Alec Baldwin Sounds Off on Brantley- Page 3

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 5/8/13 at 12:37pm

Maybe. But even still who does he think he is not woofing at me? I'm a fan and I paid $4 to see that show. That's money I could have used to put towards a ticket to something else like PIPPIN or THE RIDE.



Updated On: 5/8/13 at 12:37 PM

[Brick]

Posted: 5/8/13 at 12:39pm

I think he is saying what I have so many theatre artists say. Is his position saying it compromised by the fact that his show is closing and it can look like sour grapes? Yes.

But also true is I don't know a single theatre artist who reads Brantley to receive true criticism. Baldwin is completely accurate when he equates it with looking at x-rays to see if you have cancer; people only care because of the power of the Times.

And him bringing up Frank Rich is a good example of a critic who was just as powerful, even often criticized himself, but who was a brilliant writer and critic, as evidenced by his later career as a columnist on the Times.

Whether you agree with what Brantley says or not, he is a terrible critic and few to none respect him.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 5/8/13 at 12:50pm

That's great, Brick. Do you think he might be bitter because his show is closing?

[suestorm]

Posted: 5/8/13 at 1:17pm

Namo if you want to have a real conversation, I think he has a huge sense of entitlement and cannot take any sort of critism (like this) or someone not kissing the ground he walks on (shia, flight attendants, photographers, his ex wife) so he gets Baldwin Rage

[everythingtaboo]

Posted: 5/8/13 at 1:46pm

The fact of the matter is everyone did a collective shrug when his attachment to the play was announced, and when the production opened, I didn't find many people found that there was any justification for bringing it about.

Alec may have some points or not, but what I got out of it was "My play tanked. Blame journalism!"

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 5/8/13 at 1:53pm

Well I'm seeing the show in about 5 minutes so when it's over ill tell you all the truth about it because I'll be able to read between his lines as to what he REALLY means.

[yankeefan7]

Posted: 5/8/13 at 1:56pm

suestorm - yep, your descrption of Baldwin is right on the money - lol.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 5/8/13 at 2:08pm

Have any poseurs thought of analyzing the psychology behind Baldwin's thoughts on Brantley, which are clearly correct?

[suestorm]

Posted: 5/8/13 at 2:13pm

thanks yankee!

Namo, what do you think of my theory of his entitlement and self importance>?

[Wilmingtom]

Posted: 5/8/13 at 2:20pm

I'm sorry, but it's just unseemly for people in the business to respond to reviewers, either fawning over them for a rave or griping because of a pan. Every review and every complaint is, after all, only one person's opinion. That's why smart actors don't read reviews while their shows are still running.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 5/8/13 at 5:16pm

A friend suggests it might not be a coincidence that he has a show closing early.

[Playbilly]

Posted: 5/8/13 at 7:06pm

It's official. Alec Baldwin has become the Left's version of Donald Trump. Makes ya wanna get in a time machine and un-invent twitter.

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 5/8/13 at 7:14pm

I definitely agree that his behavior indicates a sense of entitlement.

[Playbilly]

Posted: 5/8/13 at 7:28pm

I definitely agree that his behavior indicates his need of a new therapist.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 5/8/13 at 8:57pm

"Alec Baldwin has become the Left's version of Donald Trump."

Not even remotely.

First of all, Alec's hair is hair.
Second, what does his politics have to do with knowing Ben Brantley is a suck ass writer?

[sparrman]

Posted: 5/8/13 at 10:54pm

Baldwin's statement is so self-serving it's ridiculous. Here's Frank Rich's review of Baldwin in Streetcar:

http://www.nytimes.com/1992/04/13/theater/review-theater-a-streetcar-named-desire-alec-baldwin-does-battle-with-the-ghosts.html

Rich loved Baldwin, so Rich is a great writer. Brantley (allegedly) doesn't love Baldwin, so Brantley is a terrible writer.

It's so transparent, it's pathetic.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 5/8/13 at 10:57pm

Thanks for being the first to point out that the position Baldwin is writing from lacks credibility. It's an insight that has yet to be shed on this discussion and your input really adds value, as they say in corporate speak.

At the end of the day, moving forward, it is true that Brantley can't write for shinola.

[sparrman]

Posted: 5/8/13 at 11:01pm

I was the first to post the link to Rich's review, which of course adds substance to the discussion.

You posted your brittle, scathing, delightfully bitchy response a scant 3 minutes after my post. There's nothing so tiresome in this thread as your whining. I strongly suggest you get a life.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 5/8/13 at 11:13pm

If I had waited longer to reply it would have implied I have as much of a life as you?

I'm wondering if you think this might have something to do with Baldwin's show closing earlier than expected?

[Ham3]

Posted: 5/9/13 at 9:22am

Baldwin aside, the Rich review is a classic analysis, a real review, not the mush that Brantley produces.

[suestorm]

Posted: 5/9/13 at 9:41am

Namo just wondering what your devotion to baldwin is.. is it that you see alot of him in yourself? the smugness? condescension, the anger?

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 5/9/13 at 9:53am

Sue, I have explained my reaction to Alec Baldwin many, many times in the past. Unfortunately you must have missed my posts on his MacBeth at the Public, his Entertaining Mr. Sloane, Jangate, Daughtergate, Wordswithfriendsgate, etc.

And you, specifically, are not someone I am interested in catching up. "Devotion" is a mischaracterization. Perhaps you can spend some time searching for the answers you seek, but since you don't read the threads you post in, that seems unlikely.

[suestorm]

Posted: 5/9/13 at 9:54am

i have missed those posts and Im sorry i did. thank you for explaining it.

the reason i said devotion cuz on this thread at least you seem to poopoo others criticism of him. thats all

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 5/9/13 at 10:08am

No dear. I understand your grasp of the language only goes as deep as the surface, (see also, "snafu" definition) and lacks nuance and the understanding of metaphor and irony, however, in this thread I pointed out how a series of people who have not appeared to read the thread they are posting in, continue to make the exact same two points over and over again.

Choosing the right words has never been your strongest suit.

[suestorm]

Posted: 5/9/13 at 11:06am

theres that famous alec-namo smug/condescension you all are famous for.

maybe i do lack the nuance of this language being a russian immigrant sex worker (your words) but as Albert Einstein said If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough.