the emperor has no clothes

Used to describe a situation in which the general population is unwilling to recognize or admit the obvious shortcomings, issues, or flaws in a powerful or popular person or thing. Taken from the Hans Christian Andersen fable "The Emperor's New Clothes," in which a vain emperor is sold imaginary clothing (i.e., nothing at all) by two weavers who promise him that it is visible only to the wise and cannot be seen by those who are ignorant, incompetent, or unfit for their position. Fine, I'll say it—yesterday's disastrous press conference is just the latest example of how incompetent the prime minister is. How does he still have so many supporters? Why can't they see that the emperor has no clothes? The company's newest device is, in fact, a complete waste of money, but so many people are invested in their brand loyalty that they refuse to admit that the emperor has no clothes.