Arch-nemesis!

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Last night my brother's girlfriend said, "Even though Jessica is my arch-nemesis, I have to admit she's a pretty good writer." That term reminded me of a friend of mine from high school. During my junior year, we had an abrupt falling out, but since we were still in classes together and had similar interests, this distinct sense of competition arose between us. (I'm still annoyed he was voted Most Likely to Succeed.) So I'd often refer to him as my "arch-rival."

Do you have an arch-nemesis or arch-rival? If so, is it serious or more in jest? And is thinking about people this way immature?

― jaymc (jaymc), Wednesday, 14 May 2003 20:50 (twenty-three years ago)

Well, Doctor Doom, obviously...

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Wednesday, 14 May 2003 20:55 (twenty-three years ago)

Ha, I just knew you'd respond to this thread, Martin!

― jaymc (jaymc), Wednesday, 14 May 2003 20:56 (twenty-three years ago)

Because you're in league with Dr Doom?

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Wednesday, 14 May 2003 20:57 (twenty-three years ago)

BWA-ha-ha-ha!

Um, no.

― jaymc (jaymc), Wednesday, 14 May 2003 20:58 (twenty-three years ago)

YES. Somehow along the way I acquired the idea that an arch-nemesis was a very good and natural thing to have. You can certainly respect your arch-nemesis, and maybe even get along with them, and it doesn't disrupt their arch-nemisisness.

I'm very happy with my arch-nemesis. She's a girl who is always determined to be miserable. I'm determined to be happy. It works out.

― teeny (teeny), Wednesday, 14 May 2003 21:00 (twenty-three years ago)

i definitely have an arch-nemesis. she is very evil and terrible. there is a respect for each other, we are almost civil to each other, but down deep its complete hatred. she goes to my college.

― todd swiss (eliti), Wednesday, 14 May 2003 21:03 (twenty-three years ago)

Also worth asking: Does the relationship have to be mutual? Can you have an arch-nemesis without you being their arch-nemesis?

― jaymc (jaymc), Wednesday, 14 May 2003 21:06 (twenty-three years ago)

My archnemesis changes daily according to the news. Today my archnemesis is still Karl Rove.

― Millar (Millar), Wednesday, 14 May 2003 21:09 (twenty-three years ago)

Yes, Dr Doom may rank Reed Richards above me on his list, for example.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Wednesday, 14 May 2003 21:11 (twenty-three years ago)

One of my best friends and I had an arch-nemesis relationship all throughout junior high and high school. Things became much less tense once we went to college (although I'll bet if we'd gone to the same school we'd now hate each other AND we both would have pushed each other academically).

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Wednesday, 14 May 2003 21:11 (twenty-three years ago)

i have somehow accumulated several lame internet-only arch-nemesises

and scott stapp

― jess (dubplatestyle), Wednesday, 14 May 2003 21:13 (twenty-three years ago)

I seem to recall yanc3y having a funny story about an arch nemesis in high school...

― Nordicskillz (Nordicskillz), Wednesday, 14 May 2003 21:18 (twenty-three years ago)

yes i have an arch-nemesis. i don't actively compete with the person, but sometimes the thought "so-and-so would be so happy to see you fail" spurs me into much-needed action.

― di smith (lucylurex), Wednesday, 14 May 2003 22:34 (twenty-three years ago)

Skidmore? Who the hell is he?

― Dr. Doom (Leee), Wednesday, 14 May 2003 23:07 (twenty-three years ago)

I have a couple I think. Which is funny, because I generally get along very well with people. I think I proclaim people to be my arch-nemeses to vent negative energy or something.

In university my arch-nemesis was this hilariously awful guy. He fancied himself a real James Dean-lookalike (which trust me he wasn't), and for his final project one year he set up a room with big posters of Dean's face up on the wall. He then sat in a chair in the middle, wearing shades, while a looped audio bit kept repeating "James Dean! J-J-J-J-James Dean!"

― slutsky (slutsky), Thursday, 15 May 2003 00:58 (twenty-three years ago)

So what happened after you killed him?

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 15 May 2003 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Ally C. is my enemeeeeee.

― kirsten (kirsten), Thursday, 15 May 2003 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

quite frankly that sounds like my idea of complete hell. but for different reasons to you.

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Thursday, 15 May 2003 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

(referring to slutsky)

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Thursday, 15 May 2003 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

What different reasons?

I mean, it would've been hell if it wasn't the funniest fucking thing I'd ever seen in my life.

I bet this guy's a big hot-shot commercial director now or something.

― slutsky (slutsky), Thursday, 15 May 2003 01:02 (twenty-three years ago)

imagine this:

while a looped audio bit kept repeating "James Dean! J-J-J-J-James Dean!"

but replace it with your own name.

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Thursday, 15 May 2003 01:04 (twenty-three years ago)

oh my god

― slutsky (slutsky), Thursday, 15 May 2003 01:05 (twenty-three years ago)

And by the way, Ned, after I killed him the whole department hoisted me up on their shoulders and sang "Hava Nagila." Then I got free shooters all night. And like fifty thousand high-fives! It was awesome!

― slutsky (slutsky), Thursday, 15 May 2003 01:07 (twenty-three years ago)

Fucking A, dude!

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 15 May 2003 01:09 (twenty-three years ago)

Oh and then they all begged me to be valedictorian and I totally turned them down! Because they wouldn't let me take my skateboard on stage! So I was like "F off, you motherlovers!"

