I was talking about heroes with a friend the other day. She admonished me for mentioning someone that I admire (Steve Martin), saying that “he’s an asshole in real life.” I said I’d have to kick loose most of my personal heroes if I went by that criteria; you have to always put your trust and respect in the art itself, not the artist.
Brave words. But a little hypocritical. What happens when you meet someone you look up to and it turns out they’re a total toolbox? It’s terrible.
But conversely, it feels fantastic when you find out that the person is actually a bit of a hero. Such is the case with Roger Ebert. Oh, I don’t necessary like the guy for his critical taste. For God’s sake, he gave Garfield: The Movie a thumbs up, while dissing two my favorite movies of all time: Brazil and Blue Velvet. They should issue fatwas for having those kinds of opinions.
But even when I wanted to drop kick him into the nearest reservoir, he always gave his reviews with intelligence and humor. I’ve watched him on and off for nearly my entire life. He made movies seem exciting and fun, and made the process of thinking critically about them inviting and positive. When I was fourteen years old, my friend Donovan and I filmed a really terrible parody of his show (which at that time included co-host Gene Siskel). Our jokes sucked. For example, we’d get in a fistfight with a 12-year old kid who was sneaking into our theater to watch the trailer for a PG-13 movie. (That was topical humor, by the way; that was in the year the PG-13 rating first appeared.)
Recently, Ebert got in a war of words with Vincent Gallo, who directed The Brown Bunny. Ebert called the film the worst one he’d ever seen at Cannes. Gallo fired back in the press, calling Ebert a “fat pig with the physique of a slave trader.” Ebert responded in Churchillian style: “It is true that I am fat. Yet one day I will be thin, and Vincent Gallo will always be the director of The Brown Bunny.”
At that moment I totally forgave the Brazil and Blue Velvet thing.
Ebert’s been absent from his show because of complications from cancer-related surgery. He can’t talk right now, and his appearance is haggard and rather startling. But he decided to venture out into the public and attend his annual film festival. He recently posted a picture and an article to his web site, explaining his reasons for doing so:
“I was told photos of me in this condition would attract the gossip papers. So what? I have been very sick, am getting better and this is how it looks . . . We spend too much time hiding illness. There is an assumption that I must always look the same. I hope to look better than I look now. But I’m not going to miss my Festival.”
Is there anyone who is more of a badass? When life knocks the cards out of my hand and threatens to make me cash in my chips, I am going to remember his words.
Rog, sorry about the parody we filmed. Not because you’d give a rat’s ass about being mocked. But given that you were the target, it should have been a lot funnier. Get better.
Great post, Greg. I don’t always agree with Roger Ebert’s opinions, but he’s a remarkable human being.
When I lived in Santa Barbara I used to hear about what an ass Steve Martin was. I also heard a story from my old boss who said he saw Steve’s first live comedy act, where he went out onto the street to thank the audience and continue his show. He said it was the most excellent thing he had ever seen. People are complicated.
I idolized Nelson Mandela from reading his autobiography but at one point he chose violence to force the country of South Africa to a crisis. Do the ends justify the means? I decided no. You have to think long-term about these things, longer than one lifetime, or you are tempted to create shortcuts. The Indian National Congress said that nonviolence had not failed him, he had failed nonviolence. Gandhi started out with this group so I kind of feel like they would know.
Brazil was a great movie. If you like that I recommend Delicatessen.
I have a neighbor who hates me and harrasses me all of the time. I sometimes feel pushed in a corner and lash back. I don’t justify myself but I acknowledge it is hard to walk the line. I say trust the art and the artist both together and separately. People are complicated. Both and.
Also- I joined Goodreads at your suggestion. Some guy with an Elvis avatar sends me his reviews. It’s funky.
I’ve noticed alot of people come to think of their heroes as assholes once they meet them. While I’ve noticed that notoriety can give people a big head I think most people simply mistake their own disappointment that their hero is a flawed human, not at all like the image that exists in a fan’s head, for assholism.
On the other hand,there are a lot of dickheads in the world.
so what makes Steve Martin an asshole? Does he kick dogs and old ladies, or is it just that he won’t suffer fools and perform when he isn’t working?
It kind of makes a difference.
I don’t have any details. I did read an article about Martin once--he apparently used to have pre-printed cards that said “I’ve just had a personal encounter with comedian and entertainer Steve Martin,” and he’d hand these out to people who came up to him for an autograph. But I found that to be really funny.
Shannon, I like Delicatessen and love City of Lost Children even more.
My understanding is that Steve Martin is a ham, constantly doing outrageous things to get attention in public but that when peoplesay “hey I think you’re great” or something that he will publicly humiliate or ignore them. He wants it on his terms. So love him or hate him.
City of the Lost Children is my favorite too. I also love Fitzcarraldo.
We have a VHS recording of Greg’s parody of Siskel and Ebert. Before I put it on ebay, I will offer it here to the highest bidder. Bidding starts at $25,000.
Many years ago, we sat a table away from Ebert at a Chicago seafood restaurant. He had the crab cakes, as did I. This counts as a celebrity sighting in Chicago.
Or maybe it was Siskel, I forget.
Get well soon, Ebert.
I saw your parody when we were kids, it was genius back then (unless that was a different one). I would love to see it again, but I am broke.
I did not see Brown Bunny, just that one special scene where Chloe Sevigny performs a real sex act on Vincent’s dong. Why Chloe, WHY?!
Ebert is the only critic I ever read and when he gives a thumbs down to a movie I really want to see, I always feel a pang of—I don’t even know really. If I decide to disregard his bad review, I feel like I’m letting him down. Obviously I have issues. All to say, I’ve always liked the man and I’m glad he’s doing what he wants and not letting people’s idiocy get in the way of doing a job he so clearly enjoys.
Can we get a double-bill of that parody video and ‘Adam & Steve’? Did you notice that somebody ripped that off a few years ago? You should have sued.
Leave Steve Martin alone...all of you. He doesn’t need any...oh, he needs this.
I have met a few of my heroes and they are, I am proud to say, interesting and complex, in addition to being cool. For the record, I am talking about Mike Watt, William Burroughs, John Trudell, Flaco Jimenez and Richard Hell.
I have a friend who grew up in CT in the same town where Gene Wilder lives. One night she went out to dinner with her mom and five year old sister, and Gene was also there. At one point Alison and her mom were talking and when they looked over they realized the little sister was missing. She had run over to Gene thinking he was Willy Wonka. When Alison got over there to wrangle her sister back to the table Gene had stepped away from his company and dinner to pretend to be Willy Wonka for her, rather than be a dick and tell her to scram. Pretty awesome.
Oh man I love the Willy Wonka story. Gene Wilder rocks.
greg, this was a wonderful post. thank you. i hope ebert reads it - he made my childhood, too, an endless encounter with cinema.
i liked city of lost children, but the film creeped me out, in a way i still can’t make up my mind about (overwise children and circussy characters : referential and dickensian, or gratuitous like bad irving?). did you see life of pi? at least it was less dickensian than balzacian (who had a thing for tigers).
what strikes me about heroes is that as soon as we decide someone is one, we start expecting unilateral and limiting behavior from that person. who could live up to that? why should anyone want to? maybe there aren’t “heroes” in the world so much as there are people who do heroic things?
I think it’s so sad that Gene Siskel died of cancer, and Ebert has cancer now as well. I liked them so much as a team. I’m not a big fan of the Roeper dude.
I’m probably a bit biased because I absolutely adore Steve Martin, but I’ve never heard anything that led me to believe that he’s an ass. All I’ve heard is that he’s very quiet, reserved, and calm in his daily life, and I guess if some yokel accosted him and demanded that he perform like a dancing monkey Martin might not appreciate it and the yokel might come away thinking he’s a dick. I was always amused by the cards reading “This to certify that I met Steve Martin and found him to be warm, funny, and charming.” as well. A friend of mine did once encounter Martin in his Bel Air neighborhood. She was working a charity car wash and he came roaring down the hill on his bike, and chatted with the girls at the car wash (all said he was very nice) while waiting for his people to arrive and give him a ride back up the hill to home. When his car arrived he had it washed, gave a much larger donation than was being requested, and headed home. Sounds like a pretty nice guy to me. While I’ve never gotten to meet him, I did meet his lovely yellow lab puppy outside one of his speaking events, and I have to say I like anyone who has a dog that sweet and wonderful.
Dammit, after visiting his site now Ebert’s my hero, too! What a badass. I love people who have a sense of humor about themselves and the fact that he’s silver lininged not being able to talk by reasoning that he won’t be able to answer for writing “Beyond the Valley of the Dolls” makes him awesome. Thanks for pointing out his coolness.
What a fantastic post. I didn’t even know Ebert was sick - he’s HARD CORE! I love his attitude!
I would like to certify that the only celebrity hero of mine that I’ve ever come in contact with was Steve Martin, and he was nothing but cool.
I really liked that Ebert article. Thanks for directing me to it.
I would be totally excited to have a card that said “I’ve just had a personal encounter with comedian and entertainer Steve Martin.” He rules.