When You Can't Address Points Made in the Movie, Just Use Ad Hom

Looking at one of the reviews here, there is a review that takes up over 740 words and several paragraphs of space. So, I thought it useful to comb over this review, and point out that the people who criticize the film the most, never seem to address at any time any of the points and issues raised by the film at all. They resort to logical fallacies, lies and puffery, to make themselves seem smart--or better--than that which they are reviewing.

If she'd like to reply to this, she can. I don't know how she plans to do it without attacking me with ad hominems, but whatever; as you'll see, I know what's coming, and won't have much time to waste with it, if and when she does.

The writer of this purports to have a Ph.D. In what, we don't know, but as the saying goes, "On the internet, nobody knows you're just a 19-year old kid pretending to be Sigmund Freud." Or something to that effect. But I digress.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

So, how does this woman begin a review about "Diary of a Tired Black Man"? With a standard, opening lie.

==========

Quote:
I get it...you prefer white or bi-racial women.

==========

Ah, yes, the standard line of attack that has been used against basically every male who has ever posted on this board. And certainly, because the poster used this attack, it just helps to build their credibility all the further, right?

==========

Quote:
Anytime the creator of a movie goes online and pathetically begs his followers to flood IMDb with positive reviews and votes (the ethical and online equivalent of stuffing a ballot box), you know there is something deeply flawed with either his product, his artistry, or his mind. In this situation, I would have to go with all three.

==========

Or, it could be considered promotion. You know, the act of begging people to go and post positive reviews in order to create buzz for the film. Something that almost every filmmaker employs in trying to promote a product they made. But, of course, the writer of this review doesn't make films, or create anything of which to promote--if they did, well, they'd understand. Yet here we are in the second paragraph; nothing about the movie, but a slew of ad-hominem attacks against Tim. I digress.

==========

Quote:
Before we go into the movie, let me say this. One thing that gay black men and black men that prefer white women need to realize is that BLACK WOMEN DON'T REALLY CARE IF YOU DON'T WANT THEM. When I was much younger, during the 70's, there were gay black men and black men that preferred white women. We all knew who they were, and they didn't try to hide it. However, the gay men didn't collectively blame their preference on "childhood molestation" and the men that wanted white women didn't blame their preference on "angry black women".

==========

Huh? Gay black men preferred white women? This doesn't compute, for the simple fact that gay Black men...are gay. What the hell does that have to do with anything? It's a non-sequitur. In fact, the movie didn't even address gay relationships, so I posit the author, in trying to sound smart, pulled that one right out of the posterior.

But to address the point about what "black men that prefer white women need to realize...": Black Women don't really care? Seems to me that if black women really didn't care, they wouldn't use those men as part of a campaign to say that there's a shortage of them; or to create websites boycotting men who do. Google it. That doesn't speak of "not caring" to me. If you didn't care, it would seem that, like most people, you'd shut up about it; live and let live. Instead of going on ABC complaining about it...ironically, at the behest of a black man who produces the segment. You read that correctly.

We go on:

==========

Quote:
Well, welcome to 2010 and an internet that is rife with websites attacking black women at every turn. If you stay at these sites long enough, you find these men are just desperately trying to convince black women that "you are the reason I don't want a black woman", when it is just a matter of personal choice. To all those men and Tim Alexander too, that's way too much work. WE DON'T CARE iF YOU DON'T WANT A BLACK WOMAN.

==========

Let's leave aside the obvious, for a moment, that Tim is married to a black woman. The internet is rife with websites where men attack women, men attack men, women attack men, women attack women, and so on and so forth. And she says this, while attacking Tim Alexander. The chutzpah is appalling.

By the way; four graphs in, nothing about the movie, all ad-hominems against Tim, his wife, and the posters on his board. We continue...

==========

Quote:
With all that out there, this movie screams I DON'T WANT A BLACK WOMAN. Not only does it scream this, it screams it desperately and pathetically.

==========

The movie screams I don't want a black woman? This is where I doubt this woman saw the movie at all, but further down, it seems she did, but totally interpreted it in a whole different universe than the one we're in. I've written two reviews about what this movie is; it is neither implied or stated anywhere in the film that black men don't want black women. Really. So yet another thing in which she pulled out of her posterior.

But finally, and mercifully, we get to the actual review in the next graph:

==========

Quote:
The movie begins with living room scene featuring black women putting forth all the stereotypes of the nasty, bossy, angry, and insatiable Negro woman. The ex-husband of one of the women comes by to pick up his child and the rhetoric goes up to the point of being unintentionally hilarious. While Mr. Alexander meant this in all seriousness, it comes off as a rejected Chris Rock skit without the punch line.

==========

In other words, it pegged her. Like a bullseye to a dart. Direct hit.

==========

Quote:
From there, the descent continues. We are subjected to poorly executed, over-the-top, dramatic scenarios that basically all say the same thing "black woman=evil, black man=good". The acting from the male lead is decent but the female lead is downright amateur. Her fits of drama are overdone and come off like a toddler throwing a fit and she fails utterly at projecting any kind of depth or true emotional intensity.

