BOONVILLE, N.Y. — Frequently ridiculed rock band Buckcherry were curious if they were disparaged too much or not enough in the past 25 years to be included in the ironic nostalgia bucket, with the likes of Creed and Limp Bizkit, confirmed sources who were wondering themselves.
“Limp Bizkit is playing Lollapalooza to thousands of screaming fans; Creed had their own cruise and is headlining a national tour. Yet here I am, singing ‘I love the cocaine’ in a pavilion next to the Merry-Go-Round at the County Fair,” said Buckcherry singer Josh Todd while waiting in line for deep fried Oreos. “I’ve come to terms with the fact that people think we suck on a national and global scale, but maybe we don’t suck as much as they do? Or… Oh, God, do they think we suck worse? I don’t understand how much suck is too much suck to be adored.”
The lack of paradoxical nostalgia for Buckcherry is palpable at social gatherings across the country, where their absence from playlists speaks volumes.
“We were at George’s parents’ lakehouse having a boys’ night, jamming out to an ironic playlist,” said 35-year-old Jeb Kerry. “The mood was great after two of my selections played: ‘Voodoo’ by Godsmack and ‘All-Star’ by Smash Mouth. Then Preston puts on ‘Crazy Bitch.’ The vibe just died. Everyone felt… uncomfortable. Even Preston apologized for going too far as he left and called his wife crying. He’s out of the friend group as far as I’m concerned.”
Recent academic studies may provide insight into why this trend appears to be skipping over bands such as Buckcherry.
“It’s easy to be nostalgic for bands that don’t suck too much,” said Dr. Melissa D. Jackson, a Music History Ph.D and substitute elementary school teacher. “Some of their music rocks, and it’s tied to significant moments in your life. Bands like Nickelback and Papa Roach—they suck, sure, but you can laugh at how you used to think they were good bands. However, some bands cross a threshold on my theorized ‘suck-axis’ where it’s no longer funny. Their music causes visceral disgust. According to my peer-reviewed metrics, Buckcherry ranks well beyond this threshold on the suck-axis, landing just shy of Insane Clown Posse and Kid Rock. This renders Buckcherry far too terrible for any ironic resurgence.”
At press time, Todd was reportedly banned from TikTok for creating fake accounts to comment “it would be funny if we all started ironically streaming Buckcherry, too” under videos of Creed.