Not sure if Cole Smithey is the “smartest” film critic in the world, as his web site’s tag line suggests.
But he sure is the most ideologically rigid.
Consider this snippet from his review of “Kick-Ass,” commenting on the main character from the superhero film opening April 16:
Kick-Ass’s pissed-off and bloodied expression on the poster evinces a world-weary teen who’s not going to take it anymore. He doesn’t give a damn about what it takes to battle the Republicans, Wall Street dogs, and technology peddlers who threaten his place as a free-thinker in a society where nobody can exist in public without being on a cell phone.
Sorta makes Roger Ebert look fair and balanced in comparison, no?
Note: You can follow What Would Toto Watch? on Twitter.
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{ 44 comments… read them below or add one }
So what’s he got against dogs?
Wall Street Dogs wear their fur slicked back like Gordon Gekko … I don’t like that look, either.
I’m sure every teen is spending every waking moment wondering how he/she could hate Republicans more.
I see this guy’s strange reviews linked via aggregation sites (Rotton Tomatoes, etc) every now and then. I can’t tell if he’s a Stephen Colbert style parody of a far left film snob or if he’s for real and just deranged.
I don’t see it on his website, but try to find his review of the CGI Ninja Turtles movie from a few years ago. He apparently believed it to be a Bush administration military recruitment tool.
Yes, teens are spending their time hating Republicans. I know because even 20+ years ago, when I was a teen, we were told the same thing. Republicans are for the rich, Democrats are for everyone else, that’s what I learned in Junior & High School. & I learned Socialsim in college.
when i wanna find the leftist spin on movies, i can always count on good ole Cole Smithey…
At least he’s honest. Not too bright, but honest! Most film critics a liberal progresseives anyway and end up reviewing the perceived politcs and idealogy of a film as opposed to the content.
“Technology peddlers”? Does he mean the people who make refrigerators available, sometimes on sale?
I read that review last night. This guy is a total cluck.
Don’t front Christian. Filmslatemagazine.com
LAMF
????
Cole Smithey’s pissed-off and bloody prose on his blog evinces a basement-dwelling hipster/toddler who’s not going to take it anymore. He doesn’t give a damn whether the movie is ideological or not, about teenage pretend superheroes in bad spandex, or whether his student loan might default before he can get that theater degree from the University of Phoenix, which threatens his place as purveyor of unoriginal political dogma in a society that can’t exist without someone reading their own politics into non-political films with elongated sentences.
And I hate liberals more and more each day…and guess what…I am a Republican with the money to watch your movies and make you a lot of money. But guess what “Bite Me” I will not spend a dime on your movies.
I didn’t know there was a career to be had reviewing movie posters…
The moron gave Million Dollar Baby a B+ but Farenheit 911 an A. ’nuff said.
Ignore him.
Appreciate your passion, Cam, but I don’t want to name call Cole here. I think his penchant for baldly injecting his politics into his reviews is misguided. but I don’t want to do any name calling. Hope you understand.
So, none of you geniuses see the hypocrisy in the fact that Mr. Toto and I write for the same website.
If you guys have such trouble being name-checked in a film review, perhaps you should redirect your boy Christian since you care so bleeding much about your political integrity, or lack thereof.
By the way, nice grammar all around guys. If I wrote like you geniuses, I wouldn’t have a career–which I might add–dates back a lot further than Mr. Toto’s.
LAMF
Where is the hypocrisy? I write for many web sites … I can’t vouch for every writer on every site, nor should I agree with them all. Should I stop writing for one if a fellow scribe is heavy handed with his/her political commentary? I’m open to all opinions … heck, my wife is my polar opposite politically, and I still got down on bended to knee to propose to her.
Consider being open minded to opposing points of view. It’s refreshing.
And also share your defense of your “Kick-Ass” review – would love to hear it.
And frankly, I don’t care if you started writing yesterday or in 1935. Utterly unimportant to the conversation.
Your inability to see the hypocrisy in your actions speaks volumes about your lack of professionalism and journalistic ethics.
I’m sure our editor is thrilled with your behavior.
LAMF
Shish – In this case, go see the movie because the reviewer hates it.
I’m not allowed to critique a colleague? Did I name call you? Say something profane? Or did I simply quote you and let my readers share their views on your review?
I think our editor can judge matters for himself.
Feel free to critique my writing here all day long … I welcome it. The web is a wonderful way to share ideas, disagree … what have you. I write all day, every day, and I’m sure not every post is gold plated. Have at it. Just keep it clean and don’t be demeaning. I try to curb that on this site .. witness my comments a few spaces above this. I don’t catch every sour comment, but I am trying.
One thing’s certain. You can’t act like you don’t know who I am anymore. And I certainly know who you are.
