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The thing is, while Scrubs is a fine, even funny show, we can’t stand Zach Braff. The general consensus at Shine is that we just don’t get his appeal. We don’t find him very funny or charming, and though he is not completely unattractive, his looks certainly don’t make up for his unfortunate personality (go ahead, call me shallow).
But, are we the only ones? Are we like those weird people who don't like chocolate? Apparently not. After a simple Internet search of “I hate Zach Braff,” I discovered this guy, this person, this woman, and this dude also find him unbearable.
The origins of my dislike stem back to the film he wrote, directed and starred in, Garden State -- that “hip,” “fresh” movie about an emotionally wrought 20-something trying to find his way in the world. An Entertainment Weekly article actually called him “the voice of his generation.” As part of his generation, I’d like to politely decline his voice, because frankly, it sucks. Everything about that movie tried too hard: the awkward quirky moments, the aggrandizing gestures of emotional strain, the carefully chosen indie music that “changed lives.” It was like bulldozer went to the cliché landfill and dumped it all over the script.
Through the film, Braff has made a name for himself as the dorky, sweet, sensitive guy, but I can’t help but suspect he’s a frat guy dressed in nerd’s clothing. One Shine staffer explains: “I'm totally into the nerdy boy who woos us with his brains and charm. But I don't actually find Braff witty or charming. He just seems like a jerk. Also, I hear he treats all of his girlfriends like crap.”
Oh yes, and then there’s the fact that he dates really hot, young girls. Of course, what guy wouldn’t want this, but he how is he attracting these women? With smoke and mirrors? Mandy Moore was his girlfriend of two years and he is/was dating actress Shiri Appleby of Roswell. I don’t get what they see in his Play-Doh-like face.
I hate ripping apart a person I’ve never met, but really, I’m just trying to understand both his platonic and sexual appeal. I’m a reasonably fair person, so I turned to my friend Esme who is a big fan of Scrubs to get a fan’s perspective. "I love his character on the show, he’s really funny," she said. "But you get the sense that Zach Braff himself thinks he's really, really awesome and that is annoying.”
Even his fans hate him? But then she had a good point: “He often times plays the ‘nerdy guy,’ but he’s way too confident acting which is a turn-off -- nerdy guys aren’t supposed to be so confident. So maybe our perception of him is our own problem."
Good point (did I mention she’s a psychologist?).
This made me feel bad that I compared his face to Play-Doh, so I searched for the term, “I love Zach Braff” to research his alleged awesomeness. Perhaps he's not so egotistical and smug as I think he is. The first listing that came up? His personal website: www.zachbraff.com.
Back to square one, I guess.
