I think Film Crit Hulk is just wrong in the portion you quote (16,000 words is too daunting for me to tackle right now, so I'm not reading the entire review).
First of all, failing to take people seriously when they ask to be can be really cruel. Mocking or belittling things that mean a whole lot to someone? Not cool.
Second, quite apart from respecting people, just objectively, pretty much anything can be taken seriously in some contexts, deservedly. Watching paint dry, Spongebob Squarepants, snoring goats--anything.
And third, there's absolutely no reason why people should be silly and make fun of themselves for other people. Conversations and social interaction require give and take, and (with some exceptions that probably don't qualify as "conversations" anyway) no party gets to dictate all the terms of the interaction, and we can all benefit from learning what others' expectations are, but NO ONE is required to laugh at themselves or accept some party line on something in order to be an adult.
no subject
First of all, failing to take people seriously when they ask to be can be really cruel. Mocking or belittling things that mean a whole lot to someone? Not cool.
Second, quite apart from respecting people, just objectively, pretty much anything can be taken seriously in some contexts, deservedly. Watching paint dry, Spongebob Squarepants, snoring goats--anything.
And third, there's absolutely no reason why people should be silly and make fun of themselves for other people. Conversations and social interaction require give and take, and (with some exceptions that probably don't qualify as "conversations" anyway) no party gets to dictate all the terms of the interaction, and we can all benefit from learning what others' expectations are, but NO ONE is required to laugh at themselves or accept some party line on something in order to be an adult.