History Main / CriticalDissonance

Some media are less affected by this than others. Since {{comedy}} relies on what an individual finds funny, this is the genre of movie most likely to spur on Critical Dissonance. One critic may find a movie hilarious while another finds it tacky. Switch out comedy for the {{horror}} genre and you get the same polarizing results. Art — all kinds, not just abstract — is notoriously subject to this. And architects get hit with it all the time.

* Massimo Vignelli's highly stylized 1972 map for the New York City subway was widely regarded as a design masterpiece. The population by and large loathed it for being too disconnected from the city above, and by 1979 it was replaced with a more geographically accurate one.

* Boston City Hall is universally loathed by the public, with ordinary people usually calling it one of the world's ugliest buildings. Despite this, it's regarded by architects and critics as an fantastic example of Brutalist architecture.

* The ''Literature/LeftBehind'' series of Christian apocalyptic fiction fits into this, as the critical response to the books tended to accuse them of starring dull, unlikable characters and having an IdiotPlot only made possible by an ostensibly LikeRealityUnlessNoted Earth populated with {{Flat Earth Atheist}}s.[[note]]As the series’ plot is based on a literal interpretation of [[Literature/TheBible the Book of Revelation]], this is a case of AllThereInTheManual.[[/note]] However, it sold amazingly well, constantly enjoying ''New York Times'' bestseller status, and is regarded as one of the most influential pieces of contemporary “Christian” fiction.

* ''WesternAnimation/CloudyWithAChanceOfMeatballs2017'' received fair reviews from professional critics and was nominated for two awards.[[note]]A Saturn Award and a Canadian Screen Award[[/note]] Most fans of [[WesternAnimation/CloudyWithAChanceOfMeatballs the films]], however, loathe it for {{Flanderi|zation}}zing the characters, its [[ClicheStorm clichéd]] and/or [[IdiotPlot dumb stories]], the cheap-looking character designs, and many {{Series Continuity Error}}s with the films.

* ''Literature/TheSorrowsOfSatan'' was critically panned when it was first released in 1895, but it was hugely popular, becoming one of the first modern bestseller, and was praised by people including Creator/OscarWilde.

Critics may look down on a [[ItsPopularNowItSucks popular work]] on principle, denouncing it as LowestCommonDenominator garbage that’s all flash and no substance. Conversely, the public may see a work beloved by the critics as boring, [[TrueArtIsAngsty angsty]] and [[TrueArtIsIncomprehensible pretentious]] drivel engineered solely to [[OscarBait win awards]] from [[StrawCritic equally boring, angsty and pretentious Academy members]]. Other divides have been forming involving some critics putting greater emphasis on [[WhatDoYouMeanItsNotPolitical the politics some media are perceived to be pushing]] rather than the merits of the media itself (or, inversely, a work's political angle being largely looked past by critics while serving as a BerserkButton for the opposite-leaning fanbase).

In general, this trope has historically been uncommon with video games, partly due to the [[ReviewsAreTheGospel far greater reliance on reviews]] among gamers, and partly because the technical side (gameplay, graphics, etc.) tends to carry more weight with games than with books or TV. Additionally, good gameplay (at least in terms of, say, lacking glitches) is much more black-and-white than a good story, writing, or acting. However, video-game journalism is ''[[FourPointScale infamous]]'' for its frightening degree of corruption, to the point where reviewers who don’t sufficiently praise games that buy enough advertising space on their stomping grounds tend to get fired pretty quickly. When Critical Dissonance does occur with games, it is more often than not because gamers thought that the critics had been overly kind (like the FourPointScale), or had even been paid upfront by the publishers as part of an advertising and/or first-look article special.

* ''Manga/DemonSlayerKimetsuNoYaiba'' faces criticism from the more hardcore side of the anime fandom in contrast to mainstream audiences. While ''Demon Slayer'' is perhaps one of the most successful anime franchises in the late 2010s/early 2020s where mainstream audiences praise it mainly due to its themes, action sequences and especially its art, many hardcore anime fans believe that when one looks past the manga's art and the anime's high production values, it's really an [[SoOkayItsAverage average battle shonen series]] with a simplistic storyline and [[MoodWhiplash out of place comedy]] (with sidekicks [[BaseBreakingCharacter whom some may not tolerate]]), which clashes with its serious tone and [[{{Gorn}} graphic violence]].

