h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Just that. I've had lots of things ruined for me through people telling me stories or the like that I really didn't need to hear.

When I'd just started high school there was a teacher who fancied himself as a philosopher, and prided himself on his modern parables. He told a particularly nasty story that I've never forgotten and wouldn't ever repeat that ruined jam doughnuts forever for me.

My Grandad had his favourite piece of music, the Dance of the Reed flutes, ruined by a Cadbury's advert which was so memorable that the words still come to his mind when he hears the piece, and took all the seriousness from it.

Anyone else?

Commercials ruin songs all of the time.

The Police song "So Lonely", when someone told me it was actually a song about "Sue Lawley" (BBC TV News person for non-Brit readers). But I think it actually improves the song, so never mind.

Ste

Roy Orbison's "Crying" - I can't hear it without being reminded of the episode of Only Fools And Horses which featured a cabaret singer who couldn't pronounce the letter "r".

"Cwying... cwying... cwyyyyying....."

and at the same time

Ponchielli's(almost certainly spelt wrong!) Dance of the Hours ruined by Alan Shermans utterly banal parody "Hello Mudder, Hello Fadder" (a long while ago though).

Almost anything ruined for ever by getting used to something better quality. I used to like cheap wine but now I've tried something a bit better........ Supermarket bread spoiled by trying home-made.

Sex and drugs and rock 'n roll ruined by (late) middle age

Alan Sherman's 'Hello mudder, hello fadder', utterly ruined by seeing mushroom's dancing to the 'Dance of the Hours' in Fantasia.

Actually, the mushrooms in Fantasia where dancing to 'Danse Chinoise' (or 'Chinese Dance', if you prefer) from the Nutcracker Suite. 'Dance of the Hours' featured hippos, ostriches, elephants and crocodiles! Personally, I love both Fantasia and Fantasia 2000. Whatever Disney studio's intentions might have been back in 1939(?), the end product is, IMHO, a lot of fun!

My memory betrays me.

I haven't seen Fantasia for the best part of a decade.

Verdi's Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves - the line "oh inspire us, Jehovah, with courage" has been ruined since I saw The Life of Brian.

Part of the film 'Apollo 13' has been ruined by reading the book more than once. One day, when I was re-reading it, I wasn't really paying attention. I encountered the word 'FIDO' (Flight Dynamics Officer) and thought "That's a dog's name!" Now, when I hear Ed Harris say 'Give me a go / no-go for launch' and he gets to 'FIDO', I keep expecting a dog to sit up, go "Woof" and start wagging it's tail. The moment is ruined!

A friend ruined "what's in the box" at the end of Seven for me.

Returning (briefly, I hope) to doughnuts...

I've never been able to think of them in the same way since I heard about Johnny Craddock's farewell line "may your doughnuts look like Fanny's"...

The entire film Top Gun, since I saw Hot Shots, because I just can't resist quoting 'Roger Milli Vanilli Chilly-Willy' and other inane dialogue at critical moments.

B

Hilariously, I have just been playing Trojan Records Uptight box set.

Thereon was a song called 'Hello Mother', credited to 'Sherman'. No I thought, it couldn't possibly be...but to my absolute delight it was - a reggae version of Dance of the Hours, no lyrics, and credited to Allan Sherman.

Innocent childrens' programmes such as Teletubbies are ruined when the TV companies milk them for all they're worth, right down to the last penny

... My lunch today, after I rather foolishly decided to read Bizarre magazine over it