# John Mayer - from whence this hate? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 13, 2003, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-mayer-from-whence-this-hate/175009 "2003-05-13T18:47:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Faerie\_Nuff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/76d3ee/32.png) [@Faerie\_Nuff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Faerie_Nuff)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-mayer-from-whence-this-hate/175009/1 "2003-05-13T18:47:59Z")
Okay, I gotta ask, why does everyone seem to hate John Mayer so much? I mean, I kinda _have_ to like him cause we went to high school together. (Totally looking forward to the 10-year reunion, btw.) I have a friend who stills hangs out with him. He’s always been a nice guy and, I think, a pretty good musician. Plus he totally knows he sounds like Dave Matthews, it’s just the voice though. He does a hilarious DM impression. Listening to his music, the only huge similarities I notice are the voice and the fact that he happens to also have a guitar. So, guys, where’s the love? ---
**Author:** ![DarbyV](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@DarbyV](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DarbyV)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-mayer-from-whence-this-hate/175009/2 "2003-05-13T19:04:39Z")
There is this video that he does with Nora Jones where he makes the goofiest faces known to mankind while he’s singing. That was the first time I really paid attention to him and it just put me off. I also don’t like Dave Matthews so that might have something to do with it. I just don’t like any of the songs I’ve heard. I did watch an interview one time and he was amusing but the goofy faces have to go, someone should really tell him. walks off singing your body is a taco stand… ---
**Author:** ![Zazie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Zazie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zazie)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-mayer-from-whence-this-hate/175009/3 "2003-05-13T19:05:14Z")
Who hates him!? I only hear good things about the guy. I like his music ---
**Author:** ![5-HT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/5/f19dbf/32.png) [@5-HT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/5-HT)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-mayer-from-whence-this-hate/175009/4 "2003-05-13T19:07:21Z")
Who’s John Mayer? ---
**Author:** ![blanx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f04885/32.png) [@blanx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blanx)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-mayer-from-whence-this-hate/175009/5 "2003-05-13T19:12:35Z")
It’s the faces. watch any of his videos with concert footage. The music’s fine, but once I saw the videos, I had the hate. ---
**Author:** ![Lisa-go-Blind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Lisa-go-Blind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lisa-go-Blind)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-mayer-from-whence-this-hate/175009/6 "2003-05-13T19:14:59Z")
His music is sappy and sentimental, and there’s something vaguely creepy about him. ---
**Author:** ![percussion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/43a26b/32.png) [@percussion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/percussion)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-mayer-from-whence-this-hate/175009/7 "2003-05-13T19:21:10Z")
theres too many songs on room for squares that hit home… i really like him -ed ---
**Author:** ![In\_Conceivable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/4bbf92/32.png) [@In\_Conceivable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/In_Conceivable)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-mayer-from-whence-this-hate/175009/8 "2003-05-13T19:25:39Z")
I liked him until I saw the video for “Your Body Is A Wonderland”. He looked like a creepy pervert in the video. Now when I hear the song on the radio all I can think is “Don’t let him touch you lady!” Sorry. ---
**Author:** ![Zazie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Zazie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zazie)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-mayer-from-whence-this-hate/175009/9 "2003-05-13T19:44:38Z")
Geez, I GOT to see his videos… ---
**Author:** ![Skydive101](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f07891/32.png) [@Skydive101](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skydive101)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-mayer-from-whence-this-hate/175009/10 "2003-05-13T20:01:52Z")
Yup, I really like the Room for Squares CD. And yes, he does look goofy in the videos and live footage I’ve seen. Oh well, maybe it’s just how he sings, not really a deal breaker in my book. ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-mayer-from-whence-this-hate/175009/11 "2003-05-13T20:18:55Z")
I’m torn. I really like his ballads even if they’re extremely sappy but I want to hate him 'cause of his videos. Dilemma. ---
