The Academy of the "Overrated"

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Inspired by Woody Allen's Manhattan.

For starters,

Slyvia Plath.
Steven Spielberg.
The Beatles.
Norman Mailer.
Allen Ginsburg.

But they're all wonderful, aren't they?

― Gerald Bloom, Wednesday, 2 April 2003 21:25 (twenty-two years ago)

Spielberg blows, except for Jaws and Close Encounters and Raiders....

― hstencil, Wednesday, 2 April 2003 21:32 (twenty-two years ago)

I adore Sylvia Plath and The Beatles.

― Melissa W (Melissa W), Wednesday, 2 April 2003 21:33 (twenty-two years ago)

Spielberg = easy target for all the middlebrow hatas. I get very tired of overhearing film geeks chortle derisively when his name is mentioned.

What Melissa said.

Woody Allen is a better candidate for this list.

― Amateurist (amateurist), Wednesday, 2 April 2003 21:34 (twenty-two years ago)

Jeff Koons.
Julian Schnabel.
Jean-Michel Basquait.

― Robert Hughes, Wednesday, 2 April 2003 21:35 (twenty-two years ago)

Woody Allen is a better candidate for this list.

I love him too.

― Melissa W (Melissa W), Wednesday, 2 April 2003 21:38 (twenty-two years ago)

Haha Melissa I can't win!

― Amateurist (amateurist), Wednesday, 2 April 2003 21:40 (twenty-two years ago)

Robert Hughes, don't forget Holly Hughes. I know, I know, you're NOT related.

― jaymc (jaymc), Wednesday, 2 April 2003 21:43 (twenty-two years ago)

I dunno that Woody Allen is that overrated. Unless you were to ask him personally.

twelve-bar blues is totally overrated.

De Palma?

― Millar (Millar), Wednesday, 2 April 2003 21:43 (twenty-two years ago)

Ronald Reagan
Jack Kerouac
Tom Hanks
Ben & Jerry
Henry Kissinger
Jean Baudrillard

― Cub, Wednesday, 2 April 2003 21:44 (twenty-two years ago)

But I picked his most lowbrow films! Er...

― hstencil, Wednesday, 2 April 2003 21:53 (twenty-two years ago)

Dude, Close Encounters is his first bid for serious artistic respectability.

― Amateurist (amateurist), Wednesday, 2 April 2003 21:58 (twenty-two years ago)

"This means something. This is important."

― hstencil, Wednesday, 2 April 2003 22:05 (twenty-two years ago)

Rich Gannon

― James Blount (James Blount), Wednesday, 2 April 2003 22:06 (twenty-two years ago)

Heinlein

― Millar (Millar), Wednesday, 2 April 2003 22:06 (twenty-two years ago)

Rich Gannon is 37 years old!

― Aaron A., Wednesday, 2 April 2003 22:16 (twenty-two years ago)

yeah, and he still don't deserve no MVP award!

― James Blount (James Blount), Wednesday, 2 April 2003 22:21 (twenty-two years ago)

he ain't that overrated after that dismal Super Bowl performance.

― hstencil, Wednesday, 2 April 2003 22:24 (twenty-two years ago)

Brad Johnson

― James Blount (James Blount), Wednesday, 2 April 2003 22:25 (twenty-two years ago)

Spielberg oh Spielberg. Total easy target. It's way too easy to dismiss him completely than to figure out his particular riddle. More later when I'm not in a hurry. Woody Allen's also a pretty easy target.

― slutsky (slutsky), Wednesday, 2 April 2003 22:46 (twenty-two years ago)

Yeah, you're right. I was exchanging one vice for another. We should have a Spielberg thread. Although my big "point" about him is he's nothing to get too worked up over one way or the other.

― Amateurist (amateurist), Wednesday, 2 April 2003 22:48 (twenty-two years ago)

We should. I'll start one later, or you can go ahead. I think he is totally worth discussing.

― slutsky (slutsky), Wednesday, 2 April 2003 22:50 (twenty-two years ago)

(maybe we can figure out why everyone went so apeshit over Minority Repor)

― slutsky (slutsky), Wednesday, 2 April 2003 22:51 (twenty-two years ago)

I'm not claiming this bon mot as original, but the word 'overrated' is sounding more overrated with each passing day.

It's a word beloved by critics pro and am because it has that undertone of superiority without which being a critic would be no fun whatsoever.

