40 Awful Taste But Great Execution: When Bad Ideas Are Too Well-Made To Hate
Some ideas just shouldn’t work. A bedazzled taxidermy squirrel lamp? A wedding cake shaped like a rotisserie chicken? And yet, here we are—staring in awe at creations so wrong they somehow loop back around to being brilliant.
Grumpy Sharks proudly presents 40 images that embody the internet’s favorite contradiction: awful taste but great execution. These projects may lack aesthetic restraint, but they’re so flawlessly crafted, you can’t help but respect them. They’re bold. They’re weird. And they’re executed with a level of skill that makes you question your own standards.
Prepare to laugh, cringe, admire, and maybe even be inspired (against your better judgment). Because sometimes, doing the most is the art.
#1. A TV set from the 70s
Source: BaronVonBroccoli
#2. Interesting
Source: jjmontuori
#3. 🐔
Source: Even-Safe7078
#4. Hat left behind at our bar
Source: Leading-Occasion4886
#5. Behold, the truck fountain of Cullman, Alabama
Source: OriginalLu
You know the vibe: something pops up in your feed and you think, who would even…? But before you can finish that sentence, you’re zooming in. The color choices are questionable. The concept? Dubious. But the craftsmanship? Flawless.
We’ve all stumbled on these masterpieces of misjudgment—things that should be tacky but somehow transcend it. They’re the design equivalent of a mullet in a boardroom: technically wrong, but undeniably confident. And deep down, you kind of love them for it.
#6. My sister got this for my colorblind brother
Source: WeabooHater9136
#7. Painting I found in a shop. Should have bought it.
Source: kolfa
#8. Located at a bar in Shinjuku, Japan. There is a bathroom with a GAINT head located infront of the toilet. Activated by the pressure from the seat, the face sings a strange drunken tune and slowly moves towards you… Making the room smaller and smaller, until its lips ‘kiss’ your knees
Source: SprinklesPublic
#9. If 13 year old me became an interior designer
Source: slickdaddyvick
#10. I was told this should live here
Source: Komplexs
#11. Me: I’m having issues projecting my voice Barber: Say no more
Source: oistr
Once, I saw a full suit of armor—made entirely out of recycled soda cans—at a local art fair. It was displayed under a spotlight with a handwritten sign that read, “Crusader of Carbonation.” The whole thing looked like a medieval knight had gone to battle sponsored by Pepsi. People were circling it, confused and amazed.
The joints moved. The metal was polished. The chest plate featured a carefully embossed Pepsi logo, dead center, like a royal crest from a dystopian fast food empire. Every piece was cut and riveted with precision—someone clearly poured hundreds of hours into this monstrosity.
What killed me was the matching aluminum can sword resting at its side, labeled “Excalibubbly.”
It was absurd. It was perfect. It had no business looking that good. And yet, I couldn’t stop admiring it. That day I learned: just because something’s a terrible idea doesn’t mean it doesn’t deserve a standing ovation.
#12. Adult knit onesie
Source: bsurfn2day
#13. Bath/Toilet design
Source: Beras11
#14. This woodwork
Source: griffithdidnthwrong
#15. what’s the matter babe, you haven’t touched your shrekfast
Source: DimitriTooProBro
#16. This illegal immigration Halloween costume
Source: Wiffilus
According to Dr. Maria Chen, an aesthetics researcher at the University of Chicago, people often admire “cognitive dissonance design”—things that visually confuse but technically impress. Our brains are wired to appreciate craftsmanship, even when the subject matter seems off.
“In essence, we reward effort and precision,” she explains. “If something is beautifully made, we tend to overlook—or even forgive—bad taste.”
That’s why your brain does a double-take at a golden toilet: it’s excessive and exquisite.
#17. This crocheted sign in my local brewery bathroom
Source: Leffe-
#18. This hair
Source: MittensRL
#19. It’s stupid, but kinda sick ngl
Source: Allridium
#20. Gingerbread Crack House
Source: shpritzie
#21. Who says crown molding is overdone?
