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That's because people are drunk after a night of partying on H, U and 14th Streets. You have to give a young DC professional a few high-ball cocktails or a two pitchers of beer before they resemble anything like a human being with feelings.
Quote:
Originally Posted by stateofnature
In the city, H Street, U Street, 14th St, Adams Morgan full of merriment practically all the time.
Is DC somewhat humorless? Just asking, here (one person, limited experience) but it kind of seems that way to me. Where's the joking around? Where's the lightness? What do people - people who have lived in other cities - think, Is DC kind of a cold fish compared to where you have lived before?
As a transplant having lived here for 2 years, I think the DMV area is rather hard-edged in general. Work hard, live hard, play hard, drive like a bat out of hell! (Er, I digress....LOL) There are those I know who are humorous and don't take themselves too seriously (I've been told on many occasions what a great sense of humor I have). However, the environment in and of itself is a whole other animal. Maybe it's just an East Coast thing.
Again, not having a go but pointing out that there are people that are not from here that make reasonable observations. And yet, here we go again with the justifications and bringing up actual characters but not identifying with what the poster is asking. Don't you see how much of a disconnect that is? To point out actual comedians or exact street corners where to find "humor" sounds so reaching for relevance when clearly the poster is asking about the social atmosphere as a whole, not for particular street corners or about improve tickets. This is DC for you plain and simple.
People here can never ever acknowledge that there are people that see things from a different perspective, especially those that have lived in other places. There is always this need to justify and bring up old washed up people and point out the same Adams, H, U, and K Street corners for dining, humor, clubs, and a miracle. How about we get some new street corners....
"No one here has a sense of humor" is reasonable? You know what this reminds me of? When conservative Christians complain how Hindus and Buddhist prosyletizing an intolerant, hateful religion.
I don't think any of you haters are as reasonable as you think you are.
Honestly, I don't think that people not from here know the area nearly as well as they think they do. They go completely off the deep end in their observations, something no one can prove or disprove, and when you find exceptions, they take it as a personal attack.
That's because people are drunk after a night of partying on H, U and 14th Streets. You have to give a young DC professional a few high-ball cocktails or a two pitchers of beer before they resemble anything like a human being with feelings.
So you're against alcohol too? I'd be surprised, but then I remember that, in the footsteps of Lenin, uber-leftists are usually counterintuitively quite conservative when it comes to fun things like drinking. Your loss.
"No one here has a sense of humor" is reasonable? You know what this reminds me of? When conservative Christians complain how Hindus and Buddhist prosyletizing an intolerant, hateful religion.
I don't think any of you haters are as reasonable as you think you are.
Honestly, I don't think that people not from here know the area nearly as well as they think they do. They go completely off the deep end in their observations, something no one can prove or disprove, and when you find exceptions, they take it as a personal attack.
Like I said, like conservative Christians.
OK, but this post is just a long version of "nu-uh." It doesn't make YOUR point. So, you think that DC is a really fun town generally? Those Philly guys in the subway are insane to make that comment?
That could be the case. I just keep running into kind of run-down, keep-to-themselves people. A lot of nice decent people, actually, but worn out, like the life has been sucked out of them. You see that in any big city, true. Here, what I don't think I see is the fun, energetic, life-in-the-big-city vibe that counters that. So, yeah, Chicago beats you down, and I've put in enough time there, thanks. But I would never, ever say it's not a fun place. Bigger city, so maybe not fair. But Boston's no bigger and has life and fun. San Francisco. Seattle. So you think it's here, too, but I've just missed it?
Is DC somewhat humorless? Just asking, here (one person, limited experience) but it kind of seems that way to me. Where's the joking around? Where's the lightness? What do people - people who have lived in other cities - think, Is DC kind of a cold fish compared to where you have lived before?
DC is very humorless. People take themselves way too seriously in this city. When I try to joke around with people or chat with someone I get a blank look. Generally speaking, people who work for non-profits, attorneys, government wonks, and consultants are boring as all hell and DC is full of them. The funny thing is that most of these people don't make much money but feel because they went to a top school they're awesome and important. I live DC as far as the sites and the beauty. The people are it's biggest weakness. If you have an outgoing and fun personality in this city you're in the minority.
The OP wasn't talking about DC's AA community, or really comedy. He mentioned that DC people don't seem to laugh or have as much fun as in other places.