― Fred Nerk, Wednesday, 2 April 2003 22:53 (twenty-two years ago)

Friends
Saturday Night Live post 1985
Jeanine Garofolo
Second Tom Hanks
Nicholas Cage
Titanic
Ikea
The Oscars
The Grammies
The Golden Globes
Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue
FHM
Stuff
Playboy
4AD
Blur
Lush
Oasis
The Vines
The Hives
NewsWeek
Rolling Stone
Spin
Swans
Sonic Youth
CSI
CSI Miami
Boston Public
The Practice
David Kelley
Calista Flockhart
The Chronic
Papa John's Pizza
All you can eat sushi
The Olympics
Heavyweight Boxing
Pro football
Pro basketball
A Catholic school education
Tribute albums
Lean Cuisine
Turkish cigarettes
French cigarettes
Italian movies
French cuisine
Cold fusion
SUVs
Vegan girlfriends
Punk girlfriends
Vegan punk girlfriends
Vegan peace punk girlfriends
Vicodan
Vicodan/Vodka cocktails
White wine
Organically grown produce
Free range meat

― order some disorder, Wednesday, 2 April 2003 23:15 (twenty-two years ago)

All you can eat sushi

surely shome mistake?

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Wednesday, 2 April 2003 23:35 (twenty-two years ago)

Blount is so on-target. Gannon's whole career has followed a pattern which, if translated into the working world, would look like this: a prospective employer hears that I've done really good things in my field, and it's true that I did: there's film of it. Prospective new employer, apparently blind to or in denial about my recently dismal track record, not only hires me, but gives me a substantial pay raise.

Fair enough; we can see this happening in the real world. Presumably I didn't once excel by accident. What we can't see happening is what happens next. See, in my new workplace, I stink on ice from day one. Oh, sure, I demonstrate fair enough knowledge of the basics, but am I being paid obscene amounts of scratch to just execute the basics? Of course not: I'm supposed to make things happen You know, like I did back when I was establishing my rep. But when my new employers, wanting to shed the dead weight I've brought the team, decide to trade me, do they have any trouble finding a company who's more than happy to take on my bloated salary? No! In fact, they have their choice of nice fat packages they can get in return for my worthless services! It goes on, and on, and on!

Oh yes - I have a great day at work every now and again, and perhaps I even go several months without a hitch, showing flashes of my early promise. But didn't anybody read the coach's notes from big games with my other teams? I am going to let you down! When it matters most, I'm not going to be able to pass water, much less into double coverage!

Yaaaaaaargh!

sorry, I really love the Raiders and it was a painful thing I had to go through this year

― J0hn Darn1elle (J0hn Darn1elle), Wednesday, 2 April 2003 23:36 (twenty-two years ago)

Haha I was going to take issue with that as well, esoj

― Millar (Millar), Wednesday, 2 April 2003 23:49 (twenty-two years ago)

I will not hear that DePalma is overrated. Not until Dressed To Kill starts selling ET numbers.

Oliver Stone wins, hands down. That ANYBODY respects him means he's overrated.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Wednesday, 2 April 2003 23:57 (twenty-two years ago)

Peter Gammons
Spike Jonz
being right

― felicity (felicity), Thursday, 3 April 2003 00:03 (twenty-two years ago)

blowjobs

― Millar (Millar), Thursday, 3 April 2003 00:05 (twenty-two years ago)

being skinny

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Thursday, 3 April 2003 00:08 (twenty-two years ago)

Red Bull
Altoids (cinammon especially dud)
My So-Called Life
Crest Rejuvenating Effects (terrible taste/feel/look even!)
excessive water consumption (sucker!)

― Aaron A., Thursday, 3 April 2003 00:19 (twenty-two years ago)

esoj on point.

millar insane.

― jess (dubplatestyle), Thursday, 3 April 2003 00:31 (twenty-two years ago)

Fugazi
The Dodge Viper
Mortal Kombat

― Nate Patrin (Nate Patrin), Thursday, 3 April 2003 00:33 (twenty-two years ago)

Dude I love Oliver Stone and Spike Jonze!

― Dan I., Thursday, 3 April 2003 00:39 (twenty-two years ago)

How is it possible to overrate the Viper? It's like only $100 per unit horsepower and has mad torque!

