# Why does everyone hate Thomas Kinkaide? **URL:** \ **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:** 20\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![Vox\_Imperatoris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Vox\_Imperatoris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vox_Imperatoris)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2009, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-everyone-hate-thomas-kinkaide/487592/141 "2009-03-01T04:58:50Z")
> [@Knorf](#): > > Is it possible for a nation-wide restaurant chain to consistently provide high cuisine? That is totally not the same thing, since a nation-wide restaurant consists of many different chefs, but a single artist can sell many copies of his paintings. But I’ve never been disappointed in Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, so yes, a nation-wide restaurant can provide (relatively) high cuisine consistently. Valete, Vox Imperatoris ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2009, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-everyone-hate-thomas-kinkaide/487592/142 "2009-03-01T05:04:00Z")
> [@Knorf](#): > > Is it possible for a nation-wide restaurant chain to consistently provide high cuisine? [Sure](http://www.mccormickandschmicks.com/locationmap.aspx). But, I don’t think the two are exactly analogous. Was Keith Harring an Artist? How about Andy Warhol? Or, maybe closer to the point, William Wegman? ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2009, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-everyone-hate-thomas-kinkaide/487592/143 "2009-03-01T05:46:09Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > Is it possible for an artist to be _great_ and _commercially successful_ at the same time? The thing is, fine visual art such as paintings and sculpture have little narrative by themselves (as opposed to music, books and films). Much of the interpretation falls onto that of the viewer. If the viewer doesn’t come from a framework or context the artist has been immersed in while creating a work, they’re just going to judge it on superficial, technical merits alone, or at the very least, on a shallow emotional response. The thing with Kinkade, is he’s all superficial. His work isn’t trying to accomplish anything outside of trying to create a collectible brand for himself. Like Precious Moments™, or Beanie Babies™. So, it’s about honesty. Disney was about entertaining. He was successful in that regard, and made a crap-load of cash. But for him, it was always about the entertaining first. Look at any successful artist, and their legacy, and ask yourself what their motive was. Was it to just get rich, or because _creating_ was _in_ them in a profound and important way. Maybe there was a time when Kinkade was sincere about his art, but I think it’s become painfully obvious that that time has well past. He chose a life of avarice and it’s only destroyed what little credibility he ever had in the first place. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2009, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-everyone-hate-thomas-kinkaide/487592/144 "2009-03-01T05:48:15Z")
> [@Sublight](#): > > **astorian** , go up to a chef and tell them you think that their food is almost as good as McDonald’s. > > Then when they react negatively to this, you can point out that they knew what kind of food was popular when they got into cooking, so any complaints now are just jealousy at someone else’s success. This, I think, sums up Kinkade best. It’s especially apt IMO because Kinkade’s work is much like the food at McD’s: it’s ostensibly art/food, but it’s more a simulacrum than the real thing. A quick, cheap, and easy product designed to cater to the lowest common denominator. If you enjoy it, more power to you, but it’s by no means quality work. ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2009, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-everyone-hate-thomas-kinkaide/487592/145 "2009-03-01T05:55:34Z")
That said, I’d like to add that Norman Rockwell would hand Thomas Kinkade’s ass to him in a cage match. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2009, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-everyone-hate-thomas-kinkaide/487592/146 "2009-03-01T13:58:32Z")
To be honest, I like some of this stuff. It makes me feel peaceful. However, I was not really that familiar with him and having gone out to some of the links here, I now understand a lot of the opinions. Beyond that, it is just a bunch of silly pigments on a canvas. I can’t get too excited about it. ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2009, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-everyone-hate-thomas-kinkaide/487592/147 "2009-03-01T16:34:37Z")
> [@Pochacco](#): > > I believe it. I understand that you believe it and many other people believe it. I was curious about whether Shodan actually believed it. ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2009, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-everyone-hate-thomas-kinkaide/487592/148 "2009-03-01T16:48:08Z")
