This forum is just way too cool for this to turn into a cyber-riot.
My thinking is; to each his/her own. Yes, I like C.C.'s playing, call me crazy. Trust me, I've taken a TON of grief over it through the years. The metalheads, all through high school, called me "Poison". :lol: I'm not kidding.
I agree with the notion I would rather listen to EVH, Billy Gibbons, DeMartini, C.C., than a, so called, virtuoso. While I will listen to Vai, Gilbert, Johnson, etc. I find others more fun to listen to. I've been on a HUGE Junkyard kick lately, just fun to listen to. AND I will always prefer Vai in DLR and Gilbert in Mr. Big, I just like a band setting.
To wrap it up, I respect (and am somewhat jealous of) anyone that plays guitar for a living. Especially, when living well. My hat goes off to Kirk Hammett, he certainly CAN play. It all comes down to what speaks to you. When Poison came out I was 13/14 and it was just fun and spoke to me. They still make it in the play rotation, even today. Reminds me of an easier, much more fun, time.