― felicity (felicity), Thursday, 3 April 2003 00:52 (twenty-two years ago)

Sinclair Lewis

― Maria (Maria), Thursday, 3 April 2003 01:03 (twenty-two years ago)

HBO dramas

― jess (dubplatestyle), Thursday, 3 April 2003 01:05 (twenty-two years ago)

Nicole Kidman
Russell Crowe
any other actor referred to as "OUR so and so" in the Aussie media
Having guys be actually interested in me (not that it ever happens)
Ghost World (the movie)
The Vines (obv.)
Architecture in Hels...ok I stop now :D

― Trayce (trayce), Thursday, 3 April 2003 01:18 (twenty-two years ago)

(not to be confused with "hobo dramas")

― jess (dubplatestyle), Thursday, 3 April 2003 01:20 (twenty-two years ago)

I'll second Ghost World (the movie) and throw in Donnie Darko if someone else already hasn't. To paraphrase the Dead Milkmen, you kids will identify with anything.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Thursday, 3 April 2003 01:21 (twenty-two years ago)

Hey! Don't bring Donnie Darko into this! Jake Gyllenhall roxx UR all gay.

― Trayce (trayce), Thursday, 3 April 2003 01:23 (twenty-two years ago)

And I spelt his name wrong, how embarrasing.

― Trayce (trayce), Thursday, 3 April 2003 01:23 (twenty-two years ago)

oh that reminds me. Drew Barrymore. She belongs here. What if Alicia Silverstone had dated alterna-rockers rather than pranced around in Aerosmith videos?

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Thursday, 3 April 2003 01:26 (twenty-two years ago)

How is it possible to overrate the Viper? It's like only $100 per unit horsepower and has mad torque!

Yeah, but those asshats at Chrysler are like "let's make our only performance car a toy for rich people while we murderize the marque that gave the world the 'Cuda and the Roadrunner". Plus it's ugly. But all will be forgiven when they bring out the new Charger, so long as they make that bastard in metalflake orange.

― Nate Patrin (Nate Patrin), Thursday, 3 April 2003 01:44 (twenty-two years ago)

The new Charger should be HEMI orange and you know it.

You can get a used like 2002 Viper for like $50K, not like that's cheap or I'm gonna buy one but it's like a tenth a price of the other cars that have that much power and it's sick when you think that it's less than double what you'd pay for what? like a Sebring?

All Mopars are awesome. They even have like a little section for Dodge Neons at the Mopar shows.

― felicity (felicity), Thursday, 3 April 2003 01:54 (twenty-two years ago)

Oops, I guess Mopars put me into that LA frame of typing. I am turnign into nu-Ally.

― felicity (felicity), Thursday, 3 April 2003 01:55 (twenty-two years ago)

Why it's called Hemi orange.

― felicity (felicity), Thursday, 3 April 2003 01:58 (twenty-two years ago)

DVD...

― jm (jtm), Thursday, 3 April 2003 01:59 (twenty-two years ago)

Skipping 57 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

If "Typical ILX" = reacting with curiousity rather than fury or diffidence when someone dislikes something we love, then yeah, Typical ILX and proud of it.

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Thursday, 3 April 2003 14:21 (twenty-two years ago)

if someone has to explain the appeal of "big pimpin" to you, you have anhedonia

― jess (dubplatestyle), Thursday, 3 April 2003 14:36 (twenty-two years ago)

I think sex is overrated too.

― Ugly Kid Joe (jel), Thursday, 3 April 2003 15:06 (twenty-two years ago)

Really? I must try it sometime.

― ChristineSH (chrissie1068), Thursday, 3 April 2003 15:30 (twenty-two years ago)

ooooh, jess has the annie hall dvd

― James Blount (James Blount), Thursday, 3 April 2003 15:45 (twenty-two years ago)

How did I know jess would make some lame crack. I understand the appeal. Fuck, there's no point in arguing about Jay-Z, ever. I'll go back to my corner and listen my Talib Kweli in peace.

― cybele (cybele), Thursday, 3 April 2003 16:14 (twenty-two years ago)

alcohol
luxury SUV's (esp Escalades)
Lexus
Ford Mustangs
weddings
Las Vegas
cities
Disney World
Sex in the City
worldliness
emotional detachment
joints/spliffs
Rolling Stones
college education
superficial beauty
style/fashion
maturity
careers/'success'
coffee
coffee shops
STARBUCKS
cell phones
baseball
football
Requiem for a Dream
Six Feet Under
West Wing
Everybody Loves Raymond
Greg & Dharma
every other popular sitcom of today
vegetarianism
showering once a day
lyrics
poetry
Cindy Crawford
Timbaland
Jay Z
The Roots
DJ's

― oops (Oops), Thursday, 3 April 2003 16:15 (twenty-two years ago)

Nothing is really overrated, it's all just shiznit you dislike.

