what to do with "too much juke" feedback..

vintagegamer

Well-known member

Donor 2024
Joined
Sep 1, 2007
Messages
21,092
Reaction score
2,602
Location
Bear, Delaware
what to do with "too much juke" feedback..

I have a family member who, for as long as I've known them, has always manage to find SOMEthing to piss in the sauce about, with virtually anything enjoyable in life.

They like playing the games when they come to my house, but the last time they were here they were a bit flaky- shortly after I was told by another family member that they were like that because they were tired of there being "too much jukebox". Basically, the juke has mainly 80s music in it, and this person can be a real stick in the mud (and grew up a little before the 80s) with certain things. They have now pretty much started avoiding the garcade because of the juke..

For me, a juke in an arcade is like having a hot chick in a porn. It's part of the overall schema. I'd love to tell this person "fine then f** off" but I can't. This does really irritate me though because having a garcade is something that noone in our family would have ever achieved or even conceived of if I had never done one. I consider it a very rare and special thing to provide to others (especially the next gen in our family), and to have someone snub it because they don't like the music being played in there really brings me down. And of course, that person is the ONLY person who has a problem with it.

Just wondering what everyone else would do in this scenario? Would you bow down and not have the juke on for one person? Or would you let them simply be removed from the atmosphere and blow off their issue? I guess what I worry most about is, say I kill the music as they wish when they are there. What are they going to bitch about in its place?
 
The funny thing is, this person has nothing anywhere close to an arcade in their home. Their home is that of the average civilian: you go there for a gathering, stand around, if there's a sports event on it *might* be on in the background, and that's it. I love having an arcade because it gives bored kids something to do, it gives older relatives something to talk about... it really changes the dynamic of any family event.

I just f'ing hate miserable people.
 
I'm guessing it's an in-law if you can't just tell them to pound sand. If you turn off the Juke for them, they're likely to just find something new to bitch about. I'd call them out about it in front of some other family members (so that there are witnesses, seems this person likes to talk about shit behind your back and who knows how you'd come off if you had the discussion in private). Tell them that you are sorry they don't like your music selection, but that they are more than welcome to put whatever sort of music they want into their own jukebox in their own arcade.... But this is your arcade, your jukebox and your music. Period.
 
Or, OTOH, you could ask them what kind of music they'd like to hear, and have some selections more to their liking. Not change out the whole thing, just a nice alternative selection for when they visit.
 
Adding to the selection wouldn't hurt anything. If that is not good enough, hand out a deck of cards, and say have fun playing solitaire.
 
I say that you should give him a bit of courtesy, but not enough for him to keep being an ingrate.

I don't think it's a big deal to NOT play the juke for a guest who might enjoy a little different arcade experience than you like. After all, you get to play the juke in your arcade any time you want to regardless of if he's there, so bending a bit while he is there now and again isn't too much of a put off, IMO.

You could load "Arcade Ambience" into the juke if you simply MUST have it playing for the arcade to be in use.

However, if you allow him to enjoy the arcade for a bit, without the juke running, and HE STILL finds something else to complain about, then turn the juke back on and tell him that the front room is quieter and he's more than welcome to hang out in there.

Be flexible, just not to the point of letting him run your get-togethers.




.
 
Fuck em. What's next? They don't like this type of game and prefer another type of game? Etc etc etc. If everyone was complaining, I see changing it. Since its one asshole, tell him to go find another arcade that let's him play for free.
 
Thanks all. The person is a veteran 'dead head' so maybe i could score a copy of sugar magnolia or truckin and wing that in there. I don't think 1 or 2 songs will make much diff tho.. :(
 
It's your house, not his. If he doesn't like it, he doesn't have to play. Next time he's coming over, lock all the coin doors and put them all on quarter play. If he wants to play, he can drop a quarter in.

As for the juke, I'm guessing you are also in there and punching off songs? Or are others playing songs?

