Lets lay the cards out... I find CR and Matt Mercer’s style pretentious and overly theatrical. I’m not a fan of the players that take part. Neither do I like the soap opera like discussion and debriefing of the sessions after. I don’t doubt that a lot of people like it. However it isn’t my cup of tea. It’s possible that I find it off putting because I’m British and I prefer things a little more understated. Or perhaps the accent jars. It doesn’t really matter the reason. It is my opinion. I wouldn’t normally share the details because it can be seen as negative and doesn’t do anything to change the minds of those that are already fans. However those who find it impossible to believe some might find it off-putting, believe me, it is.
However like it or not MM is now seen as the Ambassador/Paragon of DMing. There are you tube blogs, endless forum posts, product lines discussing and referencing CR. He even appears on my Syrinscape downloads as character voices. It is ubiquitous and you can barely google a D&D topic without CR or MM popping up somewhere. I do not blame them for being popular. Neither do I expect them to do anything different. They are a brand and influencer and they do what they do very effectively. Please allow me to feel uncomfortable as I feel the effect of that influence.
Edited: brand and influencer.