See also CriticalBacklash, CriticProof, BiasSteamroller, ItsPopularNowItSucks, OpinionMyopia, EightPointEight, and OscarBait. Could overlap with PopCultureIsolation and AcclaimedFlop. Critical Dissonance is often a driving factor behind shows and works being consigned to the ComedyGhetto. Contrast with CultClassic where a work tends to have neither critical acclaim nor general popularity, but is enjoyed by a few die-hard fans. Possibly the cause of MainstreamObscurity. And sometimes a movie may have a terrible story but people want to see [[JustHereForGodzilla the giant monsters and/or robots kickin each other's asses.]]

* ''Manga/DemonSlayerKimetsuNoYaiba'' faces criticism towards the more hardcore side of the anime fandom in contrast to mainstream audiences. While ''Demon Slayer'' is perhaps one of the most successful anime franchises in the late 2010s/early 2020s where mainstream audiences praise it mainly due to its themes, action sequences and especially its art, many hardcore anime fans believe that when one looks past the manga's art and the anime's high production values, it's really an [[SoOkayItsAverage average battle shonen series]] with a simplistic storyline and its [[MoodWhiplash out of place comedy]] (with sidekicks [[BaseBreakingCharacter whom some may not tolerate]]) in contrast to its serious tones and [[{{Gorn}} graphic violence]].

* ''[[Manga/DemonSlayerKimetsuNoYaiba Demon Slayer]]'' faces criticism towards the more hardcore side of the anime fandom in contrast to mainstream audiences. While ''Demon Slayer'' is perhaps one of the most successful anime franchises in the late 2010s/early 2020s where mainstream audiences praise it mainly due to its themes, action sequences and especially its [[SceneryPorn animation]], many hardcore anime fans criticize it for being an [[SoOkayItsAverage average battle Shonen]] with a simplistic storyline and its [[MoodWhiplash out of place comedy]] (with sidekicks [[BaseBreakingCharacter whom some may not tolerate]]) in contrast to its serious tones and [[{{Gorn}} graphic violence]].

** ''The'' most despised wrestler among the smart mark crowd is bound to be Wrestling/HulkHogan, for the most of the same reasons as Kevin Nash. He still had legions of Hulkamaniacs and got standing ovations whenever he appeared on TV...until he was caught on tape being racist and was publically called out by other wrestlers like The New Day. The WWE still trots him out on occasion but his appearances now are controversial.

* When Creator/AlexandreCabanel presented ''Art/TheFallen'' to the judges of the Salon of Paris, he was harshly judged (and rejected) for not following the very StrictlyFormula that Academicism mandated. The painting was called sloppy, of uneven composition, and subpar proportions. Additionally, the emotions simmering on Lucifer's countenance were deemed more appropriate for a {{Romantic|ism}} piece than for an idealized (dispassionate) rendition of reality. It didn't get better after Academicism died out -- modernist art critics accused this and the rest of Cabanel's paintings of being the contrary: too apathetic, idealized, and just not free as art ought to be. Meanwhile, the public has adored this artwork since the first time it was exhibited. Come the later half of the [=XXth=] century and creators (not all of them art-savvy) from all walks of life have [[ArtImitatesArt referenced]] Cabanel's Lucifer on {{Satan Archetype}}s and characters pulling a FaceHeelTurn. Or just angsty characters, really.

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]

* ''WesternAnimation/GarfieldAndFriends'' was poorly-reviewed during its time, gaining ire from both the ''Los Angeles Times'' and the ''Pittsburgh Press''. Audiences, however, often consider it one of the best cartoons to come out of the TheEighties and a forerunner of UsefulNotes/TheRenaissanceAgeOfAnimation.

** Korean luxury cars like the Hyundai Equus and the Kia K900 were loved by loved by journalists and completely ignored by North American buyers (case in point, the K900 moved only ''500'' units a year). Hyundai hasn't given up, launching the Genesis luxury brand in 2017, which has gained a little more traction.

