# I Hate that Mothefucking Cocksucker Thomas Kinkade & Refuse to Pretend Otherwise

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-that-mothefucking-cocksucker-thomas-kinkade-refuse-to-pretend-otherwise/169401>\
**Category:** The BBQ Pit\
**Created:** [April 17, 2003, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-that-mothefucking-cocksucker-thomas-kinkade-refuse-to-pretend-otherwise/169401 "2003-04-17T20:03:14Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 5

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**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\
**Post date:** [April 18, 2003, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-that-mothefucking-cocksucker-thomas-kinkade-refuse-to-pretend-otherwise/169401/81 "2003-04-18T03:54:52Z")

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My favorite contemporary artist:

> **[Amy Brown Art](https://amybrownart.com/)**
>
> Amy Brown Art - official website of fantasy artist, Amy Brown. Here you'll find fairies, dragons, mermaids, unicorns, and so much more. We've got prints, stickers, enamel pins, bookmarks, and calendars. Come hang out for a while!

LOVE Amy Brown.

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**Author:** ![capybara](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/capybara/32/202_2.png) [@capybara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/capybara)\
**Post date:** [April 18, 2003, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-that-mothefucking-cocksucker-thomas-kinkade-refuse-to-pretend-otherwise/169401/82 "2003-04-18T04:04:42Z")

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Pit tangent-- I fucking hate that Michelangelo slam on ‘ultramontaine’ painters. Just because Mike paints his religious figures like they are med school cadavers doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with the Flemish evocative art liked by “old women and the enthusiastic devout” or whatever Mike calls it.

Sorry,  
NOT THAT your citation was out of place-- Mike wasn’t the same kind of commercial as commercial is today, and the point is taken, but that dig at the Flemish pops up frequently and I wish Mike were around so I could stuff it down his throat. I.e., please don’t compare the Flemish 15th-16th century painters to Kinkaide. It gets my heart rate up. I work on a painter with an undeservedly poor reputation and the Vasari-Michelangelo cult art mafia has done enough of a job on art history.

I think I know the whale guy you’re talking about — vandalizes cities with big-ass murals here and there, no?

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**Author:** ![CanvasShoes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@CanvasShoes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CanvasShoes)\
**Post date:** [April 18, 2003, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-that-mothefucking-cocksucker-thomas-kinkade-refuse-to-pretend-otherwise/169401/83 "2003-04-18T04:10:02Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by fessie \*  
> \*\*CanvasShoes, I’m so glad my follow-on was helpful; I felt your thoughtful question merited a thoughtful response - I didn’t think you were being flip about it. So does dance have an equivalent? Do you guys love Martha Graham and despise Paula Abdul?  
> \*\*

Most of us love all sorts of dance. And yes even Paula Abdul, that girl has some very energetic moves!!

It’s more the non-dancers (an especially large and oboxious group here in Alaska) that sneer at dancing overall that bug us. As in they have the attitude that dancing is dorky and pathetic and only losers and gay men do it. It is the sort of “I don’t like it and/or can’t do it, so I’ll make fun of it” that bugs me.

I didn’t want to do that about art. I am well aware of my near complete lack of knowledge on the subject (though based on this thread I must have at least a teensy modicum of “taste” because my thoughts of Thomas Kinkaid’s paintings have always been “well, it’s really pretty, but…” I’ve never been able to define what the “but” was though, til some of you guys explained it).

I have some acquaintences who are “real” artists. One of whom even owned her own little gallery for awhile. I remember my reactions upon seeing many of the exhibits at her various showings. A sortof a “huuurrruuH?” (LOL). But, I at least went and looked, and tried to understand the rational behind it.