Source: buckleybuilds
#22. This phone case
Source: FallenKai
There’s something rebellious about loving bad taste done well. It breaks rules. It questions who decides what’s “good.” And it makes space for joy where we least expect it.
These creations feel like inside jokes with the universe. You know they’re not supposed to be beautiful. But they’re so committed to the bit, they kind of are.
They invite us to stop judging and start enjoying. Even if it’s a crocheted tank top for a car.
#23. Keyboard with cheese styled keycaps
Source: Pinecone
#24. My friend went to a wedding where they had a guy handing out martini olives in a bathtub full of olives
Source: devmikale
#25. A microscopic toilet created for a micrograph competiton and yeah won it
Source: just_minutes_ago
#26. My best mate made a sh*tty cake for my birthday
Source: TaoTheCat
#27. Was told to post my Tramp Stamp for Tuesday
Source: HalfAdult
The phrase “awful taste but great execution” (ATBGE) gained popularity on the subreddit r/ATBGE, a vibrant online community where users share examples of objects, art, fashion, decor, and food that blend questionable design choices with undeniably impressive execution. The subreddit celebrates that paradox: when the craftsmanship is elite, but the taste is… debatably cursed.
Since its inception, r/ATBGE has grown into a hub for celebrating bold, often hilarious creativity that challenges traditional design norms. Think chandeliers made of doll heads, toilets shaped like thrones, or entire wedding outfits crocheted in neon yarn. What started as niche humor has become a mainstream aesthetic that embraces both absurdity and artistic skill.
The phrase “awful taste but great execution” (often abbreviated as ATBGE) started on forums and subreddits but has since become a full-blown design philosophy. Entire TikTok accounts now curate content with this exact vibe—proudly displaying cakes that look like raw meat or high-fashion shoes shaped like fish.
In a world obsessed with perfection, this genre celebrates risk, creativity, and chaos. It reminds us that not everything has to be tasteful to be treasured.
#28. Long time lurker, then I saw this and just had to share.
Source: dreaming-md
#29. WW2 Mickey Mouse gas mask intended to make the mask look less scary for children
Source: NemoVivet
#30. This beard/haircut
Source: SomeNorwegianChick
#31. Who needs a mask when you can have a personal ecosystem
Source: Reddit User
#32. This set of dice for DnD
Source: dewpoke
#33. A knitted, skin-colored ski mask…
Source: KrissiKross
Grumpy Sharks spoke with Dr. Theo Larsen, an art historian and curator known for collecting “functional absurdities.”
“These works tap into what I call ‘delightful dissonance,’” he says. “They reject the idea that form must follow taste. And when done well, they create something more powerful: surprise admiration.”
He adds, “It’s not just about shock. It’s about craftsmanship meeting chaos—and making it work.”
#34. When you’re a sh*t body mechanic but an awesome roofer
Source: Reddit User
#35. M’lighter
Source: Reddit User
#36. The 90s in one bitchin’ tattoo
Source: Reddit User
#37. This Lenin Jesus and Mickey statue
Source: Zeugirdork
If you’ve ever made something weird and wonderful that no one understood—keep going. Your crocheted watermelon dress or disco-ball bathroom mirror? They matter.
Because beauty isn’t just in the eye of the beholder. It’s in the bravery of doing something boldly, no matter how many people say, “Wait… you made what?”
The world needs more fearless creativity. Especially the kind that turns “bad ideas” into unforgettable art.
#38. Razor Blade Advertisement In Germany
Source: DefenderOfNuts
#39. Teach a man to fish… Then tattoo his leg
Source: FreshlyCutGrass976
#40. Formula 1 wheels on a regular bike
Source: av_geek72
These 40 awful taste but great execution images remind us that the line between genius and absurdity is razor-thin—and often glittered.
So if you laughed, gasped, or found yourself secretly impressed, share this with someone who gets it. Tag the friend who owns a velvet portrait of their cat. Or drop a comment with the weirdest, most wonderful thing you’ve ever made.
Because at the end of the day, good taste is subjective—but skill? That’s undeniable. And Grumpy Sharks is here to celebrate every perfectly crafted, gloriously strange creation.
