This is something I know a lot about and his opinion is ignorant and toxic to working artists.

You will not find any Thomas Kinkade fans here. As a matter of fact, we celebrate the original work of many of the contributors to this website. Post your own work, if you feel like you want to, it will not be out-of-place, and will definitely not be met with toxic opinions. If you're a working artist, please, please do, there aren't a whole lot of ya'll here, so it would be great.

I can make assumptions because I hear this attitude casually all the time, on the internet and in life, and my response is based more on that history.

You did not hear that here, tho. Literally, if you look below this, flag just stated his intention to go visit an Impressionist exhibit in at the MFA. so the crowd you are throwing his hat into the ring with (which by the way, is the actual problem here) simply doesn't apply. You're making this about your experience rather than the person you're responding to. That's not nice.

... just saying, 'I don't like this thing.'

Flag was not lobbing a thought into the void, hoping to provoke, he was literally responding to kleinbl00. They have a history, this is a community, it is not random thoughts bumping uglies. Most of the time.

I'm old enough to know when to pick my battles so when I'm abrasive it's because I have a good point to make.

You are making a good point at the wrong time. you are attaching cultural baggage to the wrong person. I'm not trying to just simply be right nor say anything about your opinion, which I agree with. I am simply trying to help you understand why he said what he said, because you seem to be missing the point. I'm old enough to know better than to pick internet fights, and I'm not. I'm straight-up, truth-be-told, doing exactly what I would do with any of my friends, IRL or otherwise.

I highly recommend apologizing, not because I'm coercing you, not because I want you to "admit you're wrong" but just simply because it's decent. You misspoke and lashed out at someone who didn't deserve it, and they deserve an apology. It's a kind gesture and it will be reciprocated.

I repeat: this is not the void.