* The anime adaptation of ''LightNovel/TheRisingOfTheShieldHero''. Many critics downright ''loathed'' it from the very first episode, detesting the FalseRapeAccusation that sets up the rest of the series, and the fact it was an [[TrappedInAnotherWorld isekai]] series, a genre heavily associated with [[PowerFantasy male wish fulfillment]] that is extremely popular among readers and viewers yet which critics aren't exactly crazy about, likely didn't help it either. In fact, many critics hated the series so much some even named it among their worst anime of the season. In stark contrast, many anime fans and casual viewers ''loved'' the series, and it went on to become one of 2019's biggest hits: it was [[https://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-news/2019/12/09-1/the-rising-of-the-shield-hero-is-the-most-continuously-watched-anime-in-2019 reportedly]] the most continuously watched anime that year, spawned some of the year's most popular anime memes and a couple of its most beloved anime girls, and its user scores on most fan sites remain high even today. In fact, the aforementioned false accusation was part of [[NoSuchThingAsBadPublicity why the series attracted so much attention]]. [[CriticProof It was so successful]] that it got an unusual announcement of ''two'' additional seasons after the first season concluded.

* The WWE often uses this as a justification for pushing [[BaseBreakingCharacter Base Breaking Wrestlers]] or [[CreatorsPet Creator's Pets]] like Wrestling/JohnCena and Wrestling/RomanReigns. Claiming that only a handful of "Internet Fans" dislike them, even when half or an entire arena boos them out of the building and ratings continue to fall. What defines an "Internet Fan" vs a "Casual Fan" is often [[NoTrueScotsman whatever the WWE wants to define it as.]] While it has been said that Roman Reigns is a top merch-seller, this claim has never been verified beyond hearsay. Roman Reigns in particular had XPacHeat so bad that Wiki/TheOtherWiki [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persona_and_reception_of_Roman_Reigns has an article on the matter]]. It took the WWE pulling back Cena's CreatorsPet status and giving Roman Reigns a FaceHeelTurn (Which they had claimed for years that "Only a few 'internet fans' want") for either man to start getting respected for their genuine talent.

Telltale signs of Critical Dissonance include disagreement between a work’s revenue and its reviews, simultaneous nominations for both ‘best X’ and ‘worst Y’ awards (bonus points if X=Y), and angry comments on those review sites that have them. Note that both Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic ''user'' scores should never be used to evaluate whether something falls under this trope since its voting system is extremely susceptible to manipulation. Though for what it's worth Rotten Tomatoes disputes this.

Telltale signs of Critical Dissonance include disagreement between a work’s revenue and its reviews, simultaneous nominations for both ‘best X’ and ‘worst Y’ awards (bonus points if X=Y), and angry comments on those review sites that have them. Note that both Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic ''user'' scores should never be used to evaluate whether something falls under this trope since its voting system is extremely susceptible to manipulation.

* ''WesternAnimation/RockosModernLife'' received dismal reviews from ''Entertainment Weekly'' and the ''Los Angeles Times'', panning it for allegedly copying ''WesternAnimation/TheRenAndStimpyShow''. In stark contrast, audiences consider it to be among the network's best series.

** Judging for several critics's reviews, one could think that ''Anime/DigimonFusion'' was a sound success in general. While critics liked the show and it did had a relatively strong merchandising presence, ''Fusion'' ultimately failed to endear itself to fans and harvested the ''lowest'' ratings in the entire ''Digimon'' franchise, to the point its sequel series (below) was never dubbed. Even today, the most popular opinion in the internet is that it was SoOkayItsAverage with few really memorable elements.

* Similar to ''Naruto'''s case, ''[[Manga/DemonSlayerKimetsuNoYaiba Demon Slayer]]'' faces similar criticism towards the more, hardcore side of the anime fandom in contrast to mainstream audiences. While ''Demon Slayer'' is perhaps one of the most successful anime franchises in the late 2010s/early 2020s where mainstream audiences praise it mainly due to its themes, action sequences and especially its [[SceneryPorn animation]], many hardcore anime fans criticize it for being an [[SoOkayItsAverage average battle Shonen]] with a simplistic storyline and its [[MoodWhiplash out of place comedy]] (with sidekicks [[BaseBreakingCharacter whom some may not tolerate]]) in contrast to its serious tones and [[{{Gorn}} graphic violence]].

