# Most undeserving celebrity? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 25, 2004, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-undeserving-celebrity/271129 "2004-10-25T22:00:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2004, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-undeserving-celebrity/271129/81 "2004-10-26T21:51:27Z")
I can’t understand the almost unanimous hatred for Carrot Top on this board. I mean, have you guys really seen the guy? He’s freakin’ hilarious. Come on, the phoneless cord? Ok, ok, I can see how the phoneless cord can go either way but I present to you one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen someone do on live tv. The one thing Carrot Top did that NONE OF YOU can deny was funny… He went on Leno and, live, in person, handed Shaquelle O’Neal a _basketball with a motherfucking scope on it_. Carrot Top is funny. I rest my case. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2004, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-undeserving-celebrity/271129/82 "2004-10-26T22:42:21Z")
> [@yosemite](#): > > Hey, that was me, not BrotherCadfael! > [@Governor Quinn](#): > > He’s three posts ahead of you. > [@Boyo Jim](#): > > YES, Victor Mature. Here’s an action shot of him , and maybe why I thought of him as red-faced. Here’s another. Nah-na-na-na-Nah-na! ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-undeserving-celebrity/271129/83 "2004-10-27T00:49:33Z")
Any rapper or hip-hopper. Pretty much everyone else turning out recordings these days. No talent necessary, just a big pair of gazongas or a pair of socks stuffed in the pants. Nicholas Cage Madonna The list goes on but it’s too depressing… ---
**Author:** ![Liz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/liz/32/17737_2.png) [@Liz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liz)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-undeserving-celebrity/271129/84 "2004-10-27T01:06:21Z")
> [@Clothahump](#): > > Any rapper or hip-hopper. > > Pretty much everyone else turning out recordings these days. No talent necessary, just a big pair of gazongas or a pair of socks stuffed in the pants. > > Nicholas Cage > > Madonna > > The list goes on but it’s too depressing… I’ll give you Madonna, but “any rapper or hip-hopper”? Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat? > [@vd](#): > > Any Osbourne family member not named Ozzy.\* His daughter’s cover of “Papa don’t Preach” was horrendous. Honey. Stakes. Ants. Those are the only answer for that man’s wife and children. I’m also not too terribly bothered by Paris Hilton. She’s rich and fairly pretty. What’s the crime? ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-undeserving-celebrity/271129/85 "2004-10-27T04:34:34Z")
I can’t believe we’ve gotten to 85 posts with only one brief mention of Zsa Zsa Gabor, the original person famous for being famous, and no mention of George Hamilton, who followed in her footsteps. I’ll second Adam Sandler, see your David Spade, and raise you practically every other member of the cast of SNL in the last decade except the late Phil Hartman. Oh, and has anyone thought of Paris Hilton? Oww! Owww, stop throwing things at me!!! ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-undeserving-celebrity/271129/86 "2004-10-27T04:49:49Z")
> [@BrotherCadfael](#): > > Victor Mature? Actually, by many accounts, Victor Mature himself agreed with you. An old Hollywood anecdote says that he tried to join an exclusive golf/country club, and was told by a member “They really don’t want actors as members.” Supposedly, Mature laughed, “I’m NOT an actor, and I’ve got 60 movies that prove it.” Mature seemed to get a lot of “Gladiator”-type, sword-and-sandal flicks and a lot of Biblical epics. He joked that he had a talent for “making with the holy look.” In any event, even if Mature was no great actor, and even if his best-known work hasn’t aged very well, it’s hard to begrudge him the fame and fortune he had. He knew he was a lucky and not-particularly-talented stiff, and didn’t mind admitting it. ---
**Author:** ![mike1dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@mike1dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mike1dog)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-undeserving-celebrity/271129/87 "2004-10-27T05:01:54Z")
How about Anna Kournikova? I know she looks good but…Uhm, what was I saying? ---
