Thursday 5 January 2012

Overrated People

The BBC are going all out to cause an argument by offering up a dozen of the most overrated people in history and it's quite an impressive list.
They may be among the most famous figures from history, but the likes of Henry V, Charles Darwin, Oscar Wilde, Napoleon, Malcom X and Winston Churchill just don't hack it so far as the historians who were consulted are concerned.
I'm sure the last two will strike the most debate but history is littered with people who i have always thought received plaudits far in excess of that they deserved and would have made my personal overrated list.
People like Vincent Van Gogh who sold just one painting to a relative while alive and it is obvious to see why. Another painter that i never understood why everyone thought so highly of was Picasso.
Further back in history, just why is Columbus so highly regarded? He thought he was in India and why is Oliver Cromwell regarded in such high esteem that he is worthy of a statue in Westminster? He was such a tyrant that he banned pretty much everything including Christmas, sport and make-up.
Elizabeth II is one of our most loved Monarchs but apart from a bit of waving, what else does she contribute? Princess Diana was the 'Peoples Princess' but was off bonking rugby players, surgeons and assorted ginger haired army officers while complaining about Charles making eyes at his former girlfriend.
Thomas Edison is credited with many new discoveries but mostly stole them from other people as did Marconi who it is widely considered invented the wireless radio but just nicked the idea from Tesla and used his friends in high places to void Tesla's original patent and history remembers the sneaky Italian as the radio inventor.
Joan of Arc is a hero in France but all she did was pick up a sword, get caught and set on fire by the English.
There are many modern day people who have me scratching my head over just what other people see in them.
Never could stand Bono or Phil Collins and what is so good about Mick Jagger? Or Jim Carey?
Obama still has some fans although they are dwindling fast but my all time overrated person has to be Jerry Seinfeld, as funny as Winston Churchill was sober.

5 comments:

Cheezy said...

My two-penny's worth...

No argument about the Queen and Di.... particularly Di.

Columbus & Cromwell. Self-serving murdering scum (even by the standards of the age). But I guess they're considered 'great' because of the massive changes in world history they were somewhat key in...

Darwin = not over-rated. Just not. Nuff said!

I think Van Gogh was incredible. Walking into his room in the Musee D'Orsay in Paris is one of my all-time great art experiences. It's fantastic. I didn't know where to look first. Whereas I've never really 'got' Picasso but wiser people than myself think that he's great so I guess I'll take their word for it....

I also think Oscar Wilde was great. Under-rated these days if anything. What a fantastic wit.

Bono & Phil Collins are over-rated? But I thought absolutely everyone hated them?... (with good reason of course).

Off the top of my head... Here's 10 over-rated people popping into my head... DH Lawrence, William Faulkner, The Beatles (OK, they were good, but people go far too mental over them), George Lucas, Mother Teresa, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, David Beckham, Michael Caine, Steve Jobs (again, good at what he did, but the outpouring a few weeks ago when he died was well OTT)...

Anonymous said...

leave Edison alone. Lots of people had ideas. Edison made them available to the world.

darwin - nuff said Cheezy!

overrated:
sport - kobe bryant, lebron james, beckham, woods
tv - oprah, conan o'brien
music - gaga (great entertainer, not great singer), stevie wonder
government - chavez, castro, jfk, schwartznager
business - trump, jobs, zukerberg
religion - khomeini
blogging - david g, q

q

Nog said...

Sainthood is a myth. Think of any historical figure (statesman, general, businessman, civil rights figure) and there'll be dirt galore, and I'm not talking about the light stuff.

Anonymous said...

I agree with the list, more or less.

And sainthood isn't a myth. Not all people are historical figures, just because you and the ones around you are examples of egotism and ignorance doesn't mean everyone is like you. Get a clue. The world is bigger than the small aquarium wherein you abide. Stop thinking that mankind is reduced to you and your small group of acquaintances.

Lucy said...

I'm with Nog on this one anonymous, everyone, and i mean EVERYONE, has dirt on them. You sometimes just have to delve a little deeper.