* ''Manga/BlackClover'' performs very well in popularity polls in ''Weekly Shonen Jump'', both the Japanese and English versions, but gets mediocre to negative reviews overall (even going as far to be deemed [[http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interest/2016-07-25/best-and-worst-manga-of-2016-results-comic-con-international/.104673 the worst manga of 2016 at a panel at San Diego Comic-Con]]). Detractors call the series highly [[StrictlyFormula formulaic]] and [[FollowTheLeader derivative]], resulting in a boring read for those who have already read a lot of Shonen action manga, and it also doesn't help matters that it's compared unfavorably to its more critically acclaimed, popular and well-regarded contemporaries.[[note]]Compare and contrast ''Manga/BlueExorcist'' and even the likes of fellow ''Weekly Shonen Jump'' titles ''Manga/MyHeroAcademia'' and ''Manga/JujutsuKaisen'', all of which have been criticized for relying on cliches and stereotypes.[[/note]]

* The anime adaptation of ''LightNovel/TheRisingOfTheShieldHero''. Many critics downright ''loathed'' it from the very first episode, detesting the FalseRapeAccusation that sets up the rest of the series, and the fact it was an [[TrappedInAnotherWorld isekai]] series, a genre heavily associated with [[PowerFantasy male wish fulfillment]] that is extremely popular among readers and viewers yet which critics aren't exactly crazy about, likely didn't help it either. In fact, many critics hated the series so much some even named it among their worst anime of the season. In stark contrast, many anime fans and casual viewers ''loved'' the series, with the result it went to become possibly the biggest hit of 2019: it was [[https://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-news/2019/12/09-1/the-rising-of-the-shield-hero-is-the-most-continuously-watched-anime-in-2019 reportedly]] the most continuously watched anime that year, spawned some of the year's most popular anime memes and a couple of its most beloved anime girls, and its user scores on most fan sites remain high even today. In fact, the aforementioned false accusation was part of [[NoSuchThingAsBadPublicity why the series attracted so much attention]]. [[CriticProof It was so successful]] that it got an unusual announcement of ''two'' additional seasons after the first season concluded.

* Daniel Way's run on ''{{ComicBook/Deadpool}}'' was disliked by most professional critics and derided as dreck aimed at the LowestCommonDenominator, but managed to sell very well and was one of the longest runs anyone has had on the character. Over time, however, some fans have started to agree more with critics and consider Way's run with ''Deadpool'' the absolute worst. They attribute its success to a counter-reaction on Deadpool's InNameOnly adaptation in ''X-Men Origins: Wolverine.'' Others feel that, while not ''bad'', per se, and playing a major role in bringing Deadpool back into the mainstream, it has negatively impacted how many people perceive the character and some subsequent portrayals.[[labelnote: Explanation]]To be specific, many people see Deadpool as a totally random schmuck running on InsaneTrollLogic, rather than a well-rounded character.[[/labelnote]]

* The ''Literature/LeftBehind'' series of Christian apocalyptic fiction fits into this, as the critical response to the books tended to accuse them of starring dull, unlikable characters and having an IdiotPlot only made possible by an ostensibly LikeRealityUnlessNoted Earth populated with {{Flat Earth Atheist}}s.[[note]]Of course, as the series’ plot is based on a literal interpretation of [[Literature/TheBible the Book of Revelation]], such accusations are a case of ComicallyMissingThePoint, and AllThereInTheManual.[[/note]] However, it sold amazingly well, constantly enjoying ''New York Times'' bestseller status, and is regarded as one of the most influential pieces of contemporary “Christian” fiction.

* Contrary to popular belief, the infamous witch-hunting manual, the ''Literature/MalleusMaleficarum'' was condemned by much of the Catholic Church, the Inquisition, and even the Pope himself for its InsaneTrollLogic and rampant misogyny (yes, it was considered misogynistic in the ''fifteenth century'', that's how bad it was). Unfortunately, the lay people took it to be completely valid, and the rest, as they say, [[BurnTheWitch is history]].

