History BrokenBase / OtherMedia

* AK-47 vs. M-16 for assault rifle people. The youtube videos have huge numbers of comments, and that's just the beginning.
** To ~93% percent of the participants on both sides, the AK-74 is just an academic term, and the AK-100 series doesn't even exist. To the AK side, the M-16 never got upgraded, or cleaning kits, or any sort of improvement at all. To the M-16 side, the AK is so innacurate that the safest place to be when it is fired is directly in front of the muzzle, and they refuse to even touch Kalashnikovs, or even discuss the fact that certain members of the AK-100 family come in the same caliber as their beloved M-16's. Then the AK fanbase assumes that an M-16 will always jam, no matter what, and that the small caliber rounds can only kill you if you are shot 10 times, or if you bleed out on the ground for a couple minutes, and wooe betide you should you either take a third option or say that you like both. [[note]] Basically, each side looks at the other gun as it was when first issued in Vietnam, ignoring improvements during the conflict, let alone the many decades since. [[/note]] However, depending on the setting, your mileage may vary significantly.
** Even more vicious is the infighting between diferent members and factions of each camp. The M-16 people argue over mods and manufacturers. The AK people go on over the 74's 5.45X39 round vs. the old 7.62 and whether or not it was a good idea.

* ''[[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Literature/TheDresdenFiles The Dresden Files]]'': [[spoiler: The treatment of Karrin Murphy after Jim Butcher's six year hiatus between ''Skin Game'' and ''Peace Talks'' followed by her abrupt, untimely death in ''Battle Ground'' has split the fandom into those who will continue reading the series despite her exit and those who declared FanonDiscontinuity and have shelved the series for good as a result. The debate isn't that it's impossible for her to return--it is technically possible, but it is very unlikely that it will happen until the very last books in the series--it's that Butcher built up the friendship and romance between Harry and Murphy for sixteen books and then returned from the hiatus seeming entirely disinterested in it. Any romantic scenes they share are extremely brief or off-screen. Murphy is sidelined due to her injuries in ''Skin Game'' and barely appears. Then Lara Raith is reintroduced into the story and given far more ties to Harry than before, including a contrived political marriage to him, and Butters is also pushed into Harry's human support role shortly before Murphy dies. The shift in tone and treatment of Murphy is in sharp contrast to Books 1-15 where she is vital to the story and vital to Harry for both action and emotional/personal/mental health. It also doesn't help that Harry's other love, Susan Rodriguez, was just recently StuffedIntoTheFridge in ''Changes,'' so doing the same to Murphy has also caused some fans to throw in the towel, as it feels like the same old trick a mere five books apart. Only this time, it's with a cornerstone character who is responsible for assisting in several of Harry's victories as well as helping him become a happier, more well-rounded person.]]

* When ''MagicTheGathering'' created the Gatewatch, a group of planeswalkers dedicated to protecting the multiverse that the story would focus on, player reaction was strong in both directions. Fans enjoyed that the Gatewatch brought some much-needed focus to a story which had been rather scattered and disparate up to that point; detractors felt like they stole that focus from potentially more interesting characters. Fans liked that they brought closure to storylines that had been dragging on; detractors felt like that 'closure' came too easy, as they defeated huge threats like Bolas, the Eldrazi, and Liliana's demons with little effort, cost or consequence. Fans liked having a continuous cast to follow: detractors preferred a more diverse 'anthology' style to the lore, feeling that a continuous cast made the multiverse feel much smaller and the planes, and their natives, feel less important. There are players who found their story more fun and gripping than the game has ever had been, and those who found it a dry and formulaic attempt to cash in on the comic book superhero trend. Even after the Gatewatch story wrapped up in War of the Spark, there are players who can't wait to see them again, and those who hope they never return.

** The topic of 'outside cats' within the cat community. On the opposing side it's considered abusive, neglectful, bad for the environment, and dangerous for the pets. On the other side people think it's neglectful to keep your cats indoors 24/7. How to 'deal' with outside cats and feral cats is even more touchy. Whether neutering and releasing does any good, and whether feral cats are pests who should be killed, are hot topics.

* [[CoolVsAwesome Boeing vs Airbus]] is a huge one in the aerospace industry world. The two companies are notable for possibly the bitterest and nastiest commercial rivalry in the world of manufacturing. It is exacerbated by various factors, such as Airbus's "Reimbursable Launch Investment" from EU governments (loans that have to be paid back at generous rates of interest, plus royalties if the aircraft is a success) and the US government's effective subsidizing of Boeing with pork barrel military contracts (and in a few cases free money), which were the subject of the world's largest trade dispute ever during 2005-2012, which ultimately ended with a World Trade Organisation decision in Airbus's favor. The fallout is still settling, although there are signs that the US and Boeing have tried to get around the decision, and the EU is threatening to place trade sanctions of ''$19 billion'' on Boeing. Add lots of internet UsefulNotes/MisplacedNationalism (Americans want red-blooded American planes whose wives make them apple pie and who take their kids to baseball practice, not cappucino-drinking European commie planes with bad teeth and who spend their time looking at modern art galleries, [[NotSoDifferent and vice-versa]]) and the thing can get very nasty on enthusiast forums. It also reaches the pilots too - older pilots who were weaned on Boeing products before Airbus hacked out its market share in TheNineties prefer their old friends, but younger pilots prefer Airbuses because they are easier to fly and because of their standardized cockpit layouts a pilot can qualify on one and have done most of the work for all the others.

** Also among horror fans there's a sub-debate on what should be considered a Horror film as oppose to a Thriller and vice versa. Some feel that Thrillers are neutered horror films made for people who can't hack "Real" horror.

** And within the film medium there's the whole debate over when is dark, bleak, and depressing, too dark, bleak and depressing? And the use of the DownerEnding... Some are of the opinion that people are completely missing the point and that horror is SUPPOSED to be dark, bleak, and depressing. Others take the view that using such a limiting definition and emotional palate only serves to make everything ultimately seem exactly the same. NecessaryWeasel, and AnthropicPrinciple plays a HUGE part in these debates.
** Speaking of dark tones, A common problem in horror movies tends to be the fact some fans see the genre as nothing but DarknessInducedAudienceApathy. For example: The cast of potential victims is presented as a bunch of obnoxious jerks, and/or complete idiots, to the point where it's hard to feel bad for them when they finally start dying. Although for many [[CatharsisFactor that's part of the appeal]]. On the other hand, if the horror movie has a sympathetic family as a victim it could have another negative effect ranging from ShootTheDog to MoralEventHorizon (as far as the writers, creators etc being accused of crossing it themselves...unfairly or not) to CrossesTheLineTwice. Which could also turn off certain groups of horror fans as well, which possibly explain the constant obnoxious jerk characters as a substitute, and villains constantly being prone to being DracoInLeatherPants. Horror films (especially mainstream American horror films) likes to be broadly appealing. You can't have a popular horror film where expies of ''Series/TheWaltons'' and [[Series/TheCosbyShow The Cosbys]] are brutally murdered by the Psycho/Demon/Werewolf/Vampire/Alien. Of course, while it might be too horrifying to subject, say, a charming, wholesome, likeable family to the events of a horror film, making potential victims unlikable and rooting for the monster are both missing the point of horror. Why should you be scared of something you're actually hoping to happen? This is sort of a inherent divisiveness within the genre. Horror fans want to be scared, but doesn't want it to come by way of hurting innocent likeable characters. Which is terribly ironic considering certain horror fans complain about the genre lacking likeable characters.

* Speaking of horror genre, there seems to be a divide on how to make zombie films/books/shows, and what makes a good zombie story as oppose to a generic zombie story. Should they be humorous zombie killing action pieces? Or dramatic, thought provoking, Socio-Political commentary and or deep character studies?

* ''Star Wars'': After the fan base was polarized by the prequel trilogy, Disney's purchase and the subsequent movies lack of origiality and sell outiness and subsequent atavism into a cash cow with high quality score special effects from the point of view of some fans and subsequent axing of the EU has created a galctic civil war of its own in the dedicated fanbase

* "Star Wars" After the fan base was polarized by the prequel trilogy, Disney's purchase and the subsequent movies lack of origiality and sell outiness and subsequent atavism into a cash cow with high quality score special effects from the point of view of some fans and subsequent axing of the EU has created a galctic civil war of its own in the dedicated fanbase

** Another divide is over the style and approach of making horror Films/Books, etc... Some prefer the subtlety of NothingIsScarier, MaybeMagicMaybeMundane, and DoingInTheWizard approach (Eeemplified by the people who thought ''Film/TheDescent'' was good "Until the crawlers showed up"), Some preferring the ThroughTheEyesOfMadness approach, some prefer the {{Gorn}} approach. Or perhaps some prefer the AttackOfTheKillerWhatever and or AttackOfThe50FootWhatever. Some even take the diplomatic approach and prefer all of the above.

