Why's honest feedback so hard to come by?

Why does everyone feel the need to give lame feedback? Any writer can get a big pat on the back by showing their work to Mom. Raise your hand if you've done that. Right, it's nice to find encouragement sometimes.

But what if your project isn't selling? Or what if you just want to improve it? Is it really so hard for all our friends to say, "Hey, this character is falling a little flat," or "You need more suspense in this part." Apparently it is, because so far all I've heard is, "looks good," or something equally unhelpful. When it really comes down to honing your actual draft, not just your craft, who out there will help?

I'd pay money for a really blunt friend right now. The kind that tells you when there's mascara all over your face. Anybody else?