Which artists (with some modicum of critical acclaim) actually suck? Directors, authors, graphic artists, whatever? Who is completely overrated? Which creative emperors have no clothes?
First nominee, for Egregious Overratedness: My Bloody Valentine. Cool sounds, no songs to speak of, not a great example of the shoegazer aesthetic.
Artist:
Rob Liefield - he created Deadpool, et al, but his artwork is 2-dimensional and horrible. Lots of hatchety lines, all the faces look masculine including the women, he has no sense of proportion, and an ego to go with it. Liefield, you are a hack.
Band:
Good Charlotte -- (no!)
Evanescence -- (Double no!) Emo. Uncreative. The girl always sounds like she's about to suffer a strain injury.
The Jonas Brothers need to go away.
Smashmouth (retread city is your claim to fame)
Hootie and the Blowfish (the bane of my existence in the early 90s... everyone LOOOOVED Hootie and I only wanted to flee) Not all that enjoyable unless you're high or in a dead-end relationship.
Gin Blossoms - a band I hate more than Hootie. No edges, no depth. I feel like someone is throwing tapioca pudding on my brain. I will forever resent them for "Hey, Jealousy". It typified the 90s blase ironic-for-the-sake-of-irony "Empire Records" mentality.
Linkin Park - just w/e, Gen Y.
Authors:
I'm just going to say it. JK Rowling. I'm glad she made her books a success, more power to her, but I find her books dull and kind of stupid. I'm all about fantasy, I love Tolkien and CS Lewis, but Rowling just doesn't inspire me at all.
Norman Mailer - total pig. Not all that talented either, in my estimation.
Movies:
Gladiator. As much as I love Ridley Scott, that movie was truly not great, especially when compared to "Black Rain" and "Blade Runner".
I figured that with such a stellar cast the dialogue and actions would be way more compelling. I recall a review dissing Connie Neilson, and I thought "She was the only one in that movie not over-acting." I could even give Joaquin a pass on that, but everyone else? Ham. Ham. More ham. I enjoyed the scenery when it wasn't being chewed. Zero subtlety. I accuse Russell Crowe over over-acting frequently, though I liked him a lot in "L.A. Confidential" and "Master and Commander". I was expecting his amazing physical presence to really gel with a character like Maximus, but I found myself wishing the character would die because he's so pedantic and "ME!"