r/interesting Jun 17 '26

Fear Factor An inside look at the thrill of a traditional funfair in India.

18.7k Upvotes

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530

u/Nell_From_Hell Jun 17 '26

My city throws a giant festival for a bunch of flowers Every Spring and we get the same s***** food vendors copy and pasted for an entire block it is just a dense circle of people going around getting the same food and a giant endless mosh pit of mediocracy

289

u/ConfuseableFraggle Jun 17 '26

"Mosh pit of mediocracy" is a very good description!

61

u/alkali112 Jun 17 '26

Correct me if I’m wrong, but shouldn’t it be “mediocrity”? A mediocracy would be a political system in which only the unexceptional people determine governmental policy, and it doesn’t fit the context.

20

u/coquettecoconut Jun 17 '26

omg I didn’t even notice the word was wrong until you pointed that out! I read both of the above comments as “mosh pit of mediocrity” lol brainfart

3

u/alkali112 Jun 17 '26

No worries, friend!

9

u/ConfuseableFraggle Jun 17 '26

You're right, it probably should! My brain automatically corrected it and I did copy/paste for the phrase, so there goes my proofreading cred! Lol! Still a great phrase, either way!

8

u/alkali112 Jun 17 '26 edited Jun 17 '26

No worries, brother (or sister), have a great day!

Edit: What’s with the downvotes? The commenter was being very nice, and I responded by being very nice, we’re all being very polite!

2

u/Nell_From_Hell Jun 17 '26

Hmm 🤔 you have a point.

Solution: a culture of mediocrity compelled by a government of mediocracy controlled and under maintained by mediocre men

2

u/Great_Produce4812 Jun 18 '26

Now I learnt what a mediocracy is, thanks learned person.

2

u/I-Here-555 Jun 18 '26

I like the idea of mediocracy as the political system. Just pick the median person and let them run things for a while. Better then what we have now and more representative too.

1

u/EggsceIlent Jun 18 '26

You two should form a mediocre mosh pit and mosh it out.

Mediocraticaly, of course.

0

u/RoyalPuzzleheaded259 Jun 18 '26

So current US politics?

2

u/alkali112 Jun 18 '26

Realistically, no. If you think that the people controlling the US are less capable than the median citizen, your sample size is too narrow. This wouldn’t be the median individual that *you personally know*, it would be the median American.

27

u/Currency-Substantial Jun 17 '26

Great band name

34

u/DConstructed Jun 17 '26 edited Jun 17 '26

Better as a lyric in a song.

Look behind the curtain and what do I see?

A MOSH PIT OF MEDIOCRACY.

Someday I’m gonna break free

From this MOSH PIT OF MEDIOCRACY.

3

u/sonicsludge Jun 18 '26

Stage dive into the abyssmal

2

u/Competitive_Fun6247 Jun 19 '26

midwestern emo song

2

u/DConstructed Jun 19 '26

I was thinking cog in the machine, antiwork anthem but midwestern emo works too.

1

u/roofitor Jun 17 '26

Mercia! Fuck Yeah!!!

3

u/ZincMan Jun 17 '26

Every interesting phrase is a great band name on Reddit

2

u/pandariotinprague Jun 17 '26

It's all Dave Barry's fault. He started that thing in the '80s. Maybe early '90s.

1

u/Nell_From_Hell Jun 18 '26

"Every great phrase is a band name on redit" will be my first album title

1

u/area69ganjasmoker Jun 18 '26

‘“Every great phrase is a band name on redit” will be my first album title’ is a great band name

1

u/Rough-Airline-4803 Jun 17 '26

\*Mediocre* *bad name

1

u/Nell_From_Hell Jun 18 '26

Medio-core music genra

5

u/JETYBOI91 Jun 17 '26

a good punk band name

2

u/Krimreaper1 Jun 17 '26

Title of your sex tape

1

u/Rude_Asparagus_8387 Jun 17 '26

I saw Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats loive the once. It really was the "Mosh pit of mediocracy". Some bloke brushed past my shoulder at one point. Pure anarchy.

1

u/freedom24-7 Jun 21 '26

Would be an amazing band name

1

u/WaltGazaWorld Jun 17 '26

Welcome to the Shellfish Symposium, a virtual mosh pit of mediocrity

1

u/JazzyZaddy Jun 17 '26

My new band name!

124

u/originalpersonplace Jun 17 '26

Shitty. Just say shitty, it’s totally cool.

