Kill Your Idols: The Overrated Album/Band/Author/Book/Video Game thread

[brkl]

Heh, Ratatouille was the one that didn't hold my interest at all.

[ThunderPeel2001]

This thread should be re-titled "Let's All Focus on Things We Don't Like"

If you really believe everyone else is wrong, then maybe it should be re-titled: "It's Tough Being So Smart, or Why I Think Everyone Else is Dumber Than I Am".

[Max Ernst]

This thread should be re-titled "Let's All Focus on Things We Don't Like"

If you really believe everyone else is wrong, then maybe it should be re-titled: "It's Tough Being So Smart, or Why I Think Everyone Else is Dumber Than I Am".

Woah, buddy. I don't think everyone else is wrong, I just recognise that, in those particular instances, I am presenting a counter-narrative. I just thought it would be interesting to put "untouchable" works through a critical lens, and maybe dismantling myths.

[ThunderPeel2001]

Well I did say, "if"...

How can you dismantle a "myth" without considering the people who believe it as being wrong, though? This thread was made for people to explain why they think something well-regarded is "overrated". I'm not sure how you say something is overrated without inferring that those who don't think said thing is overrated are wrong...?

[Ben X]

Perhaps the myth is that certain films are well-regarded by everyone, and this thread is for people to say "Actually, I do not regard Empire Strikes Back well. In fact, I think it is rather boring. Also, Toy Story 2 is messy, Toy Story 3 is tonally misjudged, The Matrix is an Alex Proyas rip-off with a boring story and couple of good scenes, Con Air is an unfunny, desperate attempt at a cult film made up of tired pastiches and bad action. YOP!"

[TychoCelchuuu]

I almost wrote a post about how I don't see what anyone likes in The Matrix but there are so many issues with it that I got bored writing halfway through and decided to stop.

[melmer]

This one might sting a bit, but i'm sorry guys The Parent Trap ain't all that

[ThunderPeel2001]

Perhaps the myth is that certain films are well-regarded by everyone, and this thread is for people to say "Actually, I do not regard Empire Strikes Back well. In fact, I think it is rather boring. Also, Toy Story 2 is messy, Toy Story 3 is tonally misjudged, The Matrix is an Alex Proyas rip-off with a boring story and couple of good scenes, Con Air is an unfunny, desperate attempt at a cult film made up of tired pastiches and bad action. YOP!"

Wow, really?

I guess you already know what I think: (Empire Strikes Back is an excellent film, and easily the best Star Wars movie. The Matrix is an utterly fantastic genre flick -- possibly one of the best. Toy Story 3 is arguably the best Toy Story movie. Also the Toy Story films could be the most consistently superb movie trilogy in history. Finally, Con-Air is unfunny. On this last point, I will not budge.)

So do ever feel frustrated that most people disagree with you (except on Con-Air)?

[Gormongous]

You're being a little shrill, TP. I mean, it's okay for people to disagree. I think that provides better conversation than everyone agreeing on everything, even if it is more "negative" in tone.

[Ben X]

I think TP's point is also that it's okay to disagree, and that this thread could conceivably be taken to mean "everyone is wrong about this film except me!", whereas hopefully it's more of a "here's a film I don't like that most do and here is why" thread.

TP, I guess I felt a little frustrated about Toy Story 3 and Con Air when they came out, because I can see the good stuff in the other films I mentioned but I really fail to see much merit in those two, and actively dislike them, and I was so damned surprised to be in the absolute minority. (But just to reiterate what everyone here knows, that's okay because it's all subjective and people can have whatever opinions they like except on Back To The Future.)

[ThunderPeel2001]

No, I think you're right about Con-Air. I found it particularly unfunny.

Gormongous, I think the tone was set in the first post of this thread. It reads to me as more of a rant on why everyone else is wrong, rather than an attempt to try and appreciate what other people are seeing that you're not. Or even just discussing why you can't appreciate something. Mr Ernst makes some interesting points in his critiques (I'd never really thought about Sgt Peppers in a song-by-song basis before), but he also actively declares things as being "overrated", like it's a statement of fact ("I was going to write why Grease is such a terrible film, but I just don’t have the energy after that. Maybe later"). And even if they're not bitter missives to the world, they are still arguments for why you shouldn't like something which you may already enjoy. That seems pretty negative if you ask me :-/

I've never been able to appreciate Jurassic Park, Forest Gump, Gladiator or Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, but I wouldn't start telling people that they're overrated. I assume the fault lies with me (see my earlier comments on palate). It doesn't take any skill whatsoever to declare you don't like something, and even less to just throw it under a bus. Sometimes you have to work on improving your palate so you can learn how to appreciate something. Although Mr Ernst did more than just rant, like breaking things down to what he saw as specific faults, I just think this potentially interesting topic might have been a bit mishandled...

To me, the OP seems to be asking for frustrated rants at the rest of the world for liking something you don't, or carefully deliberated arguments about why other people shouldn't enjoy something as innocuous as a Beatles album...? (Happy to be corrected!)

My comments about renaming the thread were sardonic, but there's a grain of truth there. Declaring that something is undeniably terrible, you are insulting those who like it, and I wanted to make that point. Sorry if it sounded "shrill".

[Ben X]

Tbh, I do sometimes not bother putting "imo" at the end of my opinions because I hope that the communities I post in take it for granted that I know it's just my subjective opinion. So perhaps Max was doing the same..?

[ThunderPeel2001]

Yep, possibly.

[Orv]

Hey get the fuck out, Con Air is incredible.

[Ben X]

IN YOUR OPINION.

[Orv]

THE ONLY RIGHT ONE, IMO.

[brkl]

I had just assumed Con-Air was universally considered bad. I've never heard or read it being discussed before.

[Orv]

I am a connoisseur of shitty B movies, therefore anything Nic Cage is in is an instant(ly terrible) classic to me.

[brkl]

I do love Nic Cage... Maybe I should actually see the movie.

[Orv]

It's not a "good" movie, but it is a wonderful movie.