Judd Apatow Blasts Film Critic Trying to ‘Promote Herself’ by Blaming Him for UCSB Shootings
A few days ago, Ann Hornaday, the film critic for the Washington Post, published an editorial criticizing Hollywood’s celebration of macho culture for indirectly causing Elliot Rodger to go on an anti-women rampage that killed seven people.
Specifically, she singled out actor/writer Seth Rogen and director Judd Apatow: “How many men, raised on a steady diet of Judd Apatow comedies in which the shlubby arrested adolescent always gets the girl, find that those happy endings constantly elude them and conclude, ‘It’s not fair’?” she asked.
While Rogen was plenty mad for being tied to Rodger’s actions, Apatow was even more incensed, and for good reason: He’s known in the industry for shepherding female-oriented comedies into the mainstream and turning them into huge successes, a supremely difficult thing to do Hollywood. (Yeah, that was him behind Bridesmaids and Girls). He took to Twitter to slam her, not only for tying him to this tragedy, but also for what he called an attempt to “promote herself with idiotic thoughts.”
“With every view her paper makes money from discussing a story no one yet knows anything about. Now it is a media profit center,” he wrote. “Remember everyone — ads next to articles generate money. They say something shocking and uninformed & get you to click on it to profit.”
He then attacked the Moral Outrage Machine that would want to generate publicity from a supposed feud between him and Hornaday:
Here is how it all works. Anne says something thoughtless. I say it is wrong then CNN asks everyone to debate and it becomes TV. I said no. I wonder if Anne can prevent herself from going on and becoming part of how these tragic events become profit centers for media.
Hornaday, a Pulitzer-nominated film critic, hasn’t responded yet to the controversy.
Read the full response below:
“@Sethrogen: .@AnnHornaday I find your article horribly insulting and misinformed.”She uses tragedy to promote herself with idiotic thoughts
— Judd Apatow (@JuddApatow) May 27, 2014
“@melissa5001: @Sethrogen @marshallsheldon @AnnHornaday why is it always everything but mental illness?” Because that doesn't sell papers.
— Judd Apatow (@JuddApatow) May 27, 2014
.@AwardsDaily @Glenn__Kenny @cbumbray @Sethrogen she can criticize but can't handle criticism? That is as logical as her opinions.
— Judd Apatow (@JuddApatow) May 27, 2014
.@AwardsDaily @Glenn__Kenny @cbumbray @Sethrogen we all are attacked online. For every reason. That is not a reason to not say she is wrong.
— Judd Apatow (@JuddApatow) May 27, 2014
.@AwardsDaily with every view her paper makes money from discussing a story no one yet knows anything about.Now it is a media profit center.
— Judd Apatow (@JuddApatow) May 27, 2014
Remember everyone – ads next to articles generate money. They say something shocking and uninformed & get you to click on it to profit.
— Judd Apatow (@JuddApatow) May 27, 2014
Most of Earth can't find a mate– someone to love. People who commit murder of numerous people have mental health issues of some type.
— Judd Apatow (@JuddApatow) May 27, 2014
Here is how it all works. Anne says something thoughtless. I say it is wrong then CNN asks everyone to debate and it becomes TV.
— Judd Apatow (@JuddApatow) May 27, 2014
I said no. I wonder if Anne can prevent herself from going on and becoming part of how these tragic events become profit centers for media
— Judd Apatow (@JuddApatow) May 27, 2014
[Image via Wikimedia Commons]
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This is an opinion piece. The views expressed in this article are those of just the author.
