New Critique of Snark Misses the Point

New Yorker publishes piece early

(NEWSER) - The New Yorker has sparked the ire of Girl With the Dragon Tattoo producer Scott Rudin—with a positive review that calls the film "mesmerizing." Trouble is, the review came out early, a big no-no in an industry where timing is key. Filmmakers want their movies—especially big-ticket ones like Dragon Tattoo—reviewed at a moment that helps promote the film, notes ABC News . Critic David Denby saw the film early on the condition that he wouldn't release the review until December 13. More»

Angry violinist wants new judge for age discrimination suit

(NEWSER) - How’s this for irony: A 60-year-old violinist, who is suing a music competition for age discrimination, says the 88-year-old judge presiding over his case is too old and should be given the boot. Martin Stoner was rejected from the Young Concert Artists competition, which is meant for musicians one-third his age, the New York Daily News reports. But Manhattan Federal Judge Robert Patterson tossed his lawsuit over the issue earlier this month after uncovering errors in Stoner’s court briefs, and now Stoner says he should be assigned a new judge. More»

Official says Steve Jobs targeted because he 'taught sin'

(NEWSER) - Westboro Baptist Church says it will picket Steve Jobs' funeral, but apparently God also hates irony: Leader Margie Phelps announced the protest via a Twitter announcement made on an iPhone. "The irony here is almost unbelievable," notes Josh Wolford on Web Pro News . Jobs' sin? Phelps tweeted that he "had a huge platform; gave God no glory & taught sin." And just under her tweet is the clear statement, "via Twitter for iPhone." More»

Critics divided over Bossypants as autobiography

(NEWSER) - It’s no surprise that Tina Fey’s autobiography, Bossypants, is hilarious; on that much critics agree. But there’s some dissent over whether it does its job as a memoir:

• “The most successful autobiographies demand a certain amount of psychic heavy lifting, risk taking, and interrogation of one’s ideas; Fey will have none of it,” writes Anna Holmes in Newsweek . “Edging up to difficult truths and skipping away may make for sophisticated sitcoms, but it doesn’t make for satisfying memoir writing.”

Biography seeks to end hagiography of the leader of Indian independence

(NEWSER) - Mohandas Gandhi may have been a great man, leading India to independence, but he was also a great jerk, leading a life of racism, self-promotion, sexual weirdness, and cruelty—or so says the new biography Great Soul, by former New York Times executive editor Joseph Lelyveld. Gandhi's early biographers dubbed him a "moral demi-god," but Lelyveld's book shows a much more human image. "Gandhi was therefore the archetypal 20th-century progressive intellectual," writes Andrew Roberts in his review in the Wall Street Journal , "professing his love for mankind as a concept while actually despising people as individuals." More»