If only Napoleon Dynamite hadn't gotten so popular. It's funny how a film's legacy can forever be tarnished thanks to its immense popularity. For instance, take a film like Wet Hot American Summer. That film flopped at the box office, became a cult hit upon its release on DVD, and now is regarded as an underground comedy classic. The same would have likely happened to Napoleon Dynamite, if it weren't for, you know, that unexpected monstrous box office success. After the initial hype, and the subsequent overexposure, the inevitable backlash occurred. I can't blame people for hating on Napoleon Dynamite after its success; the film's fans became unbearable. Napoleon Dynamite became the worst kind of cultural phenomenon: t-shirts were worn (“Vote for Pedro”), the quotes came flying at you from all sides by those lacking the wit to create their own material, and every man, woman and child were exposed to amateurs impersonators giving their best Napoleon Dynamite voice.