==========

We'll leave the acting aspect out of it, because I don't think either of them were going for an Academy Award , here, and address the "black woman=evil..." bit of this graph: this is what she "saw", and how she interpreted it. It's not in the least true. Let's simplify the plot of those pieces: this is about ONE black woman and ONE black man as individuals. The man married this woman because she looked sexy, and didn't once stop to think she might be a Cluster-B, narcissistic nightmare that she ultimately became. And so she did everything to discredit, embarrass, and dog this man out. So he quit the marriage, dated around, and eventually settled down with the right woman. Wow, what a horrible concept promoted by this film.

==========

Quote:
The directing is reminiscent of Master P's earliest straight-to-video releases. It's flat and uninspiring. With today's technological developments in film-making, it's disappointing that the Alexander was unable to use directing and cinematography to create more visual intensity and compensate for the shortcomings of his female lead.

==========

In Tim's defense...Master P had money and made cruddy movies nobody cared about. Tim had no money, and yet you're worked up in a lather over his film. Point goes to Mr. Alexander.

==========

Quote:
The interviews are downright comical. It seems to me that if I wanted to interview scorned and rejected black men in order to promote my idea of black women as evil demons, I would choose men that make us say "mmmmm". Then, we could understand Alexander's contention that black women want no good men. But, sad to say, Alexander chose men that are....ummm......not exactly aesthetically pleasing to make his point. I'll just leave that alone.

==========

This last graph is a logical fallacy called circumstantial ad hominem. Simply, rather than address any of the points made by those interviewers, she'd rather point out how they look. Typical attack from anyone who can't make a solid argument on the merits: "You're ugly!"

The interviews conducted by Tim are with actual people who correlate the behaviors within those set pieces with real-life examples. Notice how not one word of this review before or after deals with that aspect of the points made in those interviews, and yet that is the vast majority of the movie in the first place. We call this obfuscation, or being intentionally vague.

If there's anything I've noticed, most of the critics of this film are very skilled at logical fallacies. It's a learned, reflexive response.

==========

Quote:
Sadly, for all the money it appears was spent on this film, it just fails on all points. With the lack of quality black films out there, it's tragic that an aspiring director would feel this is the only contribution he can make to the genre.

==========

But of course, none of those points are addressed in this review. Let's recap: she's falsely attacked the director for his dating preference, then attacked his filmmaking abilities, then the acting, then the looks of the male interviewees, but not one sentence about any point made by anyone in the film; not even a single rebuttal to a point, or presenting a counterargument.

Now, how lame is that? She might have done well to save 735 words and written, "I thought the film sucked."

==========

Quote:
Possibly most telling is the director's voice on his website and message board. It is filled with vile and disgusting messages that refer to black women with all manner of foul names and insults. Rape, both heterosexual and homosexual, is encouraged as well as domestic violence. Tim Alexander himself repeatedly refers to some of the black female members as "bitch" and "crash test dummy". It is sad and appalling that a man with artistic talent holds and encourages these viewpoints.

==========

Must be referring to the site as it existed in 2006-07, not as does now. It is true that back then, many of the messages were full of vitriolic spewing. Tim changed on that approach, and now we have people, men and women alike, coming in and sharing with us; even if we don't all agree with each other, we're civil, and we're not launching verbal grenades at that rate anymore.

Apparently, she's missed the last two years where he's dropped ban-hammers on several posters who have done so since. But when seeking to make a point to advance agitprop, facts are always flailed away in the wind. It's always about pushing the agenda first, rather than the truth. Of course, in her mind, her agenda IS the truth.

==========

Quote:
I will withhold comment on Tim's personal life, but if you find him on Facebook, you will see quickly why he has no place to comment on black romantic relationships.

==========

This, after stating that Tim prefers white women to black women, and getting that fact of his personal life dead wrong. All together now: 1, 2, 3...classy!

==========

Quote:
It makes me want to apologize to all the black directors that worked hard, suffered, and sacrificed to open doors so that blacks could make movies too.

===========

That is, if she actually knew any, or even bothered to talk to one. Which she doesn't.

===========

Quote:
Mr. Alexander, if you are reading this you should be ashamed and disgusted with yourself for putting something like this out in the name of African American film.

==========

Okay, Tim should apologize for this film. As soon as Jessy Terrero apologizes for Soul Plane, and Brian Robbins for Norbit, and Louis C.K. for Pootie Tang.

Oh, wait...none of those people are Black.

They just put out silly movies with Black lead actors and actresses and contributed nothing to the culture or addressing any issue within it. But I don't see her demanding apologies for that crap.

Then again, I don't see why Tim should apologize, when the reviewer didn't address a single point raised by the movie in the first place. Seems to me, Tim would be apologizing for this one's butthurt problem. So you'll be fine, Ms. Reviewer with a (alleged) Ph.D., if Tim never apologizes for challenging your created reality. You're an adult. You just don't address issues like one.

Good day.