**Author:** ![unwashed\_brain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/a9adbd/32.png) [@unwashed\_brain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/unwashed_brain)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-mayer-from-whence-this-hate/175009/12 "2003-05-13T20:23:09Z")
He needs some new material, but other than that I think he’s the best songwriter to come out in quite a while. I’ve been catching him live since November of 1998 (long live **Eddie’s Attic**!), and he’s always made wierd faces. All the best guitar players do it. He does tend to make them more often when he’s nervous, though (TV appearances, especially). In conversation, he’s a really nice guy with a mind a mouth that go twice the posted limit. Frenetically witty is how I describe him - slightly mad and extremely intelligent. ---
**Author:** ![Gundy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b782af/32.png) [@Gundy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gundy)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-mayer-from-whence-this-hate/175009/13 "2003-05-13T20:26:32Z")
I don’t HATE him so much but he’s a little too mellow for my tastes, and as I too dislike the Dave Matthews Band, the similarity is not a good thing to me. I just hate that damned wonderland song. ---
**Author:** ![Faerie\_Nuff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/76d3ee/32.png) [@Faerie\_Nuff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Faerie_Nuff)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-mayer-from-whence-this-hate/175009/14 "2003-05-13T20:39:26Z")
Okay. I could see the weird looking thing. He’s always been weird looking, since Junior High. He’s got these big dark circles under his eyes that kind of make him look like Lurch. I never noticed the weird facial expressions in person, but they’re hard to avoid when you have a weird face. My friends and I are wondering why all the teenage girls are swooning over him cause we don’t see it. But maybe we’ve just known him for too long. I still think his music is good. And I almost never see any videos, so I guess I’m blessed. ---
**Author:** ![unwashed\_brain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/a9adbd/32.png) [@unwashed\_brain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/unwashed_brain)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-mayer-from-whence-this-hate/175009/15 "2003-05-13T20:40:48Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Gundy \* > \*\*I just hate that damned wonderland song. \*\* **Gundy** , I consider it a prime example of how clueless Grammy voters are that John won for THAT song, which (besides being a great making-whoopie song) demonstrates the least amount of his talent on the album. ---
**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:** [May 13, 2003, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-mayer-from-whence-this-hate/175009/16 "2003-05-13T22:17:22Z")
I like him so far. But I can’t stand Dave Matthews. When I first heard his first single, I said to myself, “Wow. Dave Matthews wrote a good song, and shit-canned all the goofy-sounding instruments!” Been waiting to get the album, but I’m cheap and lazy… * * * Never kiss an animal that can lick its own butt. ---
**Author:** ![Payton\_s\_Servant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3da27b/32.png) [@Payton\_s\_Servant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Payton_s_Servant)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-mayer-from-whence-this-hate/175009/17 "2003-05-13T22:20:54Z")
**Your Body Is A Wonderland** has been overplayed to the point that it has achieved the same “I can’t stand this damn song!!” status as Tom Cochrane’s **Life Is A Highway**. Plus the goofy faces. ---
**Author:** ![Qwertyasdfg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/ecc23a/32.png) [@Qwertyasdfg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qwertyasdfg)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-mayer-from-whence-this-hate/175009/18 "2003-05-13T22:21:40Z")
I’d say hes an excellent guitarist, and a good singer/song writer. I agree the faces he makes while playing are weird. I’ve never seen the videos but now I really want to. He get’s my stamp of approval. ---
**Author:** ![lilbtagna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4491bb/32.png) [@lilbtagna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lilbtagna)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-mayer-from-whence-this-hate/175009/19 "2003-05-13T22:38:54Z")
My friend bought me the CD for my birthday, and I really like it. He’s an extremely talented writer and plays the guitar very well. However, what puts me off are the goofy faces he makes (like everyone says), and the fact that he comes off as creepy and conceited to me. I don’t know why exactly, but I wouldn’t want to hang out with him. Oh well…I’ll just listening to the CD so I don’t have to see him. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Peg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b38774/32.png) [@Peg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peg)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2003, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-mayer-from-whence-this-hate/175009/20 "2003-05-14T00:18:50Z")
I think it’s just backlash replacing the hype. I’m not a fan – mostly indifferent – and never bought into the hype, so maybe I’m not the best person to comment. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-mayer-from-whence-this-hate/175009.md?page=2)