😃

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**Author:** ![Earthling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/90db22/32.png) [@Earthling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earthling)\
**Post date:** [April 18, 2003, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-that-mothefucking-cocksucker-thomas-kinkade-refuse-to-pretend-otherwise/169401/84 "2003-04-18T04:14:29Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Earthling \*  
> \*\*[Separated](http://www.thomas-kinkade.com/kinbio.html) at [birth](http://usinfo.state.gov/regional/nea/iraq/crimes/#qusay)? 😃
> 
> **Nametag** , the whale guy’s name is Ryland. No, I won’t provide any links. \*\*

Ack, sorry. I meant [Wyland](http://www.wyland.com). See if that’s the guy.

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**Author:** ![fessie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c37758/32.png) [@fessie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fessie)\
**Post date:** [April 18, 2003, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-that-mothefucking-cocksucker-thomas-kinkade-refuse-to-pretend-otherwise/169401/85 "2003-04-18T04:16:35Z")

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Point taken, capybara. I figured a true art historian was out there lurking somewhere. Nothing against the Flemish. Especially if they’re also Asian and give head.

That whale guy’s site is hysterical, looks like Fabio has found a second career, what with that goose mauling and all.

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**Author:** ![altoid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/45deac/32.png) [@altoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/altoid)\
**Post date:** [April 18, 2003, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-that-mothefucking-cocksucker-thomas-kinkade-refuse-to-pretend-otherwise/169401/86 "2003-04-18T04:19:46Z")

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Thomas Kincade= Painter of Crap

I suppose the venom comes from his attitude about his work and in general. (He was on 60 minutes about a year ago.) He swears his painting is doing the world a favor! Ugh. His general attitude is waaay too sanctimonious, like every murder in Columbo movies. It wouldn’t surprise me if someday several children are found locked in his basement, he’s that creepy.

Now for the sake of art appreciation I use lots of art I consider fairly bad kitsch (I used to teach an Art Appreciation class.) Not everybody will become a Pollock aficionado. But. Never. In. A. Million. Years. Will. Kincade. Ever. Be. Used. For. Appreciation. Ever, ever, ever, never!

Bob Ross was hardly Picasso, but I still have to like the guy. He was honest about what he did and actually attempted to teach something.

P.S. A great movie about Van Gogh is Vincent and Theo. It shows his financial strife throughout most of his life and a little about his time with Paul Gaugin. Beautiful as a film as well.

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**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\
**Post date:** [April 18, 2003, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-that-mothefucking-cocksucker-thomas-kinkade-refuse-to-pretend-otherwise/169401/87 "2003-04-18T04:45:26Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> _Originally posted by Nametag_  
> It might be Lassen, but I don’t think this guy was from Hawai’i; I know who I can ask. She’s an art teacher at a local junior college (a fabulously wealthy junior college, but a JC nonetheless), and she told me this story about the whale guy.

Was he wearing a shirt? If he was, then apparently it wasn’t Lassen.

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**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\
**Post date:** [April 18, 2003, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-that-mothefucking-cocksucker-thomas-kinkade-refuse-to-pretend-otherwise/169401/88 "2003-04-18T04:47:28Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Aslan2 \*  
> \*\*I thought **Libertarian’s** post was referencing people being called asian. Please excuse my stupidity.  
> I think he was either offended by what you suggested, or “The little asian kids drawing it in for him” comment. \*\*

Yeah, you may very well be right, as that was the only comment about race in the post. But I simply can’t see how that could be considered offensive to anyone. The cocksucker thing, on the other hand, could be considered offensive, but clearly isn’t racist. \<shrug\> If **Lib** ever comes back, maybe he’ll explain.

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**Author:** ![Already\_in\_Use](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a9adbd/32.png) [@Already\_in\_Use](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Already_in_Use)\
**Post date:** [April 18, 2003, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-that-mothefucking-cocksucker-thomas-kinkade-refuse-to-pretend-otherwise/169401/89 "2003-04-18T04:48:19Z")

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[Here](http://www.jinwicked.com/artihate/kinkade.html) is **jinwicked** ’s lovely site about Thomas Kinkade.

