# My love for Roger Ebert continues to grow... **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [January 22, 2010, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-love-for-roger-ebert-continues-to-grow/525960 "2010-01-22T03:44:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hazle_Weatherfield)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2010, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-love-for-roger-ebert-continues-to-grow/525960/1 "2010-01-22T03:44:20Z")
A letter to Rush Limbaugh [http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100114/OPINION/100119985](http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100114/OPINION/100119985) ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2010, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-love-for-roger-ebert-continues-to-grow/525960/2 "2010-01-22T03:54:27Z")
> [@](#): > > You have a sizable listening audience. You apparently know how to please them. Anybody given a $400 million contract must know what he is doing. > > That’s what offends me. You know exactly what you’re doing. Nice. I don’t care much about US American politics, but I do appreciate a good rant. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2010, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-love-for-roger-ebert-continues-to-grow/525960/3 "2010-01-22T03:59:40Z")
Hard not to like the die hard son of a bitch. Back when the intertubes were new, Ebert used to respond to his own email. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2010, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-love-for-roger-ebert-continues-to-grow/525960/4 "2010-01-22T04:06:29Z")
Dude’s a stroke-out and he’s STILL a total bitch! Ebert is pop culture’s Shephen Hawking, dragging his body behind him as his brain just keeps on going. ---
**Author:** ![RikWriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/49beb7/32.png) [@RikWriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RikWriter)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2010, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-love-for-roger-ebert-continues-to-grow/525960/5 "2010-01-22T04:11:30Z")
He should stick to movies. At least people believe he knows what he’s talking about then. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2010, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-love-for-roger-ebert-continues-to-grow/525960/6 "2010-01-22T04:40:17Z")
> [@The\_Second\_Stone](#): > > Hard not to like the die hard son of a bitch. Back when the intertubes were new, Ebert used to respond to his own email. Esp. since he’s hooked up to a bunch of intertubes, now that half his body doesn’t work. I’ve not always agreed with many of his reviews over the years, but he certainly doesn’t have “give up” in his vocabulary. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_C](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Captain\_C](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_C)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2010, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-love-for-roger-ebert-continues-to-grow/525960/7 "2010-01-22T04:40:23Z")
The more I hear from him the more I am saddened that I was too young to enjoy Roger Ebert in his heyday. _goes back to watching back episodes of him and Siskel_ ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2010, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-love-for-roger-ebert-continues-to-grow/525960/8 "2010-01-22T04:44:13Z")
> [@RikWriter](#): > > He should stick to movies. At least people believe he knows what he’s talking about then. Some people never know what they are talking about. Like Rush Limbaugh. I do find it illogical that somebody would necessarily be ignorant to the point of being presumptuous in talking about Limbaugh’s idiotic comments about Haiti. Even Limbaugh said he was just tweaking the media by saying things that the media would overreact too. In short, even Limbaugh in this instance knows that he utterly blew it. I wonder if his compatriots understand that every American would be justified in condemning his remarks. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2010, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-love-for-roger-ebert-continues-to-grow/525960/9 "2010-01-22T04:54:38Z")
> [@Captain\_C](#): > > The more I hear from him the more I am saddened that I was too young to enjoy Roger Ebert in his heyday. > > _goes back to watching back episodes of him and Siskel_ They were both pretty bitchy. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2010, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-love-for-roger-ebert-continues-to-grow/525960/10 "2010-01-22T05:12:57Z")
> [@The\_Second\_Stone](#): > > Some people never know what they are talking about. Like Rush Limbaugh. I do find it illogical that somebody would necessarily be ignorant to the point of being presumptuous in talking about Limbaugh’s idiotic comments about Haiti. Even Limbaugh said he was just tweaking the media by saying things that the media would overreact too. In short, even Limbaugh in this instance knows that he utterly blew it. Do you have a cite for that? If your description is correct, Limbaugh is accusing the media of overreacting (and predictably so); that’s hardly the same as saying that he blew it. Still, I have a hard time believing that he’d even come that close to admitting an error. Finding his exact words is critical. If anyone could craft the perfect non-apology apology, it would be him. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2010, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-love-for-roger-ebert-continues-to-grow/525960/11 "2010-01-22T05:21:05Z")
