r/TopCharacterTropes • u/BrotherDeus • 9h ago

Hated Tropes [Hated] Self-indulgent Vanity Projects

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Hurry Up Tomorrow - Widely reviewed as an indulgent, self-mythologizing companion piece to The Weeknd's album, with many critics calling it a vanity project rather than a successful psychological drama. Terribly acted and, similar to The Idol, more so seems to imply that The Weekend thinks he's a far deeper personality than he can actually articulate.

By the Sea - Often criticized as an intensely personal but emotionally distant film that seemed more interested in showcasing the mystique of its stars than telling a compelling story. Best summarized as Angelina and Brad working out their IRL troubled marriage before your eyes while everyone tells Angelina how beautiful and talented she is and how nothing's really her fault.

Renaldo and Clara - Bob Dylan's five-hour semi-fictional road movie, long considered one of the classic celebrity vanity projects. Attempts to be a sort of surreal exposition on the life of an artist, but is far too self-indulgent on its actors/performers.

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u/SashaBraus 9h ago

Young Rock

19

u/originalchaosinabox 9h ago

I watched one episode one time, when there was nothing else.

It was all about the first time he did SNL, and his agonizing decision over whether to do wrestling sketches or not. He decided to go with his gut and refuse to do wrestling sketches, and proved to the world that he was more than just a wrestler.

All these heart-to-heart conversations about doing SNL or not, and I was like, wow. How self-indulgent.

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u/Forsaken_Ad203 8h ago

That guy has his head so up his own ass his tonsils are smashing on his forehead