What bothers me is not the fact that Thomas Kinkade exists. There will always be crap. What bothers me is that he’s so fucking popular, which seems to indicate that Jean Teasdale has better taste than a significant portion of America.

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**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\
**Post date:** [April 18, 2003, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-that-mothefucking-cocksucker-thomas-kinkade-refuse-to-pretend-otherwise/169401/90 "2003-04-18T04:49:20Z")

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Auuggh! Augghhh! It’s Wyland! It’s Wyland! Clorox my eyeballs and Drano my brainpan ohgodohgodohgod… [sub]whimper[/sub].

Yeah, that’s him. The mural guy. It’s funny to walk past his gallery in Fisherman’s Wharf and pick out the art lovers by their nauseated expressions as they walk past.

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**Author:** ![Earthling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/90db22/32.png) [@Earthling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earthling)\
**Post date:** [April 18, 2003, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-that-mothefucking-cocksucker-thomas-kinkade-refuse-to-pretend-otherwise/169401/91 "2003-04-18T04:55:08Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by fessie \*  
> **That whale guy’s site is hysterical, looks like Fabio has found a second career, what with that goose mauling and all.**

“Duuuuuude! I’ve been sniffing too much paint!” 😃

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**Author:** ![fessie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c37758/32.png) [@fessie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fessie)\
**Post date:** [April 18, 2003, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-that-mothefucking-cocksucker-thomas-kinkade-refuse-to-pretend-otherwise/169401/92 "2003-04-18T05:10:26Z")

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Jinwicked’s site is SO COOL, I love her rants there (did you see the hate mail she rec’d?). And I think her art is terrific - “Trees Vol. II” is my favorite. Thx for the link!

Spavined Gelding, I’m loving your paintings too - I knew I’d seen Jin’s images before, so I re-checked the “Teemings” gallery & didn’t find her stuff there, so now I’m not sure where I saw hers; But I recognized your name on the paintings that I already knew I enjoyed:

[http://www.teemings.com/gallery/index2.html](http://www.teemings.com/gallery/index2.html)

People should check this out b/c it’s the kind of representational work that’s popular, only unlike Kinkade it’s very well done.

Geez, now I’m tempted to post a link to my own page only that seems raaaather self-serving. Or is it “put your money where your mouth is”? I sent some stuff to Eutychuss the other day but it’s not posted on teemings - not sure if I followed the right protocol.

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**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\
**Post date:** [April 18, 2003, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-that-mothefucking-cocksucker-thomas-kinkade-refuse-to-pretend-otherwise/169401/93 "2003-04-18T05:36:37Z")

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Y’know, I’ve been here for, what, three years? And I never knew there was a Teemings Gallery.

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**Author:** ![anya\_marie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ebca7d/32.png) [@anya\_marie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anya_marie)\
**Post date:** [April 18, 2003, 7:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-that-mothefucking-cocksucker-thomas-kinkade-refuse-to-pretend-otherwise/169401/94 "2003-04-18T07:10:08Z")

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I’ve had some luck finding cool older posters on Ebay, and i am getting a Split Enz poster. It will look fabulous next to my \*Woodface/i]Crowded House poster, and my room shall be nirvana.

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**Author:** ![Zenster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/cdc98d/32.png) [@Zenster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zenster)\
**Post date:** [April 18, 2003, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-that-mothefucking-cocksucker-thomas-kinkade-refuse-to-pretend-otherwise/169401/95 "2003-04-18T07:15:57Z")

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You should all be happy to know that **TK** has taken a huge hit in recent times. He has had to lay off staff and the value of his work has dropped big time.

In an interview he had the nerve to say that he’s sold more paintings than Picasso, Van Gough and Rembrant combined.

My only thought is:

Yeah, and McDonald’s has sold more hamburgers than anyone, but that doesn’t make it good food.