** Speaking of dark tones, A common problem in horror movies tends to be the fact some fans see the genre as nothing but DarknessInducedAudienceApathy. For example: The cast of potential victims is presented as a bunch of obnoxious jerks, and/or complete idiots, to the point where it's hard to feel bad for them when they finally start dying. Although for many [[CatharsisFactor that's part of the appeal]]. On the other hand, if the horror movie has a sympathetic family as a victim it could have another negative effect ranging from ShootTheDog to MoralEventHorizon (as far as the writers, creators etc crossing it...unfairly or not) to CrossesTheLineTwice. Which could also turn off certain groups of horror fans as well, which possibly explain the constant obnoxious jerk characters as a substitute, and villains constantly being prone to being DracoInLeatherPants. Horror films (especially mainstream American horror films) likes to be broadly appealing. You can't have a popular horror film where expies of ''Series/TheWaltons'' and [[Series/TheCosbyShow The Cosbys]] are brutally murdered by the Psycho/Demon/Werewolf/Vampire/Alien. Of course, while it might be too horrifying to subject, say, a charming, wholesome, likeable family to the events of a horror film, making potential victims unlikable and rooting for the monster are both missing the point of horror. Why should you be scared of something you're actually hoping to happen? This is sort of a inherent divisiveness within the genre. Horror fans want to be scared, but doesn't want it to come by way of hurting innocent likeable characters. Which is terribly ironic considering certain horror fans complain about the genre lacking likeable characters.

* Fans of all things zombie have a broken base over whether or not Romero-style zombies can successfully over take the [[RealLife real world]]. One group of fans says yes, and it would happen fast. Another group says it can happen but nowhere near as fast as it's depicted in movies/literature, etc... Basically it'll be like a slow burn. The last group says a zombie plague won't end the world because everyone and they momma knows what a zombie is and how to dispose of it. And that the government won't just collapse within a matter of months like it's usually depicted. At the most the zombie plague would just be a recurring health problem like Cancer and Aids.

* ''[[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Literature/TheDresdenFiles The Dresden Files]]'': [[spoiler: The treatment of Karrin Murphy after Jim Butcher's six year hiatus between ''Skin Game'' and ''Peace Talks'' followed by her abrupt, untimely death in ''Battle Ground'' has split the fandom into those who will continue reading the series despite her exit and those who declared FanonDiscontinuity and have shelved the series for good as a result. The debate isn't that it's impossible for her to return--it is technically possible, but it is very unlikely that it will happen until the very last books in the series--it's that Butcher built up the friendship and romance between Harry and Murphy for sixteen books and then returned from the hiatus seeming entirely disinterested in it. Any romantic scenes they share are extremely brief or off-screen. Murphy is sidelined due to her injuries in ''Skin Game'' and barely appears. Then Lara Raith is reintroduced into the story and given far more ties to Harry than before, including a contrived political marriage to him, and Butters is also pushed into Harry's human support role shortly before Murphy dies. The shift in tone and treatment of Murphy is in sharp contrast to Books 1-15 where she is vital to the story and vital to Harry for both action and emotional/personal/mental health. It also doesn't help that Harry's other love, Susan Rodriguez, was just recently StuffedIntoTheFridge in ''Changes,'' so doing the same to Murphy has also caused some fans to throw in the towel, as it feels like the same old trick a mere five books apart. Only this time, it's with a cornerstone character who is responsible for assisting in several of Harry's victories as well as helping him become a happier, more well-rounded person.]]

* Among fans of so-called hobbyist board games, ''Monopoly'' is ''extremely'' contentious. Many board game enthusiasts hate Monopoly with a burning passion, so much so that some might call it TheScrappy of board games, and even argue that its reputation for being drawn-out and cutthroat outright damages the reputation of board games as a whole and makes people unwilling to try "modern" board games. However, other board gamers argue that Monopoly itself is perfectly fine--the problem is that everyone learns to play it incorrectly, and that the game has been stuffed full of house rules that are counterproductive to the way the game is ''meant'' to be played. Mentioning the game anywhere around board gamers invariably leads to a debate on the game's merits or lack thereof.

%%* Among editors, writers, and English teachers, the Oxford comma is SeriousBusiness.

** Another debated question is what to do with tied scores at medal positions -- should athletes be allowed to tie for a medal, or should the judges apply a tie-breaker to decide who gets it? Supporters of the former point to such situations as He Kexin and Nastia Liukin's tie in the 2008 Olympic uneven bars final being broken down ''by judges individual scores'' rather than allow them to both get the gold or Aly Raisman losing the bronze in the 2012 Olympic all-around to Aliya Mustafina in a tiebreaker even though Mustafina had a fall and Raisman didn't; those who favor breaking a tie will often point to the uneven bars final at the 2015 World Championships, in which four athletes (out of a field of eight) won gold in a four-way tie as an example of why tie-breaking is necessary.

** At the 2018 Gymnastics World Championships, Simone Biles won the women's individual all-around despite falling twice (once on her vault landing, and once off the balance beam). Fans were divided on the matter: some insisted that no one should be able to win a major competition with two falls, with some even suggesting the rules should be amended to prevent it, while others felt that if she could overcome the fall deductions and still come out ahead of her competitors, she must have been doing something right and deserved the victory. A third group wasn't thrilled with the circumstances of Biles' victory but also pointed out that Simone Biles is an exceptional case as far as being able to absorb two points in fall deductions and still come out ahead (because she is just ''that'' far ahead of the competition), and felt that making a rule based on one extremely unusual situation would be unnecessary and would just hurt other gymnasts who wouldn't be able to pull off what Biles did anyway.

** At the 2018 Gymnastics World Championships, Simone Biles won the women's individual all-around despite falling twice (once on her vault landing, and once off the balance beam). Fans were divided on the matter: some insisted that no one should be able to win a major competition with two falls, with some even suggesting the rules should be amended to prevent it, while others felt that if she could overcome the fall deductions and still come out ahead of her competitors, she must have been doing something right and deserved the victory. A third group wasn't thrilled with the circumstances of Biles' victory but also pointed out that Simone Biles is an exceptional case as far as being able to absorb two points in fall deductions and still come out ahead (because she is just ''that'' far ahead of the competition), and felt that making a rule based on one extremely unusual situation would be unnecessary and a bad idea.
** In general, there is a sharp divide amongst fans between those who prefer the more classical, artistic gymnastics characterized by the Soviets at their height, pointing to athletes like Ludmilla Tourischeva, Elena Mukhina, Oksana Omelianchik, and Shannon Miller as true all-arounders who blended solid tumbling with beautiful dance elements and elegant artistic expression in their choreography, and those who prefer the more powerful and explosive, but not nearly as elegant, routines typified by athletes like Simone Biles, Larisa Iordache, and Aly Raisman. The two sides more or less hate each other's guts.

** The best diet for any species of pet. The best brands, vegetarian cats or dogs, and whether you should make your own food.

* At the 2018 Gymnastics World Championships, Simone Biles won the women's individual all-around despite falling twice (once on her vault landing, and once off the balance beam). Fans were divided on the matter: some insisted that no one should be able to win a major competition with two falls, with some even suggesting the rules should be amended to prevent it, while others felt that if she could overcome the fall deductions and still come out ahead of her competitors, she must have been doing something right and deserved the victory. A third group wasn't thrilled with the circumstances of Biles' victory but also pointed out that Simone Biles is an exceptional case as far as being able to absorb two points in fall deductions and still come out ahead (because she is just ''that'' far ahead of the competition), and felt that making a rule based on one extremely unusual situation would be unnecessary and a bad idea.

* While the flag of UsefulNotes/{{Israel}} has its fans for being a flag that represents the only Jewish state in the world. However, it has detractors because of its association with the discrimination of Palestinians.

* While the flag of UsefulNotes/{{Israel}} has its fans for being a flag that represents the only Jewish state in the world. However, it has detractors because of its association with Zionism.

* While the flag of UserfulNotes/{{Israel}} has its fans for being a flag that represents the only Jewish state in the world. However, it has detractors because of its association with Zionism.

* While the flag of Israel has its fans for being a flag that represents the only Jewish state in the world. However, it has detractors because of its association with Zionism.

[[folder:Other Other]]