LAMF
A. I’ve been aware of your reviews for a short while now. So what?
B. I’m glad you know who I am … I’m on the web. Hard to be anonymous and when your name is out there. Or are you implying something with this statement?
C. You did make me google “LAMF” …
What the hell does the Web site have to do with anything?? Inserting politics into non-political reviews has long been a discussion at this site, that’s what this post was about, not where the two of you work. Are you suggesting that Christian’s work at that site as a tacit endorsement of your political-invective? That’s an especially weak diversion from the criticism of your review.
Jeez, this Smithey character sure is defensive. “Wahhhh! I’m telling my Editor! Waaahhhh!!”
Attacking people’s grammar in the comments section? That’s what college kids do when their pathological need for social interaction isn’t being adequately met by the YouTube crowd.
“You can’t act like you don’t know who I am anymore. And I certainly know who you are.”
What does that mean? It sounds like a veiled threat from a person who has never made a threat, at least not to anyone’s face.
After the exchange between Christian and Cole is there really any doubt which one is the open-minded rational one and which is the defensive, self-righteous, film-school drop-out.
Also LAMF is well known gang graffiti from the 50’s that had a revival in the 70’s punk movement. Are you in a gang Smithey? To run around with other critics and rhetorically vandalize films that don’t reinforce your political beliefs? Are you a punk? You strike me as someone who would prefer Coldplay over The Damned so I doubt it.
I’ll confess that the amount of Big Hollywood material about how terrible critics are concerns me. Case in point, a couple of the commenters on this post.
boycottliberalsim.com – will not knowingly give over one cent more to actors that support this regime!
James, Big Hollywood coordinated axe-grinding has no need for concerns over contrivance or anything else.
LAMF? Seriously? I have kids in the age bracket that KICKASS most appeals. Trust me, politics and the like aren’t a factor in their movie-viewing lives.
You’re probably right, John. I’d hate to disturb one of their long-running themes targeted towards them thinkin’ types who have more to say about a movie than “It rocked!” or “It sucked!”
In all seriousness, that sort of thing bothers me. Part of it is that I fancy myself a film critic, for sure, and one should take pride in what they do. But there has been visible delight in taking remarks by Ebert and perhaps others and twisting them into some sort of coordinated attack on the “liberal elites” using the film criticism profession as a proxy. Already spurious, it gets worse when one considers that perhaps there are one or two (or a few hundred) right-of-center critics out there. Concerns about film criticism dying are nothing new, but it has little to do with liberal dogma poisoning the well.
i also especially enjoy reading the reviews-injected-with-leftism of MaryAnn Johanson… the Flick Filosopher… here’s her review of The Blind Side… be sure to read the comments… ugh…
http://www.flickfilosopher.com/blog/2009/12/120709the_blind_side_review.html
Who needs critics when we have Ben Shapiro.
There’s room in the world for a place like Big Hollywood, or Andrew Breitbart, and I certainly have my criticism of critics, especially ones who can’t go two paragraphs in a recipe article without a shot at Dick Cheney. But the ham-handed, nuclear-activist approach is grating. We have the coordinated assault on film critics, just as summer is getting here, all timed for maximum press benefit (and all a hoot, if you’ve ever read a non-Nolte review at BH). The real laugher for me was John Nolte (someone who I admire) gushing about Michael Moriarity on “Law and Order” then him suddenly appearing to post two days later.
“You’re probably right, John. I’d hate to disturb one of their long-running themes targeted towards them thinkin’ types who have more to say about a movie than ‘It rocked!’ or ‘It sucked!’”
And Frazier just demonstrated his ignorance. It’s not about “thinkin’ types” (although I’m sure you critics love to think the reason some people don’t like you is due to intellectual envy) it’s about critics who inject their politics into reviews in a way that has nothing to do with evaluating the film. I don’t mind political film criticism as long as it helps to illuminate a film’s merits. But if it manifests itself as nothing more than a rhetorical sucker punch to those who disagree I fail to see the point. I actually enjoy most critics I read, left or right, and I still love reading the reviews on Ebert’s great movies list (even though he’s turned into a hateful old man). But you guys have got to dump this martyr-complex you have. Film critics are not a protected class, people are allowed to express their dissatisfaction with you. If you can’t handle a little criticism directed your way maybe you should think about getting some thicker skin.
Blackhawk12151: I don’t know if you’ve followed the hand-wringing over at BH about film critics, but irritation about “them thinkin’ types” strikes me as a decent way to put it. Shapiro is certainly the worst offender, but it’s present in the other critiques as well.