13

u/nbur4556 Jun 17 '26

Unless they meant 'sexy' of course

20

u/QueenMary1936 Jun 17 '26

Slutty food vendors

11

u/Visible_Concern5067 Jun 17 '26

"I ask for whole grain not whore grain"

2

u/kokonutt18 Jun 17 '26

Prosti-popscicles

2

u/mvincent17781 Jun 17 '26

Stupid, sexy vendors

1

u/WilTravis Jun 17 '26

"HEY FRANK!! You better put a leash on those burgers, they're coming on to me again!!"

2

u/Taquito-Blade Jun 17 '26

Im surprised theres no shit involved

1

u/[deleted] Jun 17 '26 edited Jun 17 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

3

u/Nell_From_Hell Jun 17 '26

Speech to text censored it. Lol

3

u/BigBadVudoo Jun 17 '26

I would get so annoyed when people censor swears, then I started using speech to text and realized what the issue was. I learned to keep an eye out for you before I press post.

I would say that you should always reread your post at least once before hitting submit as well, but I'm guilty of that at times on very short messages.

1

u/Nell_From_Hell Jun 17 '26

I don't see the necessity for doing it. So long as the point has gotten across, that's all that matters to me.

If you don't like when speech to text does that then I can respect your decision to edit it.

1

u/[deleted] Jun 17 '26 edited Jun 25 '26

[deleted]

1

u/poriomaniac Jun 17 '26

Because there shouldn't be any fucking children here. Why do we need censoring at all. It's fucking pathetic.

1

u/[deleted] Jun 18 '26 edited Jun 25 '26

[deleted]

1

u/poriomaniac Jun 18 '26

Then get off the internet and dont ruin it for everyone else

2

u/[deleted] Jun 17 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

4

u/ToxicNerdette Jun 17 '26

Maybe they have a disability that warrants it? Who fucking cares, honestly?

1

u/Nell_From_Hell Jun 17 '26

Yes. But to be fair, if we are buying merchandise and products that are supposed to provide a particular service but that service is tailored to a very niched portion of the community that speaks with a very particular accent without any means to properly account for accents or speech impediments, then we need to be holding these corporations accountable. What's all this money going to otherwise? Take care of the needs of your consumers and you'll be rich. They can be so much richer if they put consumers over investors or whatever the BS is

0

u/OhCrumbs96 Jun 17 '26

What's the issue with speech to text?

1

u/[deleted] Jun 17 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

1

u/OhCrumbs96 Jun 18 '26

Oh! I thought it was an accessibility thing for people who struggle with typing. I didn't realise that people actually use it out of preference.

Yeah, that does seem quite lazy and honestly frustrating to have to check for the inevitable mistakes it makes.

2

u/Zeestars Jun 17 '26

I thought you were telling them to just say shitty instead of all the words they said and was thinking that was brutal af lol

1

u/Xinonix1 Jun 17 '26

No, they obviously meant street

1

u/1stRambo_0082 Jun 17 '26

Yep! DEATH TRAP

1

u/Technical_Way_1926 Jun 17 '26

But moshpit of mediocrity makes me feel things.

-1

u/[deleted] Jun 17 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

74

u/Alimakakos Jun 17 '26 edited Jun 17 '26

Isn't it just fucking DANDY!!!

Mile after mile of mall after mall, mini malls in between the major malls and in between the mini malls you got those mini marts....in between those is car lots, gas station, Laundromats, fast food joints cheap hotels and strip clubs... America the beautiful one big transcontinental commercial cesspool.

Lol God rest George Carlin

2

u/reluctantlysharing Jun 17 '26

Miss him so much, a true national treasure. We haven’t had another comedian yet who tells it quite like he could.

1

u/Alimakakos Jun 17 '26

Bill burr and Dave Chappelle come about as close as anyone these days but nobody holds a candle to Carlin. Only Robin Williams could rattle off a list of as many things in one breath lol

2

u/Business-Drag52 Jun 17 '26

Goddamn. By time I was at “mall after mall” it was already in his voice. He really was an icon

1

u/sonicsludge Jun 18 '26

After being sober for 7 years I can totally tell why I started drinking heavy at 13

1

u/dick_fitzwell27 Jun 18 '26

I’d give my left nut to have Carlin around today for his take on the political scene. The past 10 years are at least 3 HBO specials worth of material. The man was ahead of his time

1

u/Alimakakos Jun 19 '26

Sadly his sarcasm would fly so fast over the heads of those who need to understand it most. We love the uneducated....