[[folder:Technology and Weapons]]
* [[CoolVsAwesome Boeing vs Airbus]] is a huge one in the aerospace industry world. The two companies are notable for possibly the bitterest and nastiest commercial rivalry in the world of manufacturing. It is exacerbated by various factors, such as Airbus's "Reimbursable Launch Investment" from EU governments (loans that have to be paid back at generous rates of interest, plus royalties if the aircraft is a success) and the US government's effective subsidizing of Boeing with pork barrel military contracts (and in a few cases free money), which were the subject of the world's largest trade dispute ever during 2005-2012, which ultimately ended with a World Trade Organisation decision in Airbus's favor. The fallout is still settling, although there are signs that the US and Boeing have tried to get around the decision, and the EU is threatening to place trade sanctions of ''$19 billion'' on Boeing. Add lots of internet UsefulNotes/MisplacedNationalism (Americans want red-blooded American planes whose wives make them apple pie and who take their kids to baseball practice, not cappucino-drinking European commie planes with bad teeth and who spend their time looking at modern art galleries, [[NotSoDifferent and vice-versa]]) and the thing can get very nasty on enthusiast forums. It also reaches the pilots too - older pilots who were weaned on Boeing products before Airbus hacked out its market share in TheNineties prefer their old friends, but younger pilots prefer Airbuses because they are easier to fly and because of their standardized cockpit layouts a pilot can qualify on one and have done most of the work for all the others.
** Similar case happens with so called [[UsefulNotes/{{Capitalism}} NewSpace]] and [[UsefulNotes/{{NASA}} OldSpace]]. [=NewSpace=] believes with the advances of private spaceflight and privately funded science ventures NASA should be abolished, while [=OldSpace=] believes private ventures will fall into greed and unable to produce science results truthfully. With success by [=SpaceX=] and the increasingly unlikelihood of SLS and JWST being actually operational with '''billions''' of dollar already spend, [=NewSpace=] is gaining ground. However, since both are silence minorities against the American public, they are unable to change anything in Congress, which is gearing toward funneling pork barrels to Boeing, Lockhart Martin and ATK while trying to abolish NASA.
* Porsche cars. Every single time a new model line is introduced it divides the owners/fan base. This happened when the Cayenne SUV came out, before that it was old school air-cooled 911 fans incensed at the new water-cooled 911, universally the 911 fans are putting down anything not-911 and getting a similar treatment from non-911 fans, and way back in the sixties there was the now familiar cry of "It's not a real Porsche!" when Porsche made their first major model change, introducing the 911 to replace the 356 model.
** Car companies can fall victim to this. General Motors is a very good example, being essentially the automotive equivalent of Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog. Pontiac's dead? Good riddance, or is is ruined forever? Cadillac having front-wheel-drive cars? Acceptable or not?
* AK-47 vs. M-16 for assault rifle people. The youtube videos have huge numbers of comments, and that's just the beginning.
** To ~93% percent of the participants on both sides, the AK-74 is just an academic term, and the AK-100 series doesn't even exist. To the AK side, the M-16 never got upgraded, or cleaning kits, or any sort of improvement at all. To the M-16 side, the AK is so innacurate that the safest place to be when it is fired is directly in front of the muzzle, and they refuse to even touch Kalashnikovs, or even discuss the fact that certain members of the AK-100 family come in the same caliber as their beloved M-16's. Then the AK fanbase assumes that an M-16 will always jam, no matter what, and that the small caliber rounds can only kill you if you are shot 10 times, or if you bleed out on the ground for a couple minutes, and wooe betide you should you either take a third option or say that you like both. [[note]] Basically, each side looks at the other gun as it was when first issued in Vietnam, ignoring improvements during the conflict, let alone the many decades since. [[/note]] However, depending on the setting, your mileage may vary significantly.
** Even more vicious is the infighting between diferent members and factions of each camp. The M-16 people argue over mods and manufacturers. The AK people go on over the 74's 5.45X39 round vs. the old 7.62 and whether or not it was a good idea.
*** Nowadays this have eased somewhat, with AK's availability in almost any caliber imagined. People still argue which one is better, though.
*** Don't forget country of manufacture (particularly the cheaper ones like Romanians are very divisive), importer, chromed vs non-chromed, and stamped vs. milled.
* In handguns, there's the debates about revolvers versus pistols. The revolver camp goes on about the low caliber ammunition used by pistols and how unreliable they are. The pistol camp goes on about how revolvers are antiquated and that magnum catriges are just silly.
** Don't even get started on the M9 vs. M1911 debate, or for that matter, any sort of debate about which makes a better bullet: a small, fast cartidge that tumbles through flesh, or a big heavy slug that wrecks whatever it hits.
** Any brand of pistol vs. another brand of pistol. One common example (involving the two biggest selling types of firearms) is Glock "Safe Action" vs 1911-style "cocked and locked" carry.
* Swords are not immune to this. Probably the deepest divide is about the katana: [[KatanasAreJustBetter are they the greatest sword ever made, perfectly designed by master craftsmen and capable of outclassing any Western design]]? [[JokeItem Or are they completely worthless hunks of glorified pig iron, doomed to shatter like glass and get the wielder killed the moment they come into contact with a good European longsword, overrated by]] [[OccidentalOtaku weeaboos desperate to justify their love of all things Japanese]]? [[TakeAThirdOption Or are they the best possible response to the poor quality of Japanese iron ore?]]
* [[ThoseWackyNazis World War 2 German weapons and vehicles]]. [[StupidJetpackHitler Hyper-advanced designs that paved the way for all modern military weapons, could beat anything the Allies made three ways to sunday and would have let the Nazis win the war had they just been produced enough/Hitler not been so crazy]], or [[AwesomeYetImpractical overly-complex and ridiculously expensive designs that while using some innovative features were not at all reliable and have been blown out of proportion by history]]. Expect arguments to veer into the territory of ArtisticLicenseHistory and GodwinsLaw.
* In the earth sciences, there's a pretty stark divide between earth scientists in the private sector, who generally view the planet as a resource to be utilized, and earth scientists in academia who tend to view the planet as a wonder to be conserved.
* In 2013, Apple massively changed the interface of its iOS software, replacing the then-iconic pseudo-3D designs with a much flatter appearance. The public was largely divided on whether it was a refreshing modernization or an ugly, user-unfriendly gimmick, and though most people have forgotten about the disagreement by now, it doesn't seem like it will ever totally die down as long as Apple keeps the same basic design language.