Film critics are subject to constant criticism themselves, and people declaring that they have no use for critics certainly predates Roger Ebert’s left-wing tirades. I think few critics can’t handle “a little criticism” coming there way, but is it whining simply to respond to attacks? When somebody absurdly declares that critics are all pretentious phonies because most of them liked “Lost in Translation,” is it so terrible to object? I normally enjoy BH, which is why this whining about how unfair critics are bothers me so much. It’s fair to take up complaints with individual critics, but a broad swipe at the profession just seems like a cynical ploy to find a theme to press.
Frazier
You’ll get no argument from me about Shapiro. His ill-conceived and lazy takedown of classic films and directors is infuriating. He is as smugly self-satisfied as many of the critics he levels his attacks at.
That said, your theory that it’s their contempt for “thinkin’ types” is just flat out wrong. The fact is the vast majority of critics are left-wing and can’t resist the urge to make sure all their readers know that. It may look like it is a broad sweep at all critics but that’s just because they’re sick of being on the receiving end of their rhetorical jabs. I think the reviews from Kyle Smith, Christian Toto and John Nolte are some of the most complex and well thought out reviews and if it was all based on some kind of contempt for intellectual film criticism it would be leveled at them as well.
That said I don’t have any problems with critics. I take in all the opinions I read and sometimes make decisions based on their reviews. However, I also understand that oftentimes what makes films great for a viewer is what they are personally bringing to the experience, so critic’s opinions are always weighed against that factor for me.
Thanks for all the comments here … even Mr. Smithey!
Blackhawk12151: Regardless of what’s been said lately, I can’t shake the BH theme of “film critics are stupid liberal a*ss*****.” Frankly, I’m probably well to the right of half the BH posters, so I don’t entertain such claims lightly.
Certainly Christian has no issue with intellectual criticism, nor does Kyle Smith. I admire Nolte but I think he hits hypocritical notes here. Even if most pro critics are leftist that doesn’t instantly invalidate their opinions to me.
To clarify a bit more, the “thinkin’ types” line comes not only from my frustration with BH’s recent attacks on critics in general, but from my own observations about certain personalities on the right who seem to push the point that the more the one thinks about things, the more spurious they are. It’s complicated to address; I readily subscribe to the thought that there are illiterate farmers who aren’t stupid enough to subscribe to ideas that Yale professors would happily embrace (socialism, gun control, etc.). But I also get uncomfortable at the idea that the right I belong to will start lambasting everyone who embraces the arts and takes people from counties with more than a few thousand people seriously.
And not to double on a post, but I’d like to point out that I take no joy in being contentious with people who I generally agree with politically. I’d just as soon be tight with Nolte and BH and all the rest. But I can’t consent to a couple dozen posts about what liberal frauds all film critics are if I don’t agree with it. I’ve been frustrated with Ebert’s descent into hatred for anyone right of Marx and the general media’s love affair with anything anti-Republican but my passion for art takes precedence, and I still remain unconvinced that film critics are merely a pack of leftists intent on carving a insidious agenda via their reviews.
James – well said. I strive to keep movies front and center here – and in my heart – and use politics as a subset of it.
Just because I’m conservative doesn’t mean I have to embrace NASCAR and Larry the Cable Guy, nor do I reject the intellectual humor of Jon Stewart. And I don’t have to agree with every review Kyle Smith writes (although I wish I could do funny like he does).
To be a pure conservative movie fan is impossible – the industry and its players lean left. I just throw a flag when the politics interferes with the storytelling (see “Avatar”) or the actors say really dumb things.
It is telling that you can have a conversation about conservative movie critics and how many names pop up? Three? Four? Out of how many film critics? Dozens? Hundreds? We could all fit in a phone booth!
Frazier
Fair enough. I still disagree, and frankly think that you’re taking some of the criticism directed at critics as a class a little too personally, but I’m not a film critic. Maybe I would feel differently if I were. If it was just about an overly intellectual approach to film I don’t think you’d see the hostility over at BH. However, it’s the presumption by 99% of film critics that they have a superior approach to film because of their left-wing views that angers people. It’s not some kind of populous uprising against films critics, it’s a little more complex than that.
And once again, I’m not including myself among them. I have no problem with critics. I take some of them seriously, both conservative and leftist, and some of them I reserve solely for a good laugh.
I hate Republicans more and more every day (if that is possible). They don’t care about anything except being in power. They are not for the middle class, only the wealthy, at the expense of the middle class. They want to obstruct, deny, destroy anything or anyone in the path that disagrees. They deny the fact that the people are the government. We are a democracy, not a corporatocracy. They don’t like to govern. They don’t know how to govern. And they don’t want to govern.
Your application to be an MSNBC host is accepted …
Wow…could Doug Brown be Donny Deutsch? I heard he has some time on his hands…