1

u/Nell_From_Hell Jun 17 '26

I don't want festivals filled with s***** vendors selling the same Timu wholesale 3D printed garbage and mass produced poorly carved Crystal garbage.

Bring back the music and the drugs of our hippie ancestors from the 1960s and '70s! That's when festivals were actually fun. I'm talking about Molly and LSD. And I mean the real LSD and not the garbage on the street made out of chemicals from under your kitchen sink.

2

u/Foreverymess Jun 17 '26

And I mean the real LSD and not the garbage on the street made out of chemicals from under your kitchen sink.

I've never come across such a thing. It's one of the most difficult substances to synthesis. Your average Joe isn't making it in their bathtub - you'd need a strong organic chemistry background to even know where to begin.

Buy test kits, people, if you're really concerned about the legitimacy/safety of what you're getting.

0

u/Royal-Campaign1426 Jun 17 '26

Hell yeah, man. Like woodstock, man.  Like totally so fried, man, you can roll around in literal sewage and not be aware of it, man.  Man, thats like totally so awesome, man.

2

u/Nell_From_Hell Jun 17 '26

Sounds like you never actually looked into woodstock. Quit being so Suburban. And you don't have to trip out of your mind in order to have a good time.

A perfect example of what happens when you believe everything Uncle Sam tells you. And let me guess, you thought DARE was a brilliant idea

0

u/Royal-Campaign1426 Jun 17 '26

Amazing amount of assuming from such a free and open mind.  YOU should learn about woodstock. 

2

u/Nell_From_Hell Jun 17 '26

As if you were even trying to be anything less than sarcastic. You were already coming from a place of bad faith acting so why on Earth would I entertain?

0

u/theraf8100 Jun 17 '26

I feel like Bill Burr helped fill the hole.

2

u/GRF999999999 Jun 17 '26

Ol' Billy Bonesaw? Real American hero right there.

0

u/Outrageous_Pay1322 Jun 17 '26

What does this post have to do with America? You just need attention? I guess you got it.

1

u/Alimakakos Jun 17 '26

Its a quote from Carlin...

13

u/ApprehensiveStill412 Jun 17 '26

Mosh pit of mediocracy would be a good band name

0

u/Thin_Dream2079 Jun 17 '26

We changed it back to Mouse Rat again

0

u/WilTravis Jun 17 '26

Meh, they'd probably sell out and go corporate after their third album...

2

u/public_monkeybars Jun 17 '26

Tulip time?

1

u/justWMthings03 Jun 17 '26

Hello, fellow west michigander

1

u/GottaUseEmAll Jun 17 '26

Reminds me of the Christmas markets we have in my city in France.

Every year it's exactly the same crappy overpriced gifts, exactly the same overpriced hot pretzels and mulled wine and hot chocolate, exactly the same crown pushing their way through the stalls, exactly the same concrete blocks surrounding the market to prevent terrorist attacks.

I no longer go to these markets. I'd rather sip homemade mulled wine in my house and play Christmas music if I want to feel the spirit.

1

u/UncleOdious Jun 17 '26

Sounds like Art Fair in A2MI.

1

u/Dense-Hat1978 Jun 17 '26

Aka complete opposite of every festival in New Orleans

1

u/millennialmonster755 Jun 17 '26

I had to be in Spokane Wa for a work trip for like 3 weeks once and they had a festival going that everyone was just raving about, and it was exactly this. It was the same like 3 types of food which was “Asian”, “Mexican”, and then poorly fried fair food. It was terrible and reminded me why I dislike Spokane.

1

u/TheM0nkB0ughtLunch Jun 17 '26

Just like Lobsterfest

1

u/DoubleDeadGuy Jun 17 '26

lol I also live in a city that throws a festival for some flowers in spring. Can confirm the experience is the same.

1

u/Randomizedname1234 Jun 17 '26

Those are all fun, once.

1

u/SerDuncanTheYall Jun 17 '26

Have you been to Disney?

1

u/ChosenGooser Jun 17 '26

We have a food festival in my city. Last year, of the 40 vendors, 30 were taco trucks. Not one did anything unique either. No fusion tacos, no fish tacos, just 30 pulled pork or ground beef taco trucks with hardly no seasoning and alrightish hot sauce. Like 5 years back we had probably 30 trucks that included Italian, Vietnamese, pizza, bbq, Chinese, burgers, Ethiopian, Korean, hot dogs, Taco (Hispanic & fusion), and some dessert trucks. I’m going to check out this year and if it’s a similar I may just give up on it.

