# Why does everyone hate Thomas Kinkaide?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-everyone-hate-thomas-kinkaide/487592>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [February 27, 2009, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-everyone-hate-thomas-kinkaide/487592 "2009-02-27T01:05:39Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 10

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**Author:** ![aaslatten](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f14d63/32.png) [@aaslatten](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aaslatten)\
**Post date:** [March 7, 2009, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-everyone-hate-thomas-kinkaide/487592/181 "2009-03-07T12:32:41Z")

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I personally hate Thomas Kincade because my parents absolutely love the $800 (or whatever) print they have hanging over their couch. The painting was approved by the decorator and sent to the store for those special “highlights.” It makes me want to pull my hair out. So yeah, it’s more about hating how people react to this crap than hating the actual crap itself. If Kincade were just another starving hotel artist, everything would be fine.

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**Author:** ![Baal\_Houtham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baal_houtham/32/13604_2.png) [@Baal\_Houtham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baal_Houtham)\
**Post date:** [March 7, 2009, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-everyone-hate-thomas-kinkaide/487592/182 "2009-03-07T17:57:02Z")

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> [@CrazyCatLady](#):
>
> There’s no heart or fabulous technique to them that differentiates them from thousands of other pictures of the same type.

Yepper, the guy is nothing special.

Many people in this thread have made the point that there is no absolute standard for “good” art. That’s it’s ultimately subjective. Still, I’m pretty sure that twenty years after Kinkaide’s death, there will not be a new generation that discovers and loves his paintings.

People won’t buy coffee table books of his art.

Unlike, for example, [Maxfield Parrish](http://endicottstudio.typepad.com/endicott_redux/images/2008/03/16/maxfield_parrish.jpg), another somewhat glurgey guy…but one with a ton of talent.

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