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**Author:** ![AveDementia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bc8723/32.png) [@AveDementia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AveDementia)\
**Post date:** [April 18, 2003, 8:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-that-mothefucking-cocksucker-thomas-kinkade-refuse-to-pretend-otherwise/169401/96 "2003-04-18T08:16:23Z")

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There’s a Thomas Kincade book. Actually he didn’t write it himself- big shocker there, huh? :rolleyes:

Cape Light is the name, and the real author is Katherine Spencer. (She gets the lower case authorship credit for the privledge of spewing Kincade-worthy gluge.)

There’s a review of it on the Salon website, if anyone wants to read about it.  
::crickets chirping::

Hey, I dare somebody to actually attempt to read it and post about it here on the boards!!!

Come on, who’s the masochist?? There’s gotta be somebody in this crowd sick enough to brave the horror… I mean brave enough to sicken this crowd… or do I mean horrible enough?

Come on, who doesn’t really need their eyeballs!!!

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**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\
**Post date:** [April 18, 2003, 10:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-that-mothefucking-cocksucker-thomas-kinkade-refuse-to-pretend-otherwise/169401/97 "2003-04-18T10:22:07Z")

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I didn’t mean to dampen the Kinkade bashing. I just thought it could have been done without the racial slur.

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**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\
**Post date:** [April 18, 2003, 10:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-that-mothefucking-cocksucker-thomas-kinkade-refuse-to-pretend-otherwise/169401/98 "2003-04-18T10:46:17Z")

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I rather like Pollack… I didn’t, until I saw a movie of him painting, and then I understood. It’s all about movement and action. His work is the result of the process of making it, as opposed to a representational painting where the process has a designed end.

I also really and deeply respect Rockwell. He was a craftsman. And in a way Kinkaid is not. It may be ‘common’ art, but it was all realistic. A wall was a wall, a house would have a firm foundation. And he could show pain, he could show suffering, but that was not his focus, nor does it have to be in order for his work to be art. He was the painter of daily life. Certainly, some of his work verged on ‘precious moments’, but does that make it invalid?

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**Author:** ![Doc\_Nickel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/5fc32e/32.png) [@Doc\_Nickel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doc_Nickel)\
**Post date:** [April 18, 2003, 10:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-that-mothefucking-cocksucker-thomas-kinkade-refuse-to-pretend-otherwise/169401/99 "2003-04-18T10:48:02Z")

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I don’t see it as a racial slur. The fact of the matter is, the use of children in sweatshops is pretty much a given in China, Taiwan, Vietnam and Korea, among others. “Asian” is not a racist epithet to any but the most extreme PC-ists (the kind that refer to dogs as “Canine-Americans” and so forth.)

> [@](#):
>
> You should all be happy to know that TK has taken a huge hit in recent times. He has had to lay off staff and the value of his work has dropped big time.

No kidding. I can’t imagine the value of some mass-produced prints has fallen from the $5000 mark just because there’s twenty million of them out there.

'Course, that just means TK’s personal fortune has plummeted all the way down to the double-digit millions- I’m sure he’s practically destitute and shedding many a tear that he was able to keep the charade going as long as he did.

On that note, I see there’s other TK tidbits being offered for sale in such liminous publications as _Parade_ magazine- little holiday statuettes and such.

I can fortunately say that no family member of mine, or even distant relative, or even close friend, would be caught dead with any work of Kinkade’s in the house.

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**Author:** ![Meka\_Leka\_Hi\_Meka\_Hiney\_Ho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f19dbf/32.png) [@Meka\_Leka\_Hi\_Meka\_Hiney\_Ho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meka_Leka_Hi_Meka_Hiney_Ho)\
**Post date:** [April 18, 2003, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-that-mothefucking-cocksucker-thomas-kinkade-refuse-to-pretend-otherwise/169401/100 "2003-04-18T11:36:57Z")

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I don’t understand the problem. It’s not art, folks. They’re just pretty pictures. The fact that it sells so well can be directly attributed to the fact that most people don’t give a flaming hamster crap about art, they want pretty pictures.

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