I suspect that many of the more "unusual" smilies harken back to the Nutkinland days of this forum. I don't particularly care one way or another. I don't see myself personally using the smilies in question, but I wouldn't shed a tear if the least tasteful of them disappeared.
I do, however, like the availability of a wide range of smilies...it has been an outlet for creative posting for me in the past.
TGA