My point still stands.

I think it's all a big "rule of funny" joke. There are three "annoying" Bosmer characters I can think of, only one of which I find annoying. Let's run through them:

Fargoth, the first Bosmer a lot of the fanbase ever met. The "very close" thing, etc. Not all that annoying, in fact I tend to want to [censored]-slap the legionairre who steals from him.

Gaenor: A thrilling and funny optional boss fight with great loot should you survive.

Adoring fan: A charcater made specifically to pander to the fan stereotype for fun, is legitimately annoying.

So really, it's not that a lot of people hate Bosmer, it's just funny.

I'd have to disagree on that. And they're elves, not only do they look like elves, and are developed from some common elven stereotypes (How many times have we seen elves that live in forests and are good archers, for example? Or dark elves, for that matter? While the lore behind them aims to set them apart from their counterparts in other settings, it still doesn't change the fact that they're elves.) they're even called elves. Each race of elves is labeled as [Something] Elves in the race selection screen, the fact that they have other names doesn't change the fact that they're elves. It's just like how orcs are also called Orsimer but no one is going to deny that they're orcs.

I suppose there are some creative things about Dunmer culture that were shown pretty well in Morrowind, but none of these aspects are things that couldn't have been done just as well in a race that was not elves, and really, just having a race called "dark elves" in a non-villainous role and not having them use dual wielding helps to set them apart from the stereotype somewhat. But Altmer and Bosmer haven't had that luxury.

Even if you like the lore behind them, though, they still need to be presented better. Now granted, Bethesda can't go into as much detail on Bosmer culture as they did on that of Dunmer in Morrowind until they make a game set in Valenwood. But let's face it, if you only show this lore in books and such while you make characters like the Adoring Fan Bosmer, people are going to notice the annoying characters more often than they do the details of that race's lore. Before people can respect Bosmer, they must first be treated with the same dignity as other races, otherwise, they're going to keep being that race that people find funny to hate.

I agree that they should have been presented better. I actually thought that in Oblivion, they did not look that stereotypical for elves, the only other fantasy characters I have seen that look like Dunmer are the Night Elves from WoW, but they are not that similar. I actually think that the only reason why they call them [something] Elves is so people don't get confused as to what they are.

I do get the impression they are all a bit cracked. It's a shame really, a whole race of madmen. One could offer a suggestion - eating one's own race leads to neurological problems, don't eat your own race.

I don't know why, but the tone of your writing makes me smile, especially in light of the theory you present.

Seems like its only Bosmer males. I didnt mind the bosmer females at all in Morrowind, in fact I actually liked them.