[[folder:Other Other]]
* Video game magazines aren't safe from this either. ''Magazine/NintendoPower'' got the most flack since many anti Nintendo fans would always claim that the magazine was "biased" towards its own first party games by giving them high scores. When ''Nintendo Power'' was outsourced to another publisher, the staff slightly changed. People claimed Nintendo Power was biased up until the very end, but would somehow agree with them if the magazine gave any game an 8 or less. Then, of course, you had people who thought the reviews were just fine and got into {{Flame War}}s against those who bashed the magazine.
* What should be considered Porn or "nude/erotic art"... [[TakeAThirdOption or both]]. If there's a line, where should the distinction be drawn? Keep in mind erotic art can be very pornographic as well. In fact the line is so blurred some think there isn't a difference anymore.
** There's actually a website that lets you be the judge regarding some of the pictures they show you.
* Black and white vs colour photography: one side points to the impact of monochrome, and questions why any photographer worth the name would want to use anything else; the other side points to the fact that we see in colour, and that the technical issues with colour fidelity and dynamic range were resolved years ago.
* Talking about certain contestants on ''Series/ThePriceIsRight'' that make bids that just says "I'm only making this bid to get attention", such as making a $2,000,000 bid, bids that are $420, or any bid whose last two numbers are 69. Fans of the show can't seem to decide whether or not the silly bids doesn't do anyone any harm or if it robs other people a spot on contestant's row because the idiot contestant wanted to get attention to themselves and not play the game seriously.
* Two such instances pop up in the tenth chapter of the crossover between ''Franchise/LyricalNanoha'' and ''Anime/SailorMoon'', ''Fanfic/WhiteDevilOfTheMoon'', and surprisingly, they are unrelated to [[spoiler:Nanoha and Fate getting together]]
** Was Nanoha justified in harshly calling the Queen out on how she raised Serenity? Additionally, was this in character for Nanoha, who is more responsible than Usagi or Serenity, or was this contrary to someone who would "befriend" her enemies?
** Vivio defeating Picoha (a character based off of Usagi's future daughter Chibi-Usa) and causing her and her alternate timeline to disappear was also a controversial action, especially since it was essentially killing her. WordOfGod has clarified, however, that Picoha was the aggressor, attacking without stating her intent, and Vivio tried to defeat her non-lethally, without knowing what would happen to her.
* Analytic vs. continental philosophy.
** Moral Philosophy/Ethics in general. Okay, the debate about what's morally right and wrong is going to be cause for a lot of arguments in near enough every academic and professional field, but in philosophy, it's divided even more significantly among followers of different schools of ethical thought. Is the best/most accurate theory a consequentialist one like utilitarianism, holding that the consequences of an action dictate whether it's right? A deontological one, holding that the intentions dictate how ethical an action is? Virtue Ethics based on ideals and personalities? Various other theories based on everything from social/political theories to attempts at scientific ones? And then there's the religious side of things and the various churches and groups making up the likes of Christianity, Judaism and Islam, and what they each say are morally right and wrong...
* In tattoo circles, stick n' poke tattoos (tattoos done with a singular needle by people that aren't tattoo artists): are they unsanitary and the people that get them idiots, or are they an important part of tattoo culture and the people against them are snobs?
* In psychiatry, should patients be treated with drugs or counseling? This one is particularly nasty, and is at the heart of the controversy over the DSM-V.
** There is also some debate over whether therapy must be validated/evidence-based, like like cognitive-behavioral therapy, dialectical behavior therapy and family-based treatment, with some saying that only relying on things that have been proven to actually work is unrealistic for a real world, clinical setting, and that the view ignores the value of experience/anecdotes, and the other side insisting that mental health practitioners act like health professionals. It doesn't help that the group against evidence-based-psychology is mainly made up of therapists, who have lower accreditation requirements than psychologist and psychiatrists, and that the evidence-based camp also says that practitioners should make their success rates available so potential clients can judge what's worth paying for.
* Descriptivism vs. prescriptivism in spelling and grammar. Do language experts ''prescribe'' "correct" spelling and grammar, or merely ''describe'' spelling and grammar as it's actually used? The Descriptivists pretty much won that one, but that only leads to further splits. When does a grammatical construction or alternate spelling pass from the vernacular to the "standard"? How many people need to make a certain mistake before it stops being a mistake and starts being the new accepted usage? Should etymology figure into these decisions? What about clarity? These debates have been raging since the days of [[FandomRivalry Samuel Johnson and Daniel Webster]].