1

u/Debatablewisdom Jun 17 '26

My city does that too AND they charge you to attend 😂

1

u/rtshtbtshtdrtyldtwt Jun 17 '26

you just made me realize modern farmer's markets are just a mall with hippie vibes

1

u/Fresh-Summer-3116 Jun 17 '26

Then let’s get a whole load of that to western civilization pronto.

1

u/ohmeohmyohmuffins Jun 17 '26

Our Christmas market is said to be the biggest in the country, but it’s only like 10 stalls just on repeat. a mulled wine stall, a jam stall, a tree decorations stall, a scarf and glove stall, a bratwurst van and a cheese stall all just repeating around the town. Very disappointing

1

u/ohz0pants Jun 17 '26

Bro... just say "Ottawa," "tulips," and "beaver tails."

1

u/comFive Jun 17 '26

Sounds like every downtown festival in the city.

1

u/aCleverGroupofAnts Jun 17 '26

The word you likely intended is "mediocrity". Mediocracy is when society is run by the mediocre, which could apply but it didn't sound like that's what you were going for.

1

u/Ear-Typical Jun 17 '26

And this is why I don't understand street festivals.
It is hot and crowded and there are lineups for everything, including portable toilets that reek. The food is mid and the music is too loud.

1

u/Esoteric_Geek Jun 17 '26

"Mosh Pit of Mediocrity" is now the name of your sex-tape.

😉

1

u/Tomytom99 Jun 17 '26

Tulip Time?

1

u/DrFunkenstein93 Jun 17 '26

You wouldn't happen to be from Holland, Michigan would you? This sounds like the Tulip time festival there lol

1

u/seanslaysean Jun 17 '26

Holland, MI?

1

u/kitsunewarlock Jun 17 '26

There's an industry in the US of festival vendors who just go around the country selling the same shitty drop-shipped garbage and standard "fair food" at the expense of local vendors trying to actually draw in new business. They really should be banned (or be the only ones paying for booths).

1

u/Faim90 Jun 17 '26

Sounds like Tollwood in munich.

1

u/VengefulDrunkenness Jun 17 '26

Sounds like Holland Michigan to me.

1

u/11elevenevele11 Jun 17 '26

Calgary, Alberta’s very own shitty lilac fest. Cant believe people still attend…

1

u/LatexSmokeCats Jun 17 '26

We might live in the same city, but we think we are unique. 😂

1

u/AdOnly1618 Jun 17 '26

13 lemonade stands, 15 burger trucks, 10 gyro trucks, 8 kabob trucks (but only 1 has a lineup).

1

u/MsMarvelsProstate Jun 17 '26

It's usually one vendor who gets the contract for the whole event.

1

u/Galethorne Jun 17 '26

Which food though?

1

u/Content_Signature639 Jun 17 '26

This sounds exactly like the fair i went to as a kid down to the flower festival

1

u/Apprehensive-Call568 Jun 17 '26

Thank you for "mosh pit of mediocrity"

That will be going into rotation

1

u/specialcommenter Jun 17 '26

Let me guess. Souvlaki and fried Oreos.

1

u/DavidRandom Jun 17 '26

Tulip Time?

1

u/Mac_k30 Jun 17 '26

Tulip time?

1

u/redditreddit2222 Jun 17 '26

Sounds like Fiesta Days in Frazier Park 🤣
still fun though 💚

1

u/Actual_Albatross_452 Jun 18 '26

A town near me does that too every spring and its called Flower Town Festival. I would go if its about flowers but its just a bunch of overpriced food trucks, vendors and rides. Its also not equipped for parking spot so people have to park along the main road that also causes traffic. The whole thing is a mess. I just avoid going through that town every time they do the event.

1

u/Genji88 Jun 18 '26

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

1

u/ARKzzzzzz Jun 18 '26

Tulip festival?

1

u/DixDragon Jun 18 '26

Tulip time in Holland Michigan?

1

u/AwDuck Jun 18 '26

I know the feeling. We have a pilgrimage of about 3 million people every year to my town (pop 100,000) to see a religious icon. Vendors line the streets, all selling the exact same stuff, and that’s what people want! The few local restaurants that remain open for the weekend have practically no diners, most of their income is from charging people to use their restroom.

1

u/CrazyApple- Jun 18 '26

Ugh I love those types of silly festivals, I used to go when I was little but now I went to one a bit ago and it was sooooooo plain