I don't think she is laughing at me; I think she finds me amusing because she doesn't realize I am often being serious and not making a joke. I think she is trying to tell me something, too, by telling me those two or three times about her favorite actor and in the (what I thought was a) stupid movie he was in. I think she is trying to emphasize that she wants to talk about fantasy, comic books, superheroes and the like.

I'm not always sure when or if to tell someone "I don't share your interests" especially when I do share them in some ways but not in others -- I like films, for example but not that movie she keeps harping on. I liked to read comic books when I was a child but that was 45 year ago.

It seems to be out of style to be serious; there are many people where I work who adore all that fantasy, comic book, cartoon, superhero stuff. I'm not one of them. But I don't want to be a stick in the mud by saying so every time some person rhapsodizes about the latest Iron Man movie or how much they love Popeye.

I might be making a mistake in not being honest when she or anyone else brings it up that their interests are not my interests. Perhaps in these instances polite attention is false encouragement.