> [@RikWriter](#): > > He should stick to movies. At least people believe he knows what he’s talking about then. Some people know what they’re talking about on more than one subject. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2010, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-love-for-roger-ebert-continues-to-grow/525960/12 "2010-01-22T05:28:23Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > . > > Finding his exact words is critical. If you say so. Personal I don’t hang on any of Rush’s words as he is a big idiot. But in the interests of accuracy on something so critical, I give you [http://www.wptv.com/content/news/centralpbc/palmbeach/story/rush-limbaugh-haiti-comments-obama-media-wptv/zY4rQ2r2PEWgoZM9GxPL1w.cspx?rss=762](http://www.wptv.com/content/news/centralpbc/palmbeach/story/rush-limbaugh-haiti-comments-obama-media-wptv/zY4rQ2r2PEWgoZM9GxPL1w.cspx?rss=762) courtesy of Google magic. > [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > .If anyone could craft the perfect non-apology apology, it would be him. If you say so. Me, I think Rush is only slightly less of an asshole than Pat Roberson. I might note that virtually any idiotic thing that Limbaugh has ever said is captured on Google by summarizing blogs from all over the world. While even Limbaugh could not possibly fill up all the intertubes with his hateful brand of know-nothing bigotry, it seems that it is possible that all the commentaries on his blather on all the blogs in all twitterdom threatens just such an apocalypse, much to the relief of an infinite number of Shakespeare blogging macaques. ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2010, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-love-for-roger-ebert-continues-to-grow/525960/13 "2010-01-22T14:13:37Z")
> [@The\_Second\_Stone](#): > > Even Limbaugh said he was just tweaking the media by saying things that the media would overreact too. Lumbaugh confesses to blatant trolling? Shocked…shocked, I am. ---
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2010, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-love-for-roger-ebert-continues-to-grow/525960/14 "2010-01-22T16:09:34Z")
See, I think part of what makes Limbaugh so vile is that, unfortunately, he’s _not_ an idiot. As Ebert said in his letter, the guy knows exactly what he’s doing. Clearly he’s very much on the ideological right, and clearly he has many differences of opinion with the current Powers That Be. There’s nothing wrong with that, in and of itself. But I actually tend to believe he doesn’t really think in such black-and-white terms as he presents on his show. Instead, he’s very skilled at inciting outrage in certain segments of the population who understand the issues much less thoroughly than he does, thereby helping to turn public opinion against those he disagrees with, even as he’s well aware that the reasons he presents are disingenuous. That’s worse than being an idiot. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2010, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-love-for-roger-ebert-continues-to-grow/525960/15 "2010-01-22T16:24:48Z")
At the risk of turning this into a GD thread, I do have to point out one thing: Ebert is upbraiding Rush for insulting the president. Hello, Roger? You yourself said MUCH MUCH MUCH worse things about GWB a few years ago, many times. I think you have become a hypocrite in your dotage. Please stick to movies, Roger, so I can go back to pretending that I respect you…TRM (who hopes this counts as discussing a work of entertainment) ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2010, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-love-for-roger-ebert-continues-to-grow/525960/16 "2010-01-22T16:30:47Z")
> [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](#): > > At the risk of turning this into a GD thread, I do have to point out one thing: Ebert is upbraiding Rush for insulting the president. Hello, Roger? You yourself said MUCH MUCH MUCH worse things about GWB a few years ago, many times. I think you have become a hypocrite in your dotage. > > Please stick to movies, Roger, so I can go back to pretending that I respect you…TRM (who hopes this counts as discussing a work of entertainment) Since this is neither GD nor The Pit, I won’t point out the differences in the situations. (Do you have a link to Ebert’s Bush-bashing? Did he, perchance, object to an unnecessary war?) It’s heartening to see that Mr Ebert’s brain is still working so well. ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2010, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-love-for-roger-ebert-continues-to-grow/525960/17 "2010-01-22T16:40:39Z")
Roger Ebert is awesome. I used to antagonize him on Compuserve when I was a teenager. 😉 He won my love by being very bemused by it. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Excellent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f19dbf/32.png) [@Mr.Excellent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Excellent)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2010, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-love-for-roger-ebert-continues-to-grow/525960/18 "2010-01-22T16:54:29Z")
> [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](#): > > At the risk of turning this into a GD thread, I do have to point out one thing: Ebert is upbraiding Rush for insulting the president. Hello, Roger? You yourself said MUCH MUCH MUCH worse things about GWB a few years ago, many times. I think you have become a hypocrite in your dotage. > > Please stick to movies, Roger, so I can go back to pretending that I respect you…TRM (who hopes this counts as discussing a work of entertainment) The issue here isn’t that Limbaugh is criticizing the President - in a vigorous democracy, that’s practically an _obligation_ of citizenship. The problem is that Limbaugh, based upon absolutely nothing beyond his own vitriol, accused the President of using widespread devestation and horror to perpetrate a particularly callous fraud. That is pretty distasteful. As you say, Ebert had a number of harsh things to say about the previous administration. But, whether you believe that the actions of that administration were correct or not, Ebert’s criticisms were not baseless. Bush _did_ send people to Guantanamo, he _did_ push through the Patriot Act, and so on and so forth. These are things that he actually, genuinely did - and Ebert believed that these facts were very regrettable. (Whether or not they actually were bad ideas.) Limbaugh is accusing Obama of doing things very bad things that he simply did not, and no one ever would, do. That’s the difference. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2010, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-love-for-roger-ebert-continues-to-grow/525960/19 "2010-01-22T17:47:47Z")
Despite Mr. Ebert’s primary profession as a movie reviewer, this particular thread belongs in Great Debates, not Cafe Society. twickster, Cafe Society moderator ---
**Author:** ![joyfool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@joyfool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joyfool)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2010, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-love-for-roger-ebert-continues-to-grow/525960/20 "2010-01-22T22:05:14Z")
Roger rawks!! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-love-for-roger-ebert-continues-to-grow/525960.md?page=2)