― slutsky (slutsky), Thursday, 15 May 2003 01:11 (twenty-three years ago)

This was all to the soundtrack of a Wang Chung or Oingo Boingo song, yes?

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 15 May 2003 01:20 (twenty-three years ago)

I was just telling Felicity about my archnemesis at college. Like some of the other cases we had a civil, even friendly relationship much of the time.

Momus wrote about her in fact.

― amateurist (amateurist), Thursday, 15 May 2003 01:20 (twenty-three years ago)

In recent years my arch-nemesis has been whoever was editing me at the time. But especially the one who published the two-page personal attack on me (although that was actually rather cool and wasn't why he was my arch-nemesis).

However, currently no writing = no arch-nemesis, so I am accepting nominations. Doctor Doom would not suffice; Galactus maybe.

― b.R.A.d. (Brad), Thursday, 15 May 2003 01:22 (twenty-three years ago)

Looking back at that Momus essay, this leaps out at me (date, 1998):

Concerned middle-aged radicals from the local community are earnestly putting forward ideas on how to outlaw all nuclear weapons from the Earth, or force their government to declare its solidarity with the kurds of northern Iraq and enforce the no-fly zone.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 15 May 2003 01:24 (twenty-three years ago)

Arch-nemeses are so much better when you have a civil relationship with them.

― slutsky (slutsky), Thursday, 15 May 2003 01:25 (twenty-three years ago)

Ned: Yeah, that struck me as odd. Somehow I can' see earnest radicals from the People's Republic of Cambridge being too concerned about Clinton's maintaining the no-fly zone.

― amateurist (amateurist), Thursday, 15 May 2003 01:27 (twenty-three years ago)

I don't have one anymore. I find this strangely disappointing.

― Nicole (Nicole), Thursday, 15 May 2003 01:29 (twenty-three years ago)

But what of N.?

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 15 May 2003 01:31 (twenty-three years ago)

He was of too little importance to recall.

― Nicole (Nicole), Thursday, 15 May 2003 01:34 (twenty-three years ago)

Poor feller.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 15 May 2003 01:36 (twenty-three years ago)

My best friend in elementary school decided during the summer after Grade 8 that it would be a good idea to hate me. When we started high school, he started hanging around with this guy, and the two of them would mock me as I walked through the halls.
My initial confusion soon became an intense dislike.
For the next five years, we took great delight in tormenting each other. I had the edge - more friends, more resources, more creativity - but he we tenacious.
We managed one truce during our early 20s. We both coincidentally ended up at a party in a strange city, not knowing anyone. We ended up sitting with each other, drinking and talking, for four or five hours.
And then the hatred returned.

― Bruce Urquhart (Bruce Urquhart), Thursday, 15 May 2003 01:52 (twenty-three years ago)

I had a lot of those friend-to-enemy experiences when I was young and not exactly too cool for school.

― slutsky (slutsky), Thursday, 15 May 2003 01:57 (twenty-three years ago)

As I mentioned on another thread, I recently found out that my nemesis from 6th grade goes to Harvard, where he most likely gets a full scholarship he almost certainly didn't earn through any effort other than being born. My state college and I are pissed.

― Dan I. (Dan I.), Thursday, 15 May 2003 02:41 (twenty-three years ago)

All of our arch-nemeses should be taken out while we laugh and drink at some FAP. We can toast to settling old scores.

― slutsky (slutsky), Thursday, 15 May 2003 02:43 (twenty-three years ago)

I like the idea of an anti-FAP where all our nemeses gather and toast to our doom, like the Legion of Super-Villains.

― amateurist (amateurist), Thursday, 15 May 2003 03:46 (twenty-three years ago)

I though this thread was about me...

I did have one, or several, at university, but I think they were just in my mind.

― Archel (Archel), Thursday, 15 May 2003 08:07 (twenty-three years ago)

Slutsky it is OBVIOUS yr chum was Orang-Utaniel Bedingfield!!! Be honoured!

― Sarah (starry), Thursday, 15 May 2003 09:41 (twenty-three years ago)

Joke nicked from latest edition of Smash Hits, hoorah.

― Sarah (starry), Thursday, 15 May 2003 09:41 (twenty-three years ago)

Disappointingly, no, I don't. I have lots of people that I loathe, lots of people that I have an intense rivalry. But most of them are either too inconsequential to really be bothered by, or else too "out of my league" for them to be bothered by me.

Maybe my life would be better if I could focus all of my hatred on one person, instead of having it seep out everywhere so that I'm just generally irritated with everyone, all of the time.

― kate, Thursday, 15 May 2003 10:43 (twenty-three years ago)

Trust me, he's not (unless he's really, really, REALLY broke).

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Thursday, 15 May 2003 10:46 (twenty-three years ago)

My arch-nemesis is also my best friend. We are always competing with one another. Usually I win in sporting events and he gets hurt. Never fails. But he's a good guy.

― Chris V. (Chris V), Thursday, 15 May 2003 10:50 (twenty-three years ago)

Joke nicked from latest edition of Smash Hits, hoorah.

Explains why it went right over my head then.

― slutsky (slutsky), Thursday, 15 May 2003 12:09 (twenty-three years ago)

i am far too busy to bother with such trifles.

― gareth (gareth), Thursday, 15 May 2003 13:09 (twenty-three years ago)

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