While I will say that Roger Ebert is becoming less and less relevant among modern film critics, I won’t ever speak against his long career and contributions to the art of being a film critic.
But when I near a rant like this from such upstanding critics like Armond White (note severe sarcasm) against Ebert, on a recent podcast at /Film, I can’t help but laugh at the embarassing mess White has made for himself.
I do think it is fair to say that Roger Ebert destroyed film criticism. Because of the wide and far reach of television, he became an example of what a film critic does for too many people. And what he did simply was not criticism. It was simply blather. And it was a kind of purposefully dishonest enthusiasm for product, not real criticism at all…I think he does NOT have the training. I think he simply had the position. I think he does NOT have the training. I’VE got the training. And frankly, I don’t care how that sounds, but the fact is, I’ve got the training. I’m a pedigreed film critic. I’ve studied it. I know it. And I know many other people who’ve studied it as well, studied it seriously. Ebert just simply happened to have the job. And he’s had the job for a long time. He does not have the foundation. He simply got the job. And if you’ve ever seen any of his shows, and ever watched his shows on at least a two-week basis, then you surely saw how he would review, let’s say, eight movies a week and every week liked probably six of them. And that is just simply inherently dishonest. That’s what’s called being a shill. And it’s a tragic thing that that became the example of what a film critic does for too many people. Often he wasn’t practicing criticism at all. Often he would point out gaffes or mistakes in continuity. That’s not criticism. That’s really a pea-brained kind of fan gibberish.
What stuns me is to see THIS GUY take shots at Ebert accusing him of “shilling” the films – giving positive reviews to promote a film instead of criticizing it, this hypocrit then discredits himself.
He repeatedly says “I have the training” claiming that he stands among an elite few who deserve the right to an opinion. And bashing Ebert’s efforts for giving a positive review on a film… because he liked the movie?? its dishonest to say you liked a movie? GASP!
This is hypocricy at his highest artform. This coming from the critic who targets extremes and states the opposite to stand out in the crowd. While everyone was raving about UP! he was the only professional critic putting word to page bashing the hell out of the film. This has become the trademark of the man who now publicly states that its his job, and he was trained to always look for the fault in movies.
It sounds like this guy is just upset that all that “training” is being derailed by the sources that most people trust more – blogs like this one.
Everyone can have an opinon. You don’t have to be trained to have an opinion.
Armond White, while shilling himself for attention standing out as the opposite reviewer acting like a common forum troll, seems to misunderstand what a Critic is, and thinks that deconstructing and over analyzing is “an opinion”. Its like recruiting a vegetarian to give their opinion about your latest beef dish. You have made yourself obsolete Mr. White.
Armond White is the worst kind of hypocrite – he truly believes what he says. He may troll for reacitons by going against the flow. He feels it is his mission to point out what’s wrong with movies even when the masses can’t see them. (And apparently praise trash on occassion too)
He can’t name any other Critics that he enjoys. He states that if most professional critics liked what he did then he would quit.
So he is a professional Troll. Thanks for clearing that up Armond.
The whole exchange can be found at
/Film who endured this man’s presence on a recent podcast.