* In statistics, there are several fairly exotic types of probability that take a great amount of time to understand and practice, and have fairly unusual and strict assumptions that must be met, leading to debates as to whether they are of any value to practicing statisticians.
* Bev Francis triggered one for female UsefulNotes/{{bodybuilding}} as a contestant in Miss Olympia 1991. She weighed in at ''160'' pounds (She's 5-foot-5, fyi). Previously, no other female contestant had ever been that muscular. She came in at second place, having lost by a single point and was leading after two rounds, only to be overtaken in the concluding rounds. The debate of "How much muscle on a woman is too much?” has raged ever since.
* Cosplay:
** Making one's own costumes vs. commissioning or ordering them. Some feel that craftsmanship is a very vital element of cosplay, while others find that it's too much extra effort just to have a pretty costume and prefer to focus on the modeling aspect of it.
** [[CasualCompetitiveConflict Cosplaying simply for recreation vs cosplaying for competition or as a profession]].
** Whether one should match the body type of the character they're cosplaying. Those who say it should think it's aesthetically unpleasant at best and NauseaFuel at worst to see, for example, a chubby [[Anime/TengenToppaGurrenLagann Yoko Littner]] or a non-muscular [[Anime/KillLaKill Ira Gamagoori]]. Others point out that they should be able to cosplay whoever they please and that some people simply aren't able to match their characters' physique even if they do put their efforts into it, especially if height is the main issue (going to chubby to lean or vice versa can be done with a lot of time and dedication, but losing or gaining anything more than one inch as an adult with a fully-developed skeleton is straight up impossible). In fact, people of the former opinion have deterred many people from cosplaying certain characters that they want to cosplay, out of fear not just of negative reception but outright insults and harassments.
** Skin tone is an even more touchy topic. Some people insist that people should only cosplay characters of their race, or who at least [[AmbiguouslyBrown seem to be]]. White people playing Asian characters is sometimes allowed in these debates because the characters '[[{{mukokuseki}} don't look Asian]]' though it's not unknown to be against that. Others consider this racist and you should be able to cosplay whomever you want.
** Whether light skinned people can darken their skin for cosplay is ''very'' controversial; some see it as simply trying to replicate a character, others feel that it's too evocative of {{Blackface}} for comfort.
** The regulation of weapon props at conventions, ''especially'' gun props, is a very hot topic, especially in jurisdictions where gun control is a big deal. Those who push for stricter regulations or outright bans argue that it's better to play it safe especially since most cops are unlikely to know about the series people cosplay and thus may assume anything that looks like a real gun is a real gun because of the "better safe than sorry" principle. Others don't like working on fancy weapon props, being sure to make them distinguishable from real weapons, only to be told by con ops that they can't have that on the convention grounds. This is especially a temper-breaker argument in the United States, as the whole weapon prop debate goes hand-in-hand with the Second Amendment/gun rights debate.
* Pretty much anything and everything about animal welfare and animal rearing is up in the air. Many things are outright FlameBait:
** Physically altering your pets. Declawing, debarking, cropping ears, docking tails, etc. Understandable or horrible abuse?
** 'Designer dogs' such as "Labradoodles" or "Yorkie Poos". Are they okay to breed or not? Themes of dog overpopulation, backyard breeders, and puppy mills come into play. Do any of them have potential as genuine breeds? Are their nicknames cute or should they be treated like normal mutts?
** Whether it's humane to feed your snakes live prey. It can be very dangerous to your pet and some have moral dilemmas about putting the prey in a situation where escape is literally impossible (unless they kill the snake, which does occur).
** The best diet for any species of pet. The best brands, vegetarian cats or dogs, and whether you should make your own food.
** Dog breeds in general. Other species like cats, fish, and horses have similar debates but dogs are by far the most discussed. With documentaries like "Pedigree Dogs Exposed" many have come to question many breeds. Pugs, Border Collies, Basset Hounds, Bull Terriers, and German Shepherds are some of the most commonly debated. Working bred dogs vs Show dogs, whether dog breeds are an outdated and irrelevant concept, how to fix breeds faults, whether certain breeds should become extinct, whether certain breeds are dangerous, etc
** Dog leashes. Should you use a harness, let them walk freely, or use their collar?
** The topic of 'outside cats' within the cat community. On the opposing side it's considered abusive, neglectful, bad for the environment, and dangerous for the pets. On the other side people think it's neglectful to keep your cats indoors 24/7. How to 'deal' with outside cats and feral cats is even more touchy. Whether neutering and releasing does any good, and whether feral cats are pests who should be killed, are hot topics.
** Which exotic pets are okay to own differs from person to person
** How to treat livestock.
** How should certain animal breeds look. This usually, but not always, overlaps with the aforementioned issues on health in dog breeding. For example, according to breed standards there is only one type of Chihuahua: the small "apple headed" variety. Many who own "deer headed" Chihuahuas insist that they are "better" and healthier than "apple headed" ones (due to their larger size and the fact that their heads are completely fused). Many Chihuahua purists, especially breeders, however believe that "deer headed" Chihuahuas are ill-bred and improper. Sometimes this whole issue goes so far that it even affects breeding. For example, some Bull Terrier breeders are trying to backbreed the older non-egg headed type back and some Basset Hound breeders are trying to breed their dogs to have less wrinkles and longer legs. To many other breeders this is terrible and the breeds should be kept as is.
* Vegetarians and the different variations.
** Veganism vs Vegetarianism is the most common debate. Vegetarians eat eggs and dairy products while vegans do not. The animal welfare aspects of eggs and milk are commonly debated, as are how healthy or dangerous being vegan is.
** Raw veganism is notoriously controversial. Some jump up and down praising it while others find it unhealthy.
** People who are vegetarian for health vs those who are vegetarian for animal welfare or animal rights.
** Is being vegan a "lifestyle" or is it simply food related? Whether vegans can wear leather, visit zoos, and the like is a touchy topic.
** Asking whether it's safe to raise a child vegetarian or especially vegan is asking for trouble. What age it's okay to be vegetarian also depends. Some parents, especially non-veg ones, say they wouldn't let their kids be vegetarian until they're eighteen while others are okay with having a vegetarian teen. Whether elementary or junior high schooler should be allowed to become vegetarian is more debatable though.
* Among cruise fans, private balconies are a highly contested design element. Some people won't stay in a suite without them but others think they are ugly, windy, and would prefer bigger suites with windows instead. The issue tends to represent the two different groups that cruises market to, the deal seeker and the ocean liner enthusiast. The deal seeker wants a cruise ship with amenities, including things like water slides, a surfing pool, and of course private balconies. The ocean liner enthusiast cares more about the look of the ship and how well fitted out her public spaces are and generally don't show interest in any features you couldn't find on the ''Titanic''.
%%* Within miniature {{Wargaming}} communities, metal vs plastic miniatures.
%%* Among editors, writers, and English teachers, the Oxford comma is SeriousBusiness.
* Among fans of so-called hobbyist board games, ''Monopoly'' is ''extremely'' contentious. Many board game enthusiasts hate Monopoly with a burning passion, so much so that some might call it TheScrappy of board games, and even argue that its reputation for being drawn-out and cutthroat outright damages the reputation of board games as a whole and makes people unwilling to try "modern" board games. However, other board gamers argue that Monopoly itself is perfectly fine--the problem is that everyone learns to play it incorrectly, and that the game has been stuffed full of house rules that are counterproductive to the way the game is ''meant'' to be played. Mentioning the game anywhere around board gamers invariably leads to a debate on the game's merits or lack thereof.