Yes, a lot of Gaia is full of people being idiots, being being extremely shallow and usually users are utterly too obsessed with how they're going to dress their avatars.

However, there are areas within the websites, like the 'guilds', which are private forums where like minded users can talk about normal stuff without morons getting in the way. They're a good place to share common interests.

Also, people saying that you have to pay money to enjoy Gaia - you're wrong. Yes, you can pay for added benefits like new items, etc, but it's optional. I have enough virtual wealth on that site to buy literally anything there, and I've never spent a real penny.