Wednesday, February 18, 2009
A meeting of the minds between Lyons and Hasselbeck
Originally posted at Defamer:
Today on The View, Ebert usurper Ben Lyons took his place next to Elisabeth Hasselbeck in what could only have felt more like a Defamer-targeted Last Supper if Joaquin Phoenix had crashed it, rapping.
Lyons was joined by his At the Movies co-conspirator, Ben Mankiewicz, to walk the ladies through their Oscar prognostications. Here is the short version: Ben M. loves Marisa Tomei, on account of her breasts, and Ben L. loves Christopher Nolan and Slumdog Millionaire hottie Freida Pinto, neither of which are nominated. Also, Joy Behar hates The Reader. HATES it. If The Reader were, say, a perky blond co-host, she would scream at it, "I will burn you down," because of the hatred.
Also enjoyable: when the Bens are asked whether there's ever been a tie between actors at the Oscars (there has, famously), and they both sit there awkwardly drawing a blank until Whoopi Goldberg saves them. Guess they haven't added that trivia to the Scene It? Box Office Smash DLC yet.
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6 comments:
Did you notice how Whoopi or someone said that supporting actress never goes to a comedy performance and Ben and Ben objected?! THE EXACT REVERSE OF WHAT BEN SAID IN HIS OSCAR PREDICTIONS ON THE SHOW!
Maybe he reads your site and quickly corrects himself when you catch him :P.
See, those guys {Ben & Ben) have *careers*. You have a *blog.*
See the difference?
That is correct, I just have a blog. I don't even get paid for doing this. However, last Friday and Saturday I went out to see (not rented) as many movies (5) as Ben Lyons saw through 10 days of the Sundance film festival. And that was after I worked 8 hours at my *job* on Friday.
But in Ben Lyons' defense, his real *job* is chatting with celebrities and going to parties, so I guess he was pretty busy, too.
I really just think this is a very malicious blog. Why are you dedicating yourself to destroying another guy's career? I don't see what's ethical about what you're doing.
So you don't like him, ok, why do you have to devote your life to getting the word about how much you don't like him?
Honestly, I like Ben Lyons better than Richard Roeper, anyway. Lyons is good at giving succinct summaries and eschewing opinions and he has a good radio personality. I know he's a little young but don't fault him for that. He's also seen his fair share of movies: Look at the online chat he had with his fans, he knows his Kubrick, Lean and Hitchkock and has seen all the best picture movies.
What is ethical about what I am doing is that I am trying to defend honest film criticism. Lyons is more interested in getting his blurb on a poster than offering an honest critical opinion and that is a problem--not just with him, but he is one of the worst. I am not trying to destroy his career, I just don't think he deserves to be sitting on the thrown of film criticism on At the Movies.
He mentioned Kubrick and Lean pictures, I don't remember him mentioning any Hitchcock movies. But if he has seen all those movies, how can he call I Am Legend one of the greatest films ever made? Either he has not seen those films or he has and is still willing to throw out this ridiculous blurb just for publicity. Either way, that is unethical.
Regarding the first "anonymous" comment, I believe it was Joy Behar that said "comedians never win," and then Whoopie actually said, "What do you mean comedians don't win? I HAVE an Oscar!"
I normally hate Whoopie, but you go, girl.
And Scott, I love your blog immensely.
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