Personally, I don't know why'd you'd get upset that they aren't playing your games anymore because of the jukebox. If it was me, I'd say, "Good! If you're going to bitch, then keep your ass out..."
 
Tons of great 70's songs that can be thrown in there (some good enought to be left in play rotation)... Black Sabbath, Kansas, Moutain, Dire Straits, David Bowie, even stuff like Fleetwood Mac if he's mellow and Kiss if you want to cheeze it up.

Make him happy, then you can be a dick and bitch about it being boring next time you're at his house!
 
It just bugs me bc i consider it a rare privilege to be able to have a personal arcade to share with others. Many other fam members consider it something very special and are thankful it's offered up to them to enjoy. But this one person i see more than the others, and they always find a way to screw up what i am kind enough to offer. And yes, others pick songs on the juke, not just me.
 
The funny thing is, this person has nothing anywhere close to an arcade in their home. Their home is that of the average civilian: you go there for a gathering, stand around, if there's a sports event on it *might* be on in the background, and that's it. I love having an arcade because it gives bored kids something to do, it gives older relatives something to talk about... it really changes the dynamic of any family event.

I just f'ing hate miserable people.

Yep you just described 99.00 percent of american households.
I think if you like or respect the guy find some tunes he likes if not dont let him rent space in your head.Your the king of your household
 
A lot of people have already hit on what I would have suggested but heres the recap.
1. Assuming its a CD juke, I'd try to have a wide variety of music that you could live with, but that would also appeal to a wide group of people. Get some classics from the 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, and even the 90s. Hell, mix your own. Have a southern rock disc, an alternative disc, 70s rock, 80s metal, country,etc. If its a record juke, just ask him for a list of some of his favorites and try to find like 3 tops. All you have to say is that you were looking to change up the juke a bit.
2. Some people don't like jukes as they overpower the atmosphere. You may want to turn it down a few decibels. Not saying yours is "crunk up" but some people just don't like that honkey tonk feel.
3. Go for a TV or flat panel on a wall hooked to a DVD that plays a lot of game related stuff with some classic vids sandwiched in. Maybe some 15 min cartoons from various periods. Anything that would make someone reminisce about their youth.
4. And lastly, gently take them aside and tell them what time it is. Tell them their family and that you really want them there, but only if they want to be there. And that you hope they can find a way to enjoy themselves and stop being a buzz kill for everyone else.

But hey, that's just my 2 bits.
 
Whats the old saying "You can't please all the people all the time" I think this is one of those times the saying holds up. I mean what can you do, I guess if you still want it to feel like the 80's you can still have music from the 70's and 60's they where before the 80's and people where listening to that music in the 80's.
 
I have a family member (In Elkton, no less) that's like this too -- and my attitude is, you try to accommodate everyone as any polite person would, but after that, it's your place, your rules, and if they don't like that, they don't have to come.

It's their problem, not yours. Probably just an unhappy person who feels a little better if they can make everybody else a little more miserable.
 
I was going to suggest playing something like Jesus and Mary Chain at ear-bleeding volumes and keep saying,"Isn't this great?" but yeah I'd put on some Dead for them just to shut them up or you could just play Touch of Grey over and over and over since most Deadheads I know scoff at that since it is their big crossover hit.
 
I'm pretty much with everyone else.

Your house, your juke, your rules. If he doesn't like it, have him bring HIS jukebox over next time and you'll be more than happy to play that for him. Otherwise, I agree with the idea of putting it on quarter play... if he asks why, remind him that you have to save up to buy new music for the jukebox so he'll have something there he'll enjoy. If he asks why you can't just put a burned CD in there, tell him the older laser in the jukebox doesn't read burned CDs, so you have to buy the original. Basically just give him a hard time about everything till he either stops complaining, or stops coming over... either way, problem solved.

I'm glad I don't feel the need to be nice to my family members... if anyone complains about my machines, I'm more than happy to just hit the breaker and call it a day.
 
Back
Top Bottom