Not every actor will please every moviegoer or sitcom watcher. But fans of Ben Stiller have noticed a troubling trend when it comes to discussing the films he's been in. They suggest that movie snobs dislike Ben Stiller, and they think they've figured out why.
The film snobs -- AKA normal people who love movies and obsess over movies in online forums and on blogs -- mostly populate Reddit threads and sometimes Rotten Tomatoes reviews. And there's an interesting trend that fans have uncovered.
Movie Snobs Dislike Ben Stiller's Comedy
Ben Stiller has a very long resume in Hollywood, and he's best known for his comedic chops. For example, his "evil cameo" in 'Hubie Halloween' was the result of a long-running gag and it definitely had fans chuckling.
But many self-proclaimed film buffs don't like Ben's characters or his movies. They downright bash most of his projects and say they're "bad movies." Fans discussed the phenomenon on Reddit, explaining that the folks over in the designated r/movies subreddit have no love for Stiller.
And it's weird, say fans, because who doesn't like to laugh? Eventually, though, they came to the realization that people who dislike Ben Stiller's movies are upset about something specific.
Non-Fans Don't Appreciate The Value Ben Stiller Adds To Film
Some commenters think that most of Ben Stiller's work has been on "really bad movies," but that they don't really care. Those particular non-fans say that they can still enjoy a movie that's not necessarily "good" -- which led to a more in-depth discussion on what constitutes a good movie.
Because how can a moviegoer enjoy a movie that's inherently bad?
All this to say that while even self-proclaimed fans of Stiller can't agree on whether his films are good or not, they've agreed that the real haters don't like one aspect of the actor's comedy: he's just out there for a good time.
In contrast with "serious" actors in more high-brow films, Ben "isn't claiming to be an auteur or anything. He's just trying to entertain," said one viewer.
That's the exact reason why fans speculate that Ben Stiller doesn't have more fans: he's out for a good time and not an Oscar. For example, fans did like his reading-Trump-tweets-as-Zoolander bit, but that didn't earn him any awards.
Even Fans Say Ben Stiller Lacks Passion
One "huge Ben Stiller fan" admitted that "I think people on r/movies don't like him because he is in a lot of bankable family type movies, without much passion." Even fans can admit that Ben's career seems to have grown out of a desire to make people laugh, not necessarily connect with them on a deeper level.
The entire fan theory makes sense, especially if 'movie snobs' are looking for a high-budget, well-executed film with a smart and snappy storyline -- and no punch lines.