# Favorite Artist who is the Worst Influence? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 7, 2006, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-artist-who-is-the-worst-influence/379425 "2006-11-07T15:24:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2006, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-artist-who-is-the-worst-influence/379425/1 "2006-11-07T15:24:16Z")
In [this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=395128) which asks whether men read Jane Austen - she is dismissed by some posters as “chick lit.” My response is that sure, in a way she _does write_ chick lit - but the good kind. The fact that later writers don’t have the subtlety or skills Ms. Austen does isn’t her fault - but they seemed to have lifted parts of what worked in her books and delivered pale imitations. In that post, I referenced Eddie Van Halen - amazing, technically-virtuous guitarist, one of THE most influential rock guitarists _ever_. But who did he influence? A bunch of dweedly-dweedly, masturbatory, Paganini-aping (in a bad way), hair-metal shredders, who have the skills but lack the artistry - the sheer rock and roll _fun_ - that early EVH embodies. So - what artist do you love that you fully realize has spawned the most drivel in their wake? ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2006, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-artist-who-is-the-worst-influence/379425/2 "2006-11-07T17:23:03Z")
Carman Miranda. She’s absolutely wonderful, but all the impersonators made her seem heavyhanded and stupid. The real Carman knew she was being silly, and had a lot of fun with it. But since most people these days have only seen the impersonators, they get the wrong impression. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2006, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-artist-who-is-the-worst-influence/379425/3 "2006-11-07T17:26:32Z")
Gauguin. Deserting your family and running off to Tahiti to die of syphilis isn’t really a life worth emulating – but damn that man could paint. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2006, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-artist-who-is-the-worst-influence/379425/4 "2006-11-07T17:31:28Z")
The Beatles. Oasis being the most notable offender, but there are countless others. One Beatlesque song is always playing over the air at the local supermarket, and I always want to yell up at the speaker, “No, you bozos are NOT the Beatles, and you never were and/or will be. Give it up already.” And there’s always Sir Paul’s own solo career, most of which could indeed be described as “granny music”, as a certain John L once quipped. ---
**Author:** ![Kid\_A\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Kid\_A\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kid_A_1)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2006, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-artist-who-is-the-worst-influence/379425/5 "2006-11-07T17:56:16Z")
Pearl Jam. I love Eddie and the boys but every band that’s tried to emulate them is crap. And it’s they’re all that’s played now on alt-rock radio. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Who](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Doctor\_Who](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Who)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2006, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-artist-who-is-the-worst-influence/379425/6 "2006-11-07T18:04:11Z")
Jackson Pollock. Please. No. Imitations. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2006, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-artist-who-is-the-worst-influence/379425/7 "2006-11-07T18:07:27Z")
Patrick Nagel. And, of course, the first person he was a bad influence on was himself. Some of his stuff is really neat, and the rest of it \*belongs \*on the walls of a nail salon. ---
**Author:** ![TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/51bf81/32.png) [@TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2006, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-artist-who-is-the-worst-influence/379425/8 "2006-11-07T18:15:54Z")
Any truly influential band, because the whole point of bad, derivative art is often that the followers only emulate the most superficial elements of the preceding band while missing out on the actual element that made the original so brilliant. I’d nominate Sonic Youth; every follower just doesn’t get that SY’s effectiveness wasn’t just about the No Wave attitude (which cannot be emulated, as it’s specifically tied to a very particular moment in NYC socioeconomic and cultural history) and playing dissonant chords, regardless of what countless imitators have tried to do. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2006, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-artist-who-is-the-worst-influence/379425/9 "2006-11-07T18:29:13Z")
Jesus. Such a wise, loving man. Pity, since an all-too-large segment of his followers are idiotic haters. ahem. The Sugarhill Gang. I don’t think they were all that great, but they were first, and I am continually unimpressed with what followed. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2006, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-artist-who-is-the-worst-influence/379425/10 "2006-11-07T23:08:06Z")
J. R. R. Tolkien. e. e. cummings. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2006, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-artist-who-is-the-worst-influence/379425/11 "2006-11-07T23:54:34Z")
Thanks to KISS, we now have Gwar, Insipid Clown Pussy, Slipknot and a host of other shit-generators with more Maybeline than talent. ---
**Author:** ![MrJackboots](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MrJackboots](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrJackboots)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2006, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-artist-who-is-the-worst-influence/379425/12 "2006-11-08T00:04:31Z")
Allen Ginsburg. Hemmingway, too, on the exact other end of the spectrum from Tolkien. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2006, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-artist-who-is-the-worst-influence/379425/13 "2006-11-08T01:03:05Z")
[QUOTE=Thudlow Boink] e. e. cummings. [/QUOTE] [nitpick]It’s actually a myth that Cummings preferred his name uncapitalized. It was an invention of his publisher’s graphic designer; E. E. Cummings himself never professed such a preference.[/nitpick] ---
**Author:** ![Hunter\_Hawk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/50afbb/32.png) [@Hunter\_Hawk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hunter_Hawk)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2006, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-artist-who-is-the-worst-influence/379425/14 "2006-11-08T05:41:54Z")
H. P. Lovecraft. Robert E. Howard. ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2006, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-artist-who-is-the-worst-influence/379425/15 "2006-11-08T06:11:38Z")
Either Gene Roddenberry, or Albert Speer, depending on how jaded I feel at the moment. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2006, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-artist-who-is-the-worst-influence/379425/16 "2006-11-08T06:40:47Z")
I’m pleased to be the first to mention Quentin Tarrentino. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2006, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-artist-who-is-the-worst-influence/379425/17 "2006-11-08T17:44:26Z")
If you are a law and order type Willie Nelson. Personally I like him and his attitude. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2006, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-artist-who-is-the-worst-influence/379425/18 "2006-11-08T17:57:02Z")
[QUOTE=Ranchoth] …Albert Speer, depending on how jaded I feel at the moment. [/QUOTE] He’s a favorite of yours? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![GargoyleWB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gargoylewb/32/199_2.png) [@GargoyleWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GargoyleWB)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2006, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-artist-who-is-the-worst-influence/379425/19 "2006-11-08T19:21:43Z")
Not artist specifically, but I’d vote for _Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon_. Wuxia wire-fu fantasy movies have been around forever, just never in the popular western media. CTHD sparked a flood of poorly performed wire stunts and martial arts in everything from TV to commercials to music videos. It is now almost impossible to find a good old-fashioned tough-guy _Any Which Way but Loose_ fight scene, everyone now has to spin-kick and wire-flip. ---
**Author:** ![vibrotronica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/a9a28c/32.png) [@vibrotronica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vibrotronica)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2006, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-artist-who-is-the-worst-influence/379425/20 "2006-11-08T21:14:56Z")
Led Zepplin. They had a couple of classic albums, but they inspired a LOT of shit. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-artist-who-is-the-worst-influence/379425.md?page=2)