And when did pill bottles get so hard to open?

[wolfpangs]

Why so defensive, man? I don't really understand either side of this--I don't get why he's so freaked out about critics, who by the way, do serve a valuable role in art and I don't understand the vitriol aimed at freaking Paul Blart. Well, okay. I do, to an extent. Pop culture bullies. What it is that I actually don't understand is people who seem surprised that Paul Blart is a hit and has been since it dropped. Lemme mosey on over to Ebert's review and steal something...I'll just have to put you on hold for a second:

"Chocolate bears and gingerbread cats, All dressed up in whipped-cream hats. Danced in the garden under the moon, Beat sweet rhythms with a wooden spoon, Whirling, turning, jumpin to the beat, Melting down to their ice cream feet."

Okay, I'm back. Here it is: "Paul Blart: Mall Cop is a slapstick comedy with a hero who is a nice guy. I thought that wasn't allowed anymore...And he's in a PG-rated film with no nudity except for a bra strap, and no jokes at all about bodily functions." I can't imagine why families would find that appealing.

Okay, back to the first point. Critics are important and this "those that can't, review" nonsense is about as compelling an argument as "No, you are!" Critics can help you make choices and they can serve to educate the reader and illuminate a truly masterful work of art in a way that one never considered. Critical thinking is something they used to teach in schools. Judging by the discussion answers I've read in one of my classes, though, it got left behind.

For more words on this subject than I care to write at the moment, I highly recommend my man Ebert's post Death to film critics! Hail to the CelebCult!:

"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."

No one is saying that you must live and die by what the critics say, of course. In fact, before Dennis Miller drank the Flavoraid and shrugged off everything he used to say, he said this:



And I agree with it now, as I agreed with it then. Don't let anyone make you feel bad for liking something simple. But don't let them make you feel bad for liking something smart, either.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to watch White Dog and vote on the hottest Congressional freshman. Good day.

Comments

[wren08.livejournal.com]

Please, please... where is the quote from?

Chocolate bears and gingerbread cats,
All dressed up in whipped-cream hats.
Danced in the garden under the moon,
Beat sweet rhythms with a wooden spoon,
Whirling, turning, jumpin to the beat,
Melting down to their ice cream feet.

I like it muchly!!

[rockgeisha.livejournal.com]

Aw, it's an old jump rope rhyme:

Chocolate bears and gingerbread cats,
All dressed up in whipped-cream hats.
Danced in the garden under the moon,
Beat sweet rhythms with a wooden spoon,
Whirling, turning, jumping to the beat,
Melting down to their ice cream feet.
When the baker ran to see,
They ran beneath the gum-gum tree,
Running in between the rows,
Tripping over ice cream toes.
There were 1, 2, 3 . . .

[la-sonnambula.livejournal.com]

Who knew Mall Cop can evince so much passion? Nathan Lee's review is quite short and mild. He seems indifferent to it, and certainly doesn't indicate that he thinks of Paul Blart as a harbinger of the end of civilisation. Nathan Lee is one of my favourite film critics. I find him funny and spot-on. OMG, I just found out that Lee is only 33.

[rockgeisha.livejournal.com]

I don't get the passion. It's like escapism is some foreign concept.