“As the CelebCult triumphs, major newspapers have been firing experienced film critics. They want to devote less of their space to considered prose, and more to ignorant gawking. What they require doesn’t need to be paid for out of their payrolls. Why does the biggest story about “Twilight” involve its fans? Do we need interviews with 16-year-old girls about Robert Pattinson? When was the last time they read a paper? Isn’t the movie obviously about sexual abstinence and the teen fascination with doomy Goth death-flirtation?”
“Why do we need critics? A good friend of mine in a very big city was once told by his editor that the critic should ‘reflect the taste of the readers.’ My friend said, ‘Does that mean the food critic should love McDonald’s?’ The editor: ‘Absolutely.’ I don’t believe readers buy a newspaper to read variations on the Ed McMahon line, ‘You are correct, sir!’ A newspaper film critic should encourage critical thinking, introduce new developments, consider the local scene, look beyond the weekend fanboy specials, be a weatherman on social trends, bring in a larger context, teach, inform, amuse, inspire, be heartened, be outraged.”
“Perhaps fearing the challenge of reading a newspaper will prove daunting, papers are using increasing portions of their shrinking news holes in providing guides to reading themselves.” … “The celebrity culture is infantilizing us. We are being trained not to think. It is not about the disappearance of film critics. We are the canaries. It is about the death of an intelligent and curious, readership, interested in significant things and able to think critically. It is about the failure of our educational system. It is not about dumbing-down. It is about snuffing out. The news is still big. It’s the newspapers that got small.”
Read full rant here
7 comments:
Awesome, except the old canard at the end about the failure of our educational system. The idea that our teachers and admin are dumber or less effective than those in other countries, or those in our own country 30, 60 years ago, is stupid, and yet a brainless talking point from politicians on both the left and the right. Schools today are better than ever--they're just fighting a losing against all the other macro things Ebert mentions that are wrong with the culture. He's crazy if he thinks film critics are the canaries. It's the teachers, hands down.
Touche! Well in reference to the film industry the canary reference works but your right, overall teachers would be.
I like your take as I buy in to the dumbing down of our culture but not the teachers - although I must admit some of my wife's peers at her school make me worry a bit when I hear them speak on current events or when they pontificate on why Obama is the devil. :o Maybe Ebert's statement applies more to the center of the US where it's very red and perhaps very dumbed down? :D
Well, 40 years ago, the difference is that dumb teachers in those states would have hung their capes/pointy hats on the classroom door as they showed up to work. And they'd flaunt their GED as they stumbled through lessons in basic geography. Their buildings would have been shit, the textbooks old and crummy, and extracurricular activities essentially non-existent. And that's the white schools.
Hey! I have a pointy hat and a GED, just what are you trying to say!??
Obama is the devil? Oh, crap!
I almost think that Ebert means to be coming from the same direction you are, LS -- that the education system is good but beset by crazy outside forces. I almost think that; clearly his language says otherwise.
I think the main thing is he's writing about his own fraternity rather than education, which is where he misses the boat. If film critics are part of the yardstick of cultural decline at all, I'd say yes, they're on the edge while teachers are the middle.
Not the best metaphor, but maybe if you imagine some big, round yardstick made of concentric layers of candy...
Landshark I don't envy any teacher in this day and age. My sister is a teacher as well and it seems more often then not it's the damn parents interfering and the administration trying to please the parents to keep from getting sued.
I don't think most parents even care if their kids actually learn anymore they just want to bully everyone into giving them what they want.
nowandzen, your Gandalf wizard hat doesn't count!
Agreed, octo--I definitely was riffing on what was a lazy throwaway line at the end of the interview. The bulk of the piece is smart and spot on.
Cat--yep. Parents are obviously the main teachers in every kid's lives, and the culture that Ebert is talking about has had the double effect of eroding the parenting skills of young adults who grew up in such a culture AND made the job of parenting harder for even good parents. But politicians can't run on that, now can they! Calling for more standardized tests and teacher accountability is easier and tougher sounding.
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