> [@Pochacco](#): > > Well … I’m not really comfortable with the idea of a hierarchy. There’s nothing inherently inferior about interacting with art in a very simple and direct way. It’s just a different way of looking. I’m not uncomfortable about there _being_ a hierarchy, but I’m always open to the notion that I may be wrong about any particular works’ position on it. Every time we say that X work is “crap”, we are in our minds creating a hierarchy, as presumaby some other work is “not crap”. Take Kinkade and (say) the Sistine Chapel - I have no hesitation in saying that the one is _inferior_ to the other. Tastes may vary, but there are limits. ---
**Author:** ![A\_Dodgy\_Dude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a87d85/32.png) [@A\_Dodgy\_Dude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A_Dodgy_Dude)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2009, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-everyone-hate-thomas-kinkaide/487592/149 "2009-03-01T18:31:07Z")
> [@Terrifel](#): > > Imagine a person who insists that the Partridge Family was the greatest band ever. Even if you have never before expressed any vitriol toward the Partridge Family in your life, you might be inspired to condemn this person for their poor taste, or indeed kill them for the good of the species. That reminds me of an argument a bunch of friends of mine got into. “I Think I Love You” vs. “I Wanna Hold Your Hand” Remove the cool aura of the Beatles and the nerdy aura of The Partridge Family and you know what you got? Two songs of the same quality. ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2009, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-everyone-hate-thomas-kinkaide/487592/150 "2009-03-01T18:33:19Z")
Better harmony in “I Want to Hold Your Hand.” IMO only, of course. ---
**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2009, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-everyone-hate-thomas-kinkaide/487592/151 "2009-03-01T18:39:05Z")
> [@A\_Dodgy\_Dude](#): > > That reminds me of an argument a bunch of friends of mine got into. “I Think I Love You” vs. “I Wanna Hold Your Hand” Remove the cool aura of the Beatles and the nerdy aura of The Partridge Family and you know what you got? Two songs of the same quality. Oh god no. Someone was using “I Think I Love You” in a commercial, and it sounded pretty good. I tracked it down online, and it turned out they used _all_ of the good parts in the commercial, and there was lots of sappy yuck they left out. I don’t even like the Beatles, but “I Wanna Hold Your Hand” is far superior. ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2009, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-everyone-hate-thomas-kinkaide/487592/152 "2009-03-01T18:46:07Z")
> [@Scissorjack](#): > > … It’s a bad painting because it tries to evoke a sense of speed, drama and excitement, and succeeds only in being dull, static and lifeless: and the more excitement he tries to cram in, to the point of it going beyond failure into risibility {cars! jets! fireworks! uh, a blimp! note to self: monster trucks? have assistant check…}, the duller it becomes. Le Roy Frakking Neiman is better at conveying speed, drama & excitement. (Although he’s never done NASCAR–[Lemans](http://www.leroyneiman.com/merchant.ihtml?pid=104&lastcatid=24&step=4)is more his speed.) And I’m definitely not a fan. But Neiman isn’t sanctimonious–he’s just made his fortune painting bright pictures of things people like to see. Like sports & exciting parts of the world. Despite serious artistic training, he got his start as a commercial illustrator & still works for hire. –Actually, researching his work has changed my opinion a bit. I could imagine one of the _Mad Men_ becoming an early collector. Or maybe I just approve of how he’s [spending his fortune](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LeRoy_Neiman) (along with serious philanthropy): > [@](#): > > Neiman, and his wife of over 50 years (married in 1957), Janet (nee Byrne), live in New York City at the Hotel des Artistes, their home base for some 33 years. Made up of double-height rooms that overlook Central Park, this exclusive New York City landmark was originally intended for painters. Norman Rockwell once lived there, as well as celebrities Rudolph Valentino, Noel Coward and ex-mayor John Lindsay. Neiman’s painting studio, offices, and home are on one floor, his archives on another, his penthouse at the top. > > Neiman continues his painting as he enters his mid-eighties. ---
