You wouldn’t be wrong to think that folks shouldn’t judge people based on their taste. It’s taste—subjective, personal, you can’t really compare it in a way that it wouldn’t be like, just your opinion, man.
But remember, this is the internet. Everything goes here. The collective hive-mind of judgment online is just a part of the internet and we have to accept it.
It’s not all negative though. Sometimes, folks online point fingers at awful taste only to commend the great execution that follows it. And you bet there’s a dedicated community for that niche too.
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Volksbiken
Exploding Dish Chandelier
Come On Barbie, Let’s Go Party
If you’re been around the internet for long, you’ll likely know of the r/ATBGE, or Awful Taste But Great Execution, community on Reddit.
It’s a subreddit dedicated to sharing all things gaudy, tacky, overdone or tasteless, but done in a way that makes you doubt any of its negatives. In fact, you might spiral into a love-and-hate affair over it.
In other words, it looks like its lacking in elegance and grace, but is otherwise masterfully crafted.
"I Need People To Think I'm A Bond Villain"
This Gutter Downspout
These Leggings
The community was created in mid-2016—right about when the world started going south—and has since then grown to become one of the top-ranking subreddits out there.
The community boasts a solid 2.1 million members and is considered the top 1% of the Reddit ecosystem.
Was Told I Would Post This On Here. A T-Rex Shower Head My Roommate 3-D Printed
Pigeon Heels
This Dentist's Waiting Room
Subreddits mostly aim to call themselves in self-explanatory ways, and this is no exception.
The shared content mostly revolves around tattoos or other personal aesthetic decisions—brains for haircuts, religio-classic self-iconographic tattoos, literal body suits, what have you—there’s also product designs, statues, and art in general that’s often featured in this group.
You Don't Need A License To Drive A Sandwich
Presenting The Skeletal Dress
Not Sure If This Belongs Here
When it comes to determining what taste is all about, David Hume’s essay titled Of The Standard of Taste is a good guide. Hume’s essay attempts to discuss and determine the aesthetic standards and understanding of what makes things beautiful to us. Or at the very least, aesthetically pleasing to the eyes, heart, and mind.
This Haircut
Just Because You Can Doesn’t Mean You Should
Again, I respect the hell out of nail art. Is it nauseating? Oh yes. Horrific? You betcha by golly! Execution? Expert.
Grass Car
Hume points out two elements, the first of which is the subjective. As the word already suggests, it’s all about people’s preferences and sensibilities, very individual. That in and of itself is the first standard, shaped by personal experience, cultural background, emotions, and everything in-between.
This Guy’s Mohawk Today In Downtown Denver
Spartan Barbie
Skeletal bling with a side of barbie body parts. You know, just the average, out on the town hairdo, lol
This Level Of Commitment To Crocheting Is Impressive
The other side of the argument is the objective element. This is meant to be a common ground with which people can evaluate works of art and aesthetics. It’s a kind of shared human convention for judgment, one that is not individual, but rather unbiased, critical and one that adheres to specific universal criteria.
Face Sprinkles Tattoo
God Emperor Leto Atreides Enters The Chat
It’s Convincing For A Second
Subjective taste is something we just have from the get-go, but objective taste demands refinement. Hume believed that, in order for one to acquire an objective taste meant that they need to expose themselves to that which is objectively considered as good. That means reading books, going to museums to experience art, and otherwise training yourself to understand what the “it” factor is in the collective hive-mind.
Crocheted Nightmare Baby
This Wallet
Saw This On Fb
Now, David Hume is one of many people who have discussed the idea of personal and objective taste. German philosopher Immanuel Kant wrote Critique of Judgment, which deals with pleasure in form and arrangement versus pleasure in the idea of the infinite.
Walter Benjamin is another philosopher and cultural critic who dove into the topic, explaining how tech and mass production affects our experience of art in his The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction.
This Dye Job
Animal Boots
Full Frontal Of The Skin Suit From 2 Months Ago
Edmund Burke, John Ruskin, Arthur Schopenhauer, Susanne Langer—many have approached the topic of taste. In a sense, they’ve all added to the discussion of what the benchmarks and thresholds for the issue ought to be. But because taste as a concept is complex, a lot still remains to be determined about it. And as time goes by, even more nuances to consider appear.
Ear Earrings
A Wooden, Tiered Sink
The Garfield Bikini
Now, if you still have a thirst for tasteless things of exceptional craftsmanship, this Bored Panda article might just be your next stop as it features more of what you’ve seen today.
And if all that you’ve taken from this listicle today is “screw what the greats and not-so-greats say about taste, I’m gonna decide that for myself,” then just roll with it.
Speaking of which, there’s an entire comment section awaiting your judgments, opinions, and stories of what taste is or anything else that you’ve seen or read here today.
Skateboard Wheels On A Porsche
Unless this is Tony Hawks car. No. and even Tony Hawk would be like, that's trash.
Dragon Bmw Z4
My Friends This Is Called The Jellyfish Haircut
Along The Shores Of North-Central Iowa’s Clear Lake, The Six-Bedroom Pyramid House
This Titanic Blow Up Slide
I Am King Of All I Survey For I Have A Mighty Throne
Catman
Cobra Cowboy Boots
This Jeans Couch
I Wonder Who Is Bigger
We’ve All Thought It: Fingernails Are Great, But They’re Not As Great As Fish Asses. Finally, Someone Has A Solution
These Nails A Buddy Sent Me
For Fans Of Sea Sounds
Jesus Arm
Taste aside, this tattoo looks pretty well done to me... and I also appreciate the nails are correctly in the wrists.
This Is An Abomination
These Fight Marks Tattoos (On The Knuckles)
This Art Installation Made Of 1000’s Of Dead Flies
The Fitnessgram Pacer Test
“Halo Brows”
9/11 Themed Chess Set
Well, that’s enough seeing for one day. What a weird mishmash group of images, some meh, some funny and/or interesting, and some pretty disturbing.
Not working again. Guess if I see one more broken post, I am uninstalling this app completely.
Use your browser, I only use the app when I check messages.
Load More Replies...I love all of theses. It's like fast scrolling through a Walmart. The creativity of humans amaze me.
The furry one: Haters listen up before you judge: that furry was banned from conventions and he's even been kicked from the fandom completely. Please understand this and get context.
A couple of items aside I guess it comes down to the following: Too much money Too much free time Too few braincells
Well, that’s enough seeing for one day. What a weird mishmash group of images, some meh, some funny and/or interesting, and some pretty disturbing.
Not working again. Guess if I see one more broken post, I am uninstalling this app completely.
Use your browser, I only use the app when I check messages.
Load More Replies...I love all of theses. It's like fast scrolling through a Walmart. The creativity of humans amaze me.
The furry one: Haters listen up before you judge: that furry was banned from conventions and he's even been kicked from the fandom completely. Please understand this and get context.
A couple of items aside I guess it comes down to the following: Too much money Too much free time Too few braincells