Canon we hate

A few years ago I read this post.

As the second anniversary of this blog approaches, I’m digging into some fun stuff I did in the past on my social networks. For example, having read this, I asked myself: what widely accepted cultural material do I really dislike? Then I asked my friends. The question spawned plenty of conversation.

Many on my list are carryovers from my teen years. I once thought The Smiths and everyone who liked them were a bunch of simpering morons. Now I’ve come around. A little. Even though I like the sonic creativity of “How Soon Is Now,” the lyrics still make me both wince and want to punch Morrissey in the face. What a whiner. I find there’s a lot of popular music that leaves me cold. You should have seen the storm of crap I stirred up when I said I thought the Arcade Fire was massively overrated. Wow! Do not mess with indie rock aficionados. They’re passionate.

And what movies? I do remember the review of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off in Time Out London, where in the end they say “How unfortunate that no one got to wring the little bastard’s neck.” But I don’t have a hate-on for that movie.

I never liked The Sound of Music, and generally don’t have patience for musicals. For years I hated Forrest Gump, for its conservative politics and the fact it won the Best Picture Oscar over four other superior films, though I saw part it on TV not long ago and found it a little more watchable. And I find Ricky Gervais’ seemingly endless self-loathing tiresome. (Though I did enjoy him the first time he hosted the Golden Globes.)

I may never understand the broad appeal of Anchorman. Aside from the street fight, nothing about the movie stayed with me.

In the comments, I encourage you to share the movies you dislike where you’re definitely in the minority. It’s fun to purge.


About the author

flawintheiris

Carsten Knox is a massive, cheese-eating nerd. In the day he works as a journalist in Halifax, Nova Scotia. At night he stares out at the rain-slick streets, watches movies, and writes about what he's seeing.

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