**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 1, 2009, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-everyone-hate-thomas-kinkaide/487592/153 "2009-03-01T19:21:14Z")
I remember my first time. I’d encountered the Kinkaid name on the web and in advertisements. I connected the name with the “Painter of Light” tagline. My thoughts were, Painter of Light, huh? Well, that sounds like he’s a popular artist doing slightly kitschy paintings in the tradition of Monet… only less fuzzy. And I’ll bet he’s a very good artist, because most artists who get famous beyond the art world are pretty good… Dali, Leroy Neiman, Rockwell. When I actually saw a Kinkaid it brought me up short. “My ghod, this guy is pretty much working in the Starving Artist school of painting: the people that knock out 12 pictures of sunsets and palm trees in a day’s time. Except maybe he spends 6 hours on a painting, instead of 45 minutes.” He really didn’t seem to have any artistic skill beyond what hundreds and hundreds of “starving artists” had. So, yeah art is subjective, as is music and pain and pleasure. and good and evil. But if someone thinks Kinkaid is anything special, then I believe that they are just not very visually aware. But I don’t hate Kinkaid. ---
**Author:** ![Bewildebeest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@Bewildebeest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bewildebeest)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2009, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-everyone-hate-thomas-kinkaide/487592/154 "2009-03-01T19:42:06Z")
> [@olivesmarch4th](#): > > ETA: Painter of Light? Really? I can think of nobody as deserving of that title as Monet. What a pompous ass. Painter of Glare?🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2009, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-everyone-hate-thomas-kinkaide/487592/155 "2009-03-01T19:44:09Z")
> [@Bridget\_Burke](#): > > Le Roy Frakking Neiman is better at conveying speed, drama & excitement. (Although he’s never done NASCAR–[Lemans](http://www.leroyneiman.com/merchant.ihtml?pid=104&lastcatid=24&step=4)is more his speed.) > > And I’m definitely not a fan. But Neiman isn’t sanctimonious–he’s just made his fortune painting bright pictures of things people like to see. Like sports & exciting parts of the world. Despite serious artistic training, he got his start as a commercial illustrator & still works for hire. Yeah, I see what you mean. It’s interesting to compare[this painting of Le Mans](http://www.leroyneiman.com/merchant.ihtml?pid=589&lastcatid=24&step=4) with Kinkade’s NASCAR painting: a similar treatment of the same subject - a packed grandstand watching cars speed past - and the composition is almost the same, but this one just works. I don’t think I’d hang it on my wall, but Neiman definitely succeeds at evoking the noise, speed, colour and excitement of a big car race, whereas Kinkade just embarrasses himself. ---
**Author:** ![Yorikke](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yorikke/32/4335_2.png) [@Yorikke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorikke)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2009, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-everyone-hate-thomas-kinkaide/487592/156 "2009-03-01T22:23:11Z")
[Here are some good Kinkade parodies](http://www.somethingawful.com/d/photoshop-phriday/paintings-light-ii.php?page=1). They are hit-and miss. Joe ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2009, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-everyone-hate-thomas-kinkaide/487592/157 "2009-03-01T23:10:42Z")
> [@wheresgeorge04](#): > > [Here are some good Kinkade parodies](http://www.somethingawful.com/d/photoshop-phriday/paintings-light-ii.php?page=1). They are hit-and miss. A lot of the them are hilarious! Thanks for the link. ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2009, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-everyone-hate-thomas-kinkaide/487592/158 "2009-03-02T00:12:47Z")
The very last one on [this page](http://www.somethingawful.com/d/photoshop-phriday/paintings-light-ii.php?page=13) is the best. Now _that,_ I might consider hanging on my living room wall. ---
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2009, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-everyone-hate-thomas-kinkaide/487592/159 "2009-03-02T01:44:31Z")
Dear God, some of those are funny: for me, it’s a toss-up between Gollum and Transformer Cottage. ---
**Author:** ![Yorikke](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yorikke/32/4335_2.png) [@Yorikke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorikke)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2009, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-everyone-hate-thomas-kinkaide/487592/160 "2009-03-02T02:59:17Z")
Here’s the thing. I love my Mom. I LOVE her. She never beat me, or let my uncle screw me, or anything. She did GREAT by me. But when she said “I hope Dad gets me a Kinkade print for our anniversary - they’re expensive and very collectible,” I died a little inside. Would she even get the joke if I gave her [this](http://i.somethingawful.com/inserts/articlepics/photoshop/06-09-06-kinkade/monkeyheads.jpg)? Joe [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-everyone-hate-thomas-kinkaide/487592.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-everyone-hate-thomas-kinkaide/487592.md?page=9)