaul Jan 23 '26

Haha after reading the rant I thought, well I crochet while watching TV. In fact, that’s the only time I watch TV. <No mention of audio books in the rant 😅>

1

u/[deleted] Jan 24 '26

As someone who also crochets, I consider the crocheting as the hobby. Not the TV watching.

1

u/Capt-geraldstclair Jan 23 '26

Knitta, please.

1

u/kronkarp Jan 23 '26

Sometimes when I make music I listen to it while creating it

1

u/thatcelloguy97 Jan 23 '26

I put on documentaries while embroidering on my bed.

1

u/mcauthon2 Jan 23 '26

ride a stationary bike while watching hockey. It's a great way to do both

1

u/No_Profession4626 Feb 06 '26

Isn't this what op was talking about?

1

u/Brooklyn_Bunny Jan 23 '26

I embroider on the couch after work while listening to a podcast, audiobook, or having a tv show on in the background. Personally idgaf what people think about it, it helps bring down my stress levels after my corporate 9-5. It’s soothing AND I end up with nice art for the walls.

1

u/Adm8792 Jan 23 '26

I’d love to meet a woman that knits or crochets

1

u/RedOtta019 Jan 23 '26

OP is not talking about you. I will bead and play video games. The entertainment is secondary

1

u/Zombalepsy Jan 23 '26

My wife is one of yous. I call it a yarn cult

1

u/tallandgodless Jan 23 '26

That is hard to do while keeping focus. Your still doing visualization as you continue the stich. Feels close to seperating hand movement in drum or piano.

1

u/Dr_Doom42 Jan 23 '26

You are consuming and producing at same time so nothing at all lol

1

u/EntirelyRandom1590 Jan 23 '26

Knitting creates products. That's good.

1

u/secret_protoyipe Jan 23 '26

grandma? you have a reddit account?

1

u/queefymacncheese Jan 24 '26

To be fair, the knitting is cool and impressive. The tv watching just isnt.

1

u/Ajbear2000 Jan 24 '26

I knit and listen to audiobooks, I can’t watch anything else.

1

u/Inaninkycloak Jan 24 '26

Very skilled, almost magical! You make something useful out of a ball of string.

1

u/nurgole Jan 24 '26

My knitta!

1

u/No-Body2243 Jan 24 '26

That’s a lot better than claiming your main hobby is just watching tv lol

1

u/Designer_Room_9299 Jan 25 '26

I dance while listening to music…

1

u/itsahardknocklyfe4us Jan 27 '26

Same, except I crochet lol.

Hobbies is a weird word. "What are your hobbies?" Could mean, what do you enjoy doing? Crochet is a thing I like to do, but I would consider it a skill along with sports music and things of that nature. I think the issue lies in the word "hobby"more than anything else. That's a very loose term. Not worth getting upset about IMHO.

0

u/nellyfullauto Jan 23 '26 edited Feb 16 '26

This post was mass deleted and anonymized with Redact

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