- Dan Marino
- Fight Club (the book)
- The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy (the movies)
- Dr. Strangelove
- The 1960s
- Maureen Dowd
- Dane Cook
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Some Things I Think Are Overrated (In No Particular Order)
May 18th, 2008
23 Comments
Add to that
Nicole Kidman
Western ‘democracy’ (if it was that good everyone would want it, No?)
Jessica Alba’s acting
Hugh Grant
The Matrix
The Blues brothers
Stanley Kubrick
The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy (the movies)
I think those movies got a huge boost thanks to the absolute crap job George Lucas did with his second trilogy. Then again, your average Ashton Kutcher film looks epic after watching THE PHANTOM MENACE.
I’ll agree on all but Strangelove (OW) and the Marx Bros (Bryan).
I preferred the Lord of the Rings movies to the books, aside from the ending to the last movie. I would have had Saurman attack the Shire and left out the passing over the sea stuff. The second movie blows away the second book so badly that it isn’t funny, and that’s not counting the Wizard of Oz tribute shot. The Hobbit was much better than the Lord of the Rings.
The Democratic Party is overrated. Too corporatist, too conservative, and the Republicans hold its testicles over in Abu Gharib. We lefties have to work with it, but should never be constrained by it.
Dane Cook isn’t just overrated; he sucks. “Overrated,” to me, implies, “Good, but not as good as everyone says it is.” It should apply to the singles of your favorite bands (”Money” is overrated, “I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe)” is overrated, “The Roundabout” is overrated, so on and so forth). Come to think of it, this could apply to Maureen Dowd as well, though she’s at least MILF eye candy.
The 60s is too broad, therefore disqualified.
My list
in no particular order
Joe Gibbs
Superman
Daschunds
Jessica Alba
Lib4–
Superman is so not overrated. Superman rules. Besides which, I think there’s a large enough contingent of people who claim Superman sucks that we can’t really classify him as overrated no matter what his actual value.
OW–
I’ll second Diamond LeGrande’s point about Dane Cook: I think for him to be overrated, at least one person would have to rate him highly. He’s one of those guys who managed to get really famous and popular, and yet you never hear anyone praise him: I think the most positive thing I’ve heard said about him is “He’s not quite as bad as everyone says he is.”
And amen to the Lord of the Rings. Those movies put me to sleep, and I love fantasy, epic films, and big battle scenes.
The Marx brothers?
You’re wrong on the ’60s ( you had to be there ). Even if you don’t like what happened during that decade, there is no doubt that more defining, important things went down in just a few short years than in any decade of my life ( I’m 60 ).
I’m still amazed and depressed that the young people of this decade are not out on the streets by the tens of thousands protesting this administration, the occupation of Iraq, and ( most importantly ) the steady dripping away of our Constitutional rights and freedoms. Being a keyboard commando is not the same as putting your physical ass on the line.
Poker.
From that, I exclude for the real game typically played between periodically between friends; that game is a fine part of the American landscape.
The reasons why ‘poker’, the online / televised bastardization are ‘overrated’ are legion.
1 – For starters, who died and made ‘Texas hold em’ or whatever they call it king? There are many fine games of poker, some classic (say 5 card or 7 card stud), some suitable for a drunken stupid late night (’pass the trash’, wild card games), and that nonsense they play on TV tends more toward the latter.
2 – 1/2 the players use sunglasses to avoid showing the tell? Why not go ahead and let basketball players use Flubber?
I could go on. ‘Poker’ (other than real poker as noted) would have to climb 50 feet to GET to overrated.
How about Dane Cook playing poker?
I didn’t say the marx brothers. I effin love the marx brothers! If you are referring to my including western democracy, I did that just for shock value. I do think our forms of democracy in the west suck a bit, but better that than ooh, Saudi or Burma for example.
“will you marry me? Are you rich? Answer the second question first” is in my top twenty ever comedy film lines.
Dane Cook made me laugh a lot one time. That is all I need. And I agree, I never hear anyone talk him up much.
LOTR Trilogy was very entertaining to me.
Those are the two I disagree with; I didnt live in the 60’s so I cannot say anything to that.
I would like to add The Rolling Stones and (especially) Celine Dion to the list.
I’d like to add…
Dallas Cowboys
Ottawa Senators
Boston Celtics
Bryan:
How is Nicole Kidman overrated?
I don’t think the beautiful Nicole (she is very beautiful) is that good an actress IMO. I seem to remember she was on a show with Lauren Bacall, and the host called them both “screen legends” (or some such), to which they both diagreed; Bacall because she is and Kidman because she isn’t. I think she’s right. She’s a big ’star’, but you have to act well as well to be a legend. Yes, she was good in this or that (the hours, that ghost thing), but she’s also been rather underwhelming in this or that as well (practical magic, that murdering wheatherwoman thing). Bacall, on the other hand, has brought something to every role and cameo she has ever done (again IMO). Who would I regard as a screen legend from rent times? I hear nobody ask. Well, Meryl Streep is possible, Hillary Swank too. Definitely Jodie Foster (her teenage stuff was nigh on great (especially “The little girl who lived down the lane”). It is harder now to get on that list, because they have all had to do badly written and badly conceived films, but it isn’t impossible.
rent times? Perhaps current or present, I forget.
@Duros:
The Marx Bros. overrated?
Blasphemer!
Nicole Kidman is an okay actress and a not super attractive woman. The only movie I’ve seen here in where she looked sort of sexy was The Golden Compass.
I didn’t say the marx brothers.
@Duros:
The Marx Bros. overrated?
Blasphemer!
Dude! whoa, no. I didn’t say that. Michael Maarkman said that. I think he transposed The Matrix and the Blues Brothers from Bryan.
If anything the Marx Brothers are vastly UNDERrated.
“With a little study you’ll go a long ways, and I wish you’d start now. ”
Overrated?
Angelina Jolie
American Idol
Dane Cook would need a stepladder to be overrated.
Dr. Strangelove is a brilliant film. Calling that over rated simply negates your whole list.
Underrated?
Toni Colette
Mira Sorvino
“A book is man’s best friend outside of a dog. Inside of a dog, it’s too dark to read”
If we are going to start an underrated list, I would like to put in David Goodis and Lionel White, two wonderful but basically forgotten pulp novelists from the 50’s and 60’s.