Some self-professed conservative/expert film critic (read that as "wannabe") has tried to take on Jonathan regarding the Star Wars movies---and goofed a bunch of stuff in the process.
The fact that the dude is an arrogant fool is secondary:
{...}Allow me to expand on this for a moment. Very often when conservatives opine on film, their pronouncements fall into one of two categories:1. Evaluating films exclusively on the basis of their ideological content, or ideological implications. (Jonathan Last’s exceptionally silly article praising the ‘Empire’ is a typical example of this.)
2. Repeating opinions they’ve heard from mainstream film critics, for the purpose of trying to sound smart or otherwise film-savvy.
These two tendencies have put us in the situation we’re in, largely because conservatives have been too lazy or disinterested to look at film (or popular culture) any other way. And so basically it has become embarassing , actually cringe-inducing to read my fellow conservatives write on film - essentially because it is all too obvious that they really don’t know what they’re talking about, no more than I know the difference between the Hagel-plan or the Bush-plan to overhaul Social Security. {...}
So, basically, unless you're this guy, you're not allowed to write about movies. Because he knows what he's talking about and you don't.
Jonathan, I beseech thee: please open up the can of bitchcraft on this one. Please. Don't be classy---just this once.
UPDATE: Jonathan has decided to remain classy in his rebukes. Yet, his remarks are the equivalent of slapping someone across the face with a leather glove before a duel. A zinger, in other words. Classy and designed to provoke. We shall see what libertas comes up with in his defense.
Posted by Kathy at March 15, 2005 01:21 PM