**Author:** ![fishbicycle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aeb1de/32.png) [@fishbicycle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fishbicycle)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-undeserving-celebrity/271129/88 "2004-10-27T05:46:10Z")
Harland Williams and the guy who played Larry “Bud” Melman on Letterman are two of the most unfunny people I’ve ever seen trying to make a living in comedy. And Rick Dees! He’s legendary for being a big dork. Lots and lots of talented, funny actors and DJs went jobless while he racked up a career for being as smarmy and embarrassing as possible. ---
**Author:** ![Roseworm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df788c/32.png) [@Roseworm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roseworm)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 8:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-undeserving-celebrity/271129/89 "2004-10-27T08:27:48Z")
It goes without saying that Whoopee Goldberg _is not funny_. More to the point, how did she ever become the “Sage/Wise Woman/Earth Mother” of Hollywood? They even played on this perception by casting her as the oracle-like “Guinan” on “Star Trek: Generations.” \ Still, in her defense, I must say that she has found her true role as the center square on “The Hollywood Squares.” No one deserves it more. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 10:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-undeserving-celebrity/271129/90 "2004-10-27T10:56:49Z")
I must thank you all for the comments so far. This thread has been vastly entertaining. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 11:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-undeserving-celebrity/271129/91 "2004-10-27T11:15:37Z")
I’ll nominate most of the people from _The Real World_. Out of all those, I think Puck is probably the worst. Why can’t he just go away? He was only on for half a season and that was back in 1994!!! ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-undeserving-celebrity/271129/92 "2004-10-27T12:53:50Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > Actually, by many accounts, Victor Mature himself agreed with you. An old Hollywood anecdote says that he tried to join an exclusive golf/country club, and was told by a member “They really don’t want actors as members.” Supposedly, Mature laughed, “I’m NOT an actor, and I’ve got 60 movies that prove it.” > > Mature seemed to get a lot of “Gladiator”-type, sword-and-sandal flicks and a lot of Biblical epics. He joked that he had a talent for “making with the holy look.” > > In any event, even if Mature was no great actor, and even if his best-known work hasn’t aged very well, it’s hard to begrudge him the fame and fortune he had. He knew he was a lucky and not-particularly-talented stiff, and didn’t mind admitting it. Mature had a couple of decent parts, mostly in toga dramas. His “Sampson” was pretty good, and he was quite good as Demetrius in “The Robe”, an underated flick… ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Death](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecccb3/32.png) [@Evil\_Death](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Death)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-undeserving-celebrity/271129/93 "2004-10-27T12:56:27Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > I’ll nominate most of the people from _The Real World_. Who are the exceptions? The only one I know of is Judd Winick. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-undeserving-celebrity/271129/94 "2004-10-27T15:05:56Z")
Julia Roberts She’s had huge success and for the life of me I can’t figure out why. She can’t act, her Oscar for _Erin Brockovich_ was one of the least deserved awards in the istory of the show, and that’s too bad because Brockovich really deserved a better rendering of her story with a real actress. Roberts has no range and no chops of any kind that I can fathom. I’ve never seen her disappear into a character and even her “acting” scenes are always incredibly clunky and unconvincing. On top of that, she’s not even hot. I don’t know a single guy who thinks she’s any better than average looking. Personally, I find her on the homely side and she’s also too skinny for my taste. She has a completely vaccuous personality as well, which is also a turn off for me. I don’t have a clue why this woman is regarded as some sort of superstar. I wouldn’t cast her in dinner theater. ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-undeserving-celebrity/271129/95 "2004-10-27T15:07:32Z")
