In my house the only proper conversation topics were local sports and current TV shows. My dad waxing that our team not doing well could take up half a dinner. Sitcoms would take up the other half. My brother could quote the Office for, I'm not exaggerating, 30 minutes or more.
As little kids, we were put down for using potty humour in the strongest possible terms, which I guess is sorta fine but I don't think the intensity was needed. My brother and I got told to stop convo as adults were talking about Big Things. As a got older and started to care about social justice issues, I was told that I'm being too political. My brother in law complaining that his workers had no drive was always acceptable.
I half get it. My parents were prole, albeit settler white prole, and TV was their mental health support. I do wish my parents did therapy, we were expected to do it at an early age (I started at 9!), and a lot of it was just dealing with an imperfect home environment.
Anyhow, I stopped going to family holidays really early, like from 19 onwards. For a long time I thought I was a dick for not getting involved.
Sorry to rant. Honestly I'm not upset now, I'm just wondering if anyone has a similar story.
I go to see my partners family a few times a year and the conversation is so awkward. Their mom does nothing but watch reruns of law and order SVU and 50's shows on TV Land, and their dad runs out of normal stuff to talk in about 20 minutes.
We can't talk about any kind of current events because the dad has incredibly reactionary takes despite claiming to be a progressive Democrat. I had a meltdown when he started talking about the Palestine student protests like they were brainwashed into supporting terrorists.
I've tried to have things to talk about to avoid getting into arguments, but they seem so bored with anything I have to say, so we end up sitting in silence for long stretches. Then when we leave they're like, "Leaving already? You just got here".