I understand that.... Here my thing though. DC's AA culture is a very large part of the DC experience. I don't see how you can say "DC people" and not be referring to the city's large AA community as well. In his opening statement the OP never specified that he was just talking about non-Black people. He said "DC people". If you're not frequenting neighborhoods and areas where AA's live you not getting the authentic DC experience anyway. It's always funny to me that people that are not from DC seem to immerse themselves in the city's non-Black culture and expect to have some sort of fun unique experience. There are several reasons that this city is so segregated and one of them is that culturally the AA population here has almost nothing in common with the mostly non-Black transients that move here. DC natives also think that most of the "knowledge class" is boring, up tight, bland, predictable and uninteresting. DC is plenty of fun when you have family and friends that live here and when you hang in certain areas of the city or the region. What the OP should be saying is that most people that I have met that happen to live in DC aren't fun and are too serious. When people use the words "DC people" it offends me because to be honest with you most them have never met or actually socialized with people that are from DC. The irony is that most of the people that people are complaining about are from many of the very cities that you think have all of these fun people.
DC is very humorless. People take themselves way too seriously in this city. When I try to joke around with people or chat with someone I get a blank look. Generally speaking, people who work for non-profits, attorneys, government wonks, and consultants are boring as all hell and DC is full of them.
Has anyone ever seen a detailed breakdown of DC's workforce? I'm talking about the city, not the metro.
According to ACS, 44.3% of employed residents of the District work in the non-profit sector or in government (DC or federal). Here are some other Creative Class cities for comparison.
New York (Manhattan) - 19.0%
San Francisco - 20.7%
Chicago - 22.0%
Boston - 28.7%
Philadelphia - 26.5%
Los Angeles - 15.3%
DC by far has the highest concentration of lawyers of any city in America, if not the whole entire world.
Washington, DC - 26,666
Los Angeles - 29,419
New York (MH) - 37,228
Chicago - 23,991
San Francisco - 14,853
Philadelphia - 11,656
Boston - 6,682
And according to the ABA, 1 out of 12 DC residents are admitted to the Bar. That's about 54,000 people.
DC has some wild people. You just have to meet them first.
On the surface, people are reserved and quiet and no one
seems down-to-earth, but beneath it, they're like people
anywhere else really.
Again, not having a go but pointing out that there are people that are not from here that make reasonable observations. And yet, here we go again with the justifications and bringing up actual characters but not identifying with what the poster is asking. Don't you see how much of a disconnect that is? To point out actual comedians or exact street corners where to find "humor" sounds so reaching for relevance when clearly the poster is asking about the social atmosphere as a whole, not for particular street corners or about improve tickets. This is DC for you plain and simple.
People here can never ever acknowledge that there are people that see things from a different perspective, especially those that have lived in other places. There is always this need to justify and bring up old washed up people and point out the same Adams, H, U, and K Street corners for dining, humor, clubs, and a miracle. How about we get some new street corners....
I really think you're the one with the disconnect partner. I think that many of us that are actually from this city do see your perspective and that's why we choose the places where we hangout very carefully. I notice that every time you talk about meeting "DC people" you're always using U street, Gtown, K street or Adams Morgan as examples. To me those places are no more than tourist attractions and they certainly don't reflect what type of people you'd find in most DC neighborhoods. You have to go into AA neighborhoods in NE and SE to really get the flavor of the city. Most of the people that are in the areas that you mentioned, are not only not from DC but many of them don't even live in DC proper. I mean... I've been to plenty of other cities that I didn't think had fun, attractive or even smart people in them so it does work both ways. I only used the famous comedians from DC as an example of some of the type of humor that you'll find in DC's AA community. I've seen some of the bars and clubs that you say you frequent and I keep thinking to myself, if those are the spots that you're hanging in, it's no wonder that you see DC the way you do. Most of those places are full of up tight, out of town airheads. Perhaps a change of venue is in order.
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Here my thing though. DC's AA culture is a very large part of the DC experience. I don't see how you can say "DC people" and not be referring to the city's large AA community as well. In his opening statement the OP never specified that he was just talking about non-Black people. He said "DC people". If you're not frequenting neighborhoods and areas where AA's live you not getting the authentic DC experience anyway. It's always funny to me that people that are not from DC seem to immerse themselves in the city's non-Black culture and expect to have some sort of fun unique experience. There are several reasons that this city is so segregated and one of them is that culturally the AA population here has almost nothing in common with the mostly non-Black transients that move here. DC natives also think that most of the "knowledge class" is boring, up tight, bland, predictable and uninteresting. DC is plenty of fun when you have family and friends that live here and when you hang in certain areas of the city or the region. What the OP should be saying is that most people that I have met that happen to live in DC aren't fun and are too serious. When people use the words "DC people" it offends me because to be honest with you most them have never met or actually socialized with people that are from DC. The irony is that most of the people that people are complaining about are from many of the very cities that you think have all of these fun people. 