― Nicole (Nicole), Thursday, 3 April 2003 16:23 (twenty-two years ago)

the matrix

― robin (robin), Thursday, 3 April 2003 16:24 (twenty-two years ago)

actually i learned that word from the comics journal!

― jess (dubplatestyle), Thursday, 3 April 2003 16:30 (twenty-two years ago)

I think 'nothing' is underrated.
(yes it can be shizznit that you dislike, but it's shizznit you dislike that many many people LOVE...also, it can be stuff you do like eg. me and the Roots)

― oops (Oops), Thursday, 3 April 2003 16:36 (twenty-two years ago)

Life is way overrated.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Thursday, 3 April 2003 16:38 (twenty-two years ago)

hipbones.

― jess (dubplatestyle), Thursday, 3 April 2003 16:40 (twenty-two years ago)

jess is a jellyfish

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Thursday, 3 April 2003 16:41 (twenty-two years ago)

no, its because i leave black and blue marks baby

― jess (dubplatestyle), Thursday, 3 April 2003 16:42 (twenty-two years ago)

come to think of,atomised by houellebecq was overatted in much the same way the matrix was...

― robin (robin), Thursday, 3 April 2003 17:35 (twenty-two years ago)

Some of these may have been mentioned already (which is also overrated)
College
computers
internet
Ritlin
coffee
prozac
viagra
Drew Carey Show
Late-model Lucinda Williams
The Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame.
Charles McCain
YOU

― Charles McCain (Charles McCain), Thursday, 3 April 2003 18:11 (twenty-two years ago)

all silent films, frankly. I'm an uncultured twit who can't sit through boring black and white films where people mouth the words. Hate me.

you're like me, I hate all those boring color films where people actually say things.

all TV is overrated except Buffy and Daria.

I can't believe no one said Bob Dylan! (whom I luv, but he seems to get ragged on nearly every day over at ILM)

― Justyn Dillingham (Justyn Dillingham), Thursday, 3 April 2003 18:12 (twenty-two years ago)

So perhaps people have noticed this.

― N. (nickdastoor), Thursday, 3 April 2003 18:16 (twenty-two years ago)

black angus beef

― lawrence kansas (lawrence kansas), Thursday, 3 April 2003 18:37 (twenty-two years ago)

Let me clarify smee's position: The Royal Tenenbaums is shit.

― Cozen (Cozen), Thursday, 3 April 2003 18:52 (twenty-two years ago)

overrated =! "i don't like it"

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Thursday, 3 April 2003 20:44 (twenty-two years ago)

no 360s=not cinema.

― RJG (RJG), Thursday, 3 April 2003 22:11 (twenty-two years ago)

Can I point this out to Millar: if you think blow jobs are overrated, you aren't doing them properly.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Friday, 4 April 2003 15:38 (twenty-two years ago)

eight years pass...

kinda disappointed they didn't ask Alamac

http://www.slate.com/id/2301312/

― buzza, Friday, 12 August 2011 21:08 (fourteen years ago)

My view is that the right book has to reach you at the right time, and no person can be reached by every book. Literature is supposed to be beautiful and/or necessary—so if at a given time you don't either enjoy or need a certain book, then you should read something else, and not feel guilty about it.

^^i can't stand elif batuman, but this is very very wise

― Mr. Que, Friday, 12 August 2011 21:15 (fourteen years ago)

J.D. McClatchy, poet, critic, librettist, professor at Yale, editor of the Yale Review
I have been re-reading many of the classics on which I was raised, and most of them, thrilling at the time, now disappoint. Dante is a crashing bore. Shakespeare seems wordy; Faulkner too.

wish there were a way to SB ppl from the magazines they edit.

― (The Other) J.D. (J.D.), Friday, 12 August 2011 22:10 (fourteen years ago)

ugh, srsly. see also the critic from the nyt who doesn't have the attention span for cervantes - how fucking entertaining do you need a book to be?

― bentelec, Saturday, 13 August 2011 03:47 (fourteen years ago)

Inspired by Woody Allen's Manhattan.

whaaaa? annie hall, yes

sheesh...

― dell (del), Saturday, 13 August 2011 03:50 (fourteen years ago)

kinda disappointed they didn't ask Alamac

http://www.slate.com/id/2301312/

― buzza, Friday, August 12, 2011 5:08 PM Bookmark

Disappointing. I would expect booky types to know better than to pick the obvious ones like Ulysses and Gravity's Rainbow.

