The media pundit's pundit. Written by NYC insider Jeff Jarvis, BuzzMachine covers news, media, journalism, and politics.
Mean critics
: Rowan (“Mr. Bean”) Atkinson checked himself into a shrink shop because of depression caused by bad reviews for Johnny English.
When I was a critic, I got the occasional mewling letter from a star (e.g., Alan Thicke) begging me to lay off. I preferred the angry ones (e.g., Bill Cosby). [via IT&W]
Bean been in da bin?
Hippo Noodle Ear, Jeff!
Amazingly, even if you just write reviews on Amazon.com, and leave a valid email address, sometimes you’ll hear back from the author or musician. Either thanking you for a nice review, or mad because of a bad one.
I know of even one case in which someone posted a review of an album on usenet, and got an angry email from the musician.
Don’t be such a tease, Jeff — tell us about Alan Thicke and Bill Cosby! Thicke is one of those actors I like despite his cheesy image and real life sliminess, while Cosby is one I’ve always had a low level disdain for, sensing he wasn’t the kindhearted, wise man he pretends — with great success — to be.
Rowan Atkinson’s Mr. Bean is in a kind of unique genre, one I would call grotesque comedy. People either like it or they do not. Nobody does not at least notice Mr. Bean. I, personally like his character and appreciate the physical aspects of his comedy.
That, however, may be where his career begins and ends. When you stamp such an indelible stamp on yourself, it’s difficult to be taken seriously in any other character.
To be fair to Mr Atkinson, he did a lot before Mr Bean (Blackadder, Not The Nine O’clock News). Though why he needed to check himself into a clinic just because of one bad film is beyond me (the guy’s worth about $100 million- lighten up, Rowan). I’m guessing the propensity for depression was there already- and probably spurred his comedy career on from the get-go.
Jackie: Jeff wrote about it a while back. Click here.