> [@Roseworm](#): > > It goes without saying that Whoopee Goldberg _is not funny_. More to the point, how did she ever become the “Sage/Wise Woman/Earth Mother” of Hollywood? They even played on this perception by casting her as the oracle-like “Guinan” on “Star Trek: Generations.” \ > > Still, in her defense, I must say that she has found her true role as the center square on “The Hollywood Squares.” No one deserves it more. I’ll have to stand up for Whoopi as one of the worst _used_ talents in Hollywood. And yes, she is remarkably talented, but has rarely been given the chance to use those skills. The first time I saw her was about 20 years ago in a TV broadcast of a one-woman show she did on Broadway. She played about half a dozen different characters – an old Jamaican woman, a small child, a disabled woman, a (male) street pimp, etc. – in short sketches she had written herself. Her transformation into these characters was complete and amazing, and the writing was astounding. The sketches were funny, but each had a powerful undercurrent of sorrow and depth. It was simply one of the most amazing performances I have ever seen. And at the end she had a little closing speech to the audience in which she slowly and subtly switched from one accent to another: Cockney, French, American Southern, etc. (And back then she was thin and pretty sexy!) Unfortunately, it doesn’t look as though that show is available on tape or DVD, at least according to IMDB. (But I’ve just found out that she’s reprising the show on Broadway starting next month!) Her first big role in Hollywood was in _The Color Purple_, which I thought was an absolutely stunning performance (and won her an Oscar), but since then she has gone from one dog to the next. I’ve always hoped to see something else that really used her talents, and I’ve almost always been disappointed. I think Hollywood has had a hard time figuring out how to use the acting skill, intelligence, and sense of humor displayed in that one-woman show, and sadly, she has allowed herself to appear in too many things that were waaaaay beneath her abilities. So I don’t blame people who have only seen the crap she has done for thinking there’s nothing there, but believe me, she is as talented as anyone appearing on TV or in the movies. Whoopi is a tragic case (IMO) of unfulfilled potential. ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-undeserving-celebrity/271129/96 "2004-10-27T15:12:10Z")
Whoops! I got it wrong about the Oscar. She was nominated for _The Color Purple_ but won for _Ghost_. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-undeserving-celebrity/271129/97 "2004-10-27T15:23:15Z")
> [@Diogenes the Cynic](#): > > Roberts has no range and no chops of any kind that I can fathom. I’ve never seen her disappear into a character and even her “acting” scenes are always incredibly clunky and unconvincing. Boy howdy, this is so true. I cringe whenever she has to laugh on screen. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-undeserving-celebrity/271129/98 "2004-10-27T15:31:00Z")
> [@Aesiron](#): > > William Hung … his fifteen minutes are finally up I hate to be the bearer of bad news but [those 15 minutes aren’t quite up yet](http://www.towerrecords.com/product.aspx?pfid=3072455). > [@DesertGeezer](#): > > One more chiming in for Conan O’Brien. I thought of him first, though I had to read to post #12 to find him listed the first time. I realize he has talent as a writer. Let him write. But I was horrified to hear that NBC is actually going to move him to The Tonight Show when Leno retires. Leno’s last night will be the last time I ever watch that show. O’Brien almost literally makes me sick. His writing may be funny, but he is not. He is about the most repulsive individual I’ve ever seen on TV. Damn right! How the hell he got a show is beyond me, NBC surely could have found better. ---
**Author:** ![Balle\_M](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/13edae/32.png) [@Balle\_M](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balle_M)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-undeserving-celebrity/271129/99 "2004-10-27T17:04:14Z")
> [@Diogenes the Cynic](#): > > Julia Roberts > > I don’t have a clue why this woman is regarded as some sort of superstar. I wouldn’t cast her in dinner theater. Dio, Although we’ll never agree politically, I will admit you have excellent taste. I’ll only give you a 90% on the above description 'cause you left out the key word “horse-faced”. ---
**Author:** ![FordPrefect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e99b99/32.png) [@FordPrefect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FordPrefect)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-undeserving-celebrity/271129/100 "2004-10-27T17:11:31Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > How about Jennifer Love Hewitt? She is cute, and has a balconey you could do Shakespeare from. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-undeserving-celebrity/271129.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-undeserving-celebrity/271129.md?page=6)