― Helping 3 (Hurting 2), Saturday, 13 August 2011 05:50 (fourteen years ago)

speaking of Woody Allen: his films from the late-1990s onward may be tedious crap ... and he's at his most tedious when he's letting his Ingmar Bergman fetish run unchecked. but overall he's NOT overrated IMHO.

still, i do find it odd that annie hall has come to be regarded as some sort of "all-time greatest film ever" joint. at least it is according to Netflix (where just about anything highfalutin' gets recommended b/c it's "like" annie hall according to Netflix's algorithm). it's great no doubt, but it's not even my favorite Woody Allen film.

― Friedrich das Wunderhahn hat den traurigen Clownporn sehr gern (Eisbaer), Saturday, 13 August 2011 06:02 (fourteen years ago)

yes! thank you

― dell (del), Saturday, 13 August 2011 06:46 (fourteen years ago)

everything you just said is totes otm

― dell (del), Saturday, 13 August 2011 06:47 (fourteen years ago)

ugh, srsly. see also the critic from the nyt who doesn't have the attention span for cervantes - how fucking entertaining do you need a book to be?

― bentelec, Saturday, August 13, 2011 3:47 AM (7 hours ago) Bookmark

1000x otm

― swaguirre, the wrath of basedgod (bernard snowy), Saturday, 13 August 2011 11:38 (fourteen years ago)

excommunicate the brutes imo

― Looking for Ms Nutbar (Noodle Vague), Saturday, 13 August 2011 11:39 (fourteen years ago)

http://www.artic.edu/aic/collections/citi/images/standard/WebLarge/WebImg_000093/4548_759509.jpg

― swaguirre, the wrath of basedgod (bernard snowy), Saturday, 13 August 2011 11:43 (fourteen years ago)

Very embarrassed for McClatchy, who's one of my favorite critics of poetry.

― a 'catch-all', almost humorous, 'Jeez' quality (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Saturday, 13 August 2011 11:51 (fourteen years ago)

that guy seems a little clueless. Shakespeare and Faulkner are wordy--that's kind of the point.

― Mr. Que, Saturday, 13 August 2011 13:05 (fourteen years ago)

"hamlet? yeah, it's okay I guess, but does it really need all those words? I wish they'd just shut their traps and get to the killin'!"

― swaguirre, the wrath of basedgod (bernard snowy), Saturday, 13 August 2011 13:09 (fourteen years ago)

Disappointing. I would expect booky types to know better than to pick the obvious ones like Ulysses and Gravity's Rainbow.

so you're saying they should have picked underrated overrated classics?

― Mr. Que, Saturday, 13 August 2011 13:10 (fourteen years ago)

really hate 'overrated' discussions cos it's merely an excuse for the people having them to wear their dislike as a smug badge of honor

― shining like national dog shit (Neanderthal), Saturday, 13 August 2011 13:29 (fourteen years ago)

Here ya go:

http://www.liketheocean.info/apps/sBadge/imgs/SmugBadge.gif

― a 'catch-all', almost humorous, 'Jeez' quality (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Saturday, 13 August 2011 13:34 (fourteen years ago)

i hope the NYT reviewer doesn't review fiction. even if you don't enjoy Cervantes, i'd hope you'd at least have a clear appreciation for its role in creating the novel and had studied it extensively before offering your opinions on other novels. like this is basic level of expertise.

― Mordy, Saturday, 13 August 2011 15:03 (fourteen years ago)

studying DQ extensively is a pretty ridiculous requirement for a book reviewer, tho--

― Mr. Que, Saturday, 13 August 2011 16:29 (fourteen years ago)

if you don't enjoy something then bollocks to appreciating its historical importance i think but then if you don't enjoy DQ then bollocks to you anyway

― Looking for Mrs Nutbar (Noodle Vague), Saturday, 13 August 2011 16:38 (fourteen years ago)

Shakespeare seems wordy
Shakespeare seems wordy
Shakespeare seems wordy

this dude actually doesn't deserve to speak english

― we started this punning display name shit (history mayne), Saturday, 13 August 2011 16:44 (fourteen years ago)

wow

― dell (del), Saturday, 13 August 2011 16:52 (fourteen years ago)

when i hear the word overrated i reach for my eyeroll.gif

― max, Saturday, 13 August 2011 16:55 (fourteen years ago)

let's face it, shakespeare was the paul simon of writers

― dell (del), Saturday, 13 August 2011 16:58 (fourteen years ago)

Dellamac

― shining like national dog shit (Neanderthal), Saturday, 13 August 2011 17:02 (fourteen years ago)

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