Powerpoint Templates are no more universally bad than powerpoint itself. If you you want to show someone what your product does, show them your product.
Could you imagine going to buy a tv or a diswasher and the salesperson sits you down beside a library of documents to sell you the TV. Or could you imagine going to buy a car and the salesperson using a powerpoint presentation.
Powerpoint is used for a variety of purposes with a variety of audiences and one size does not fit all. In some cases such as a periodic status report with lots of groups contributing to one presentation, it is hugely beneficial that each team conforms to a template to make them easier to consume and provide a consistent level of detail.
There are presentations that are ruined and made horrendously boring by conforming to templates. The key is to find the format that meets the needs of the audience and message – templates for some, pictures for others or as some pitch competitions go – say no to powerpoint !
Clearly Presentable 
Powerpoint Templates are no more universally bad than powerpoint itself. If you you want to show someone what your product does, show them your product.
Could you imagine going to buy a tv or a diswasher and the salesperson sits you down beside a library of documents to sell you the TV. Or could you imagine going to buy a car and the salesperson using a powerpoint presentation.
Powerpoint is used for a variety of purposes with a variety of audiences and one size does not fit all. In some cases such as a periodic status report with lots of groups contributing to one presentation, it is hugely beneficial that each team conforms to a template to make them easier to consume and provide a consistent level of detail.
There are presentations that are ruined and made horrendously boring by conforming to templates. The key is to find the format that meets the needs of the audience and message – templates for some, pictures for others or as some pitch competitions go – say no to powerpoint !
Well, I agree that sometimes powerpoint is innapproriate.
But where it IS, using a template is a bad choice in my opinion, because it never ENHANCES the information being presented.
BTW there is no way that ppt is “universally bad”, don’t say “no to powerpoint” say no to poorly/innappropriately used powerpoint