"Overrated" and "Underrated" do not exist · 1:38am Nov 30th, 2020
No, really, they don't. And I'll explain why.
See, they both claim that a given part of a work or some other product or something either gets more or less attention than it deserves, generally in a situation where the person making the statement might be outnumbered by an opposing stance. But the problem therein is that it all hinges on the subjective tastes of the individual making the claim. And since no one individual truly dominates how a character or story is perceived, not even a large group of people that flock to a certain thing, overrated and underrated to not truly exist as concepts.
Let's take Derpy Hooves, for instance. Somebody who's not too fond of her might say that she's overrated. But logistically she can't really be, because there's she's a fictitious character subject to relative tastes of viewers. Just because she's very popular doesn't necessarily mean that she should or should not be.
So in summary, people can believe that a work or story element they like or dislike is getting more or less attention than they feel it deserves, but ultimately their declaration of it being over or underrated really doesn't wind up affecting anything.
I dunno, I felt like I was gonna go on longer, and I'm not sure if I've gotten my point across well, but there it is.
I have a counterpoint.
50 Shades of Gray.
5407246
...okay, point taken.
On a bit of a related note, this is typically why I detest words like "best," "greatest," "worst," or "ruined". Because usually the speaker using those words tends to make it sound completely objective and inarguable, which is patently false. Everybody has different thoughts and opinions, and almost nothing is truly that set in stone. I've written a few "best of" lists or countdowns of my own, and I take pains to make sure that I stress that they're just my personal, subjective opinion, and not meant to be seen as a statement of fact.
I even did that when I wrote up a list of objections that I had with The Dark Knight Rises - a movie that I deeply dislike and perhaps even outright hate for a multitude of reasons. I may hate the movie, but I know that people think it's great, so I cannot say that *everyone* thinks it's bad.
That's just common sense!
What brought this on? Was it an argument with someone else over something you're nerdy for?
Anyway, it's a very sound explanation. I approve. It's a very mature view to have in the world of subjectivity.
5407246
Here is the one exception. This simultaneously ruined the reputation of both fanfiction and books for adults.
5407312
Nah. Just felt like trying to be a fandom philosopher and seeing what others thought.
...okay admittedly, "Derpy is overrated" was something I saw in passing today, but more as something that got me thinking. I've had this on my mind for a while.
Fair enough.
I'll admit that though I rarely use the term "overrated", I have made a habit of using "underrated" as an abbreviated way of saying "I think this thing deserves more attention. You should go check it out!"
It's more of a "Call to Action" than anything else, y'know what I mean?
Tis a point of opinion, in the end. Whether something is over or underrated is a matter of personal taste.
5407312
I wouldn't say that's the sole exception. Twilight also proves my point.
5407517
Twilight is low-effort. 50 Shades is just messed up.