What is Awful Taste, But Great Execution?

It is an internet catchphrase people apply to creations where the technical craft is obvious but the underlying concept is tacky, ugly, or disturbing, most often tracked on the subreddit /r/ATBGE.

Where did Awful Taste, But Great Execution come from?

Eric Weiss posted a 'Furby necronomicon' photo to Twitter in March 2014 that previewed the idea, and the phrase itself gelled when /r/ATBGE opened on August 4th, 2016.

What does Awful Taste, But Great Execution mean?

The label means someone built or designed something with impressive craft, but the idea they chose to execute was gaudy, cursed, or in bad taste, like the airbrushed vans and portrait tattoos collected by Cheezburger.

How do you use Awful Taste, But Great Execution?

Post an image of a technically well-made but questionable creation and apply the label, often by cross-posting to /r/ATBGE or pinning it to a themed Pinterest board.

Is Awful Taste, But Great Execution still popular?

The subreddit /r/ATBGE reported more than 1.5 million subscribers in June 2021, five years after the format first appeared, and the phrase is still used across Reddit and Pinterest as a review tag.

Awful Taste, But Great Execution

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Published October 28, 2026

Awful Taste, But Great Execution is an internet catchphrase people attach to craft projects, builds, and artworks that look technically impressive while making deeply questionable creative choices. Eric Weiss planted the seed in March 2014 by sharing a 'Furby necronomicon' photo on Twitter, and the label gelled into a community in August 2016 when /r/ATBGE opened on Reddit. By June 2021 that subreddit reported more than 1.5 million subscribers.

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Overview

A typical ATBGE post shows a craft or engineering project that someone spent real hours on, like a crocheted sweater of a disturbing creature, a car wrapped in chrome holographic film, or furniture carved into unsettling shapes. Commenters argue over whether the maker deserves applause for the skill or mockery for the concept, which is the whole point of posting it3. Both verdicts land at once.

Pinterest users leaned toward the stunning end of the scale, including a 2017 pin of a rainbow holographic convertible sports car that boards picked up as a glossy centerpiece4. Reddit threads went the opposite direction, favoring DIY work where the ambition clearly outran the taste. A Cheezburger listicle titled '27 Creations of Awful Taste But Great Execution' showcased the same split, with airbrushed vans, meat-themed home decor, and portrait tattoos done in flawless technique2.

Gallery

Origin & Background

Platform

Twitter (2014 proto-example) / Reddit (viral spread)

Date

2016

Eric Weiss, who runs Zombieriot.com and Riotdaily.com, posted an image of a book-shaped stack of Furbies to Twitter in March 2014, captioning it 'Furby necronomicon'1. The tweet collected 60 likes and 59 retweets, and the comment thread split between viewers horrified by the taxidermy aesthetic and viewers impressed by the construction1. No single catchphrase existed yet, so the image just made the rounds.

The phrase itself gelled two years later when Redditors opened /r/ATBGE on August 4th, 2016 as a dedicated feed for the same unresolvable 'is it good or bad' content3. A Cheezburger roundup titled '27 Creations of Awful Taste But Great Execution' later gathered Weiss's image into a listicle format and spread the name past Reddit2.

How It Spread

On Reddit, /r/ATBGE grew from a niche feed into a mid-size community, reporting more than 1.5 million subscribers by June 20215. The top post of all time was a photograph submitted by u/Thuck_My_Ballth in 2020 that earned over 77,400 upvotes and 84 comments inside a year3.

The format then moved to Pinterest, where curators used it as an aesthetic category instead of a Reddit joke, including a 2017 holographic rainbow convertible sports car saved to boards of stunning but questionable design4. Those boards leaned toward slick commercial objects, while Reddit stayed loyal to DIY disasters. Cheezburger's listicle sat in between, giving mainstream readers a quick tour of what the label meant2.

Timeline

2014-03

Eric Weiss, aka @ZombieRiot, tweets the 'Furby necronomicon' image, an early proto-example of the category.

2016-08-04

The subreddit /r/ATBGE opens as a dedicated feed for well-crafted but distasteful creations.

2017

A pin of a rainbow holographic convertible sports car spreads on Pinterest and anchors boards built around the label.

2020

A photograph by u/Thuck_My_Ballth becomes the top post of all time on /r/ATBGE with over 77,400 upvotes.

2021-06

/r/ATBGE crosses 1.5 million subscribers.

How to Use This Meme

To use the label, post an image of a well-made but tasteless creation and apply the phrase as either a title or a comment. Common conventions include cross-posting to /r/ATBGE for debate or adding the piece to a Pinterest board of similar objects. Posts often credit the artist by name while still roasting the choice of subject matter.