* The WWE often uses this as a justification for pushing [[BaseBreakingCharacter Base Breaking Wrestlers]] or [[CreatorsPet Creator's Pets]] like Wrestling/JohnCena and Wrestling/RomanReigns. Claiming that only a handful of "Internet Fans" dislike them, even when half or an entire arena boos them out of the building and ratings continue to fall. Of course, what defines an "Internet Fan" vs a "Casual Fan" is often [[NoTrueScotsman whatever the WWE wants to define it as.]] While it has been said that Roman Reigns is a top merch-seller, this claim has never been verified beyond hearsay. Roman Reigns in particular had XPacHeat so bad that Wiki/TheOtherWiki [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persona_and_reception_of_Roman_Reigns has an article on the matter]]. It took the WWE pulling back Cena's CreatorsPet status and giving Roman Reigns a FaceHeelTurn (Which they had claimed for years that "Only a few 'internet fans' want") for either man to start getting respected for their genuine talent.

* The Wrestling/AttitudeEra is considered by many fans to be WWE's apex (considering that it's WWE's most profited period, had the highest ratings ever and unquestionably saved them from Wrestling/{{WCW}}'s wrath, this opinion isn't unfounded). However, it's divisive to many other fans now because of the misogyny and match quality, and there's a growing HypeBacklash towards the NostalgiaFilter of that era in favor of the Wrestling/RuthlessAggressionEra.

* ''Theatre/ThePhantomOfTheOpera'' received a lot of pans in its initial stagings in UsefulNotes/{{London}}, New York, and UsefulNotes/{{Toronto}}, but to say it rode those reviews out is an understatement — it celebrated its thirtieth anniversary in London in 2016 and reached that same milestone in New York in January 2018. Not to mention the myriad of foreign and touring productions as well.

* Discussed in [[http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/video-games/columns/experienced-points/12193-Games-Journalists-Views-and-Tastes-Tend-to-Change-With-Age-and-M this article]] by Shamus Young on ''Website/TheEscapist'', which asks why critics are so frequently enamored of ‘art games’ like ''VideoGame/TheStanleyParable'' and ''VideoGame/GoneHome'' that are usually {{Cult Classic}}s at best and polarizing at worst. Much like Bob Chipman above, he argues that merely being a professional critic changes a person’s outlook on, and taste in, games or movies away from that of their audience. While mainstream moviegoers or gamers won’t complain about an overused trope or cliché if it’s done well, critics will roll their eyes at the mere sight of it.

* ''WesternAnimation/MyGymPartnersAMonkey'' was generally seen as a solid series by the few mainstream critics who noticed it at the time. On the other hand, general audiences were pretty divided on it, with some deeming it one of Creator/CartoonNetwork's worst animated series and many others calling it SoOkayItsAverage at best. However, the series did prove fairly successful with target audiences.

* Seasons 6 and 8 of ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants'' received mixed-to-positive reviews from professional critics, if the other wiki is to be believed. Fans, on the other hand, absolutely loathe both of them for their abuse of gross-out humor and mean-spirited plots. Note that this trope does ''not'' apply to Season 7, which was lambasted by critics and fans alike.

* Mosin-Nagant rifles. You’d be hard-pressed to find a professional reviewer who would have much nice to say about them while complaining about the sights, the straight bolt handle, the action, and the rimmed cartridge. People who shoot Mosins, however, tend to say that all the flaws found within the rifles are what give them character. Both sides can agree on two things though: Mosin-Nagant rifles have literally more than a century of history in them (designed before the turn of the 20th century, and some still in service to this very day!), and they are [[MadeOfIndestructium absolutely indestructible]].

* Like ''Fifty Shades'' a few decades later, [[Literature/ValleyOfTheDolls Jacqueline Susann]]'s work was gained notoriety partly from the mere fact that its trashy, critically-lambasted prurience was so popular.

-->'''[[Film/StarTrekIVTheVoyageHome Kirk:]]''' ''(asked for examples of 20th-century literature full of [[ClusterFBomb "colorful metaphors"]]) Oh, the complete works of Jacqueline Susann, the novels of Harold Robbins....\\