Roger Ebert Dissed the Turtles on The Daily Show

[Seurat]

I was half-listening to The Daily Show, when my ears perked up at the mention of the "ninja turtles". I'm not totally sure why they were talking about the Turtles, but Ebert was making fun of the fact that an older audience member knew about the Turtles' names, weapons, etc. I never liked that guy or his crappy reviews, but now I REALLY don't like that jerk.

[damnhooligan]

Ebert is awesome. His reviews are not only well-written but hilarious on occasion.

And I don't think he was really making fun of the audience member. He was comparing how the audience at the Oscars would differ from that at the Daily Show. They were just discussing how an audience member asked Jon before the show about what TMNT weapon would be the best to use in battle.

[iris]

Aw dang I missed that one. Maybe it'll be online. The main interviews usually are.

Why did that audience member have to steal my question? I was SO gonna ask Jon that next time I was in NYC. ;)

[stege-chan]

I just caught that interview, and I really thought it was funny. ^^ It's true, they weren't really bashing turtles, actually I was laughing. They way they refered to them as "The red guy" or "The blue guy" and "The one with a stick" totally reminds me of how my dad refers to the turtles. He did it back when I was five years old when the original series came out too. Plus, this is supposed to be comedy, so don't get angry about it. Also I think Roger Ebert is a man to be respected. I mean, he's been in the film critique business for what, 30-some years? Quite a while.

[Jo269976]

Well i've got a plan for people that really dis them, it involves
a chair, a hammer, duck tape and some custard pies :lol:

[GK Punk]

Sounds like it was pretty funny, actually

[Tinuvielsdreams]

hmm when was that one?

[damnhooligan]

February 23rd. Seurat posted this thread within half an hour of the interview.

http://www.comedycentral.com/shows/the_daily_show/videos/celebrity_interviews/index.jhtml - The Ebert interview has been posted for anyone who cares to take a gander. It's presently the first one in the list.

[lilonardo]

if you ask me, I have known a lot of newspapers here in the UK give AWFUL game buying advice. I have known them for dissing "Fighters Megamix" and "Shining the holy ark" on the Saturn, and "I ninja" on the PS2, yet those and other games get good or great reviews in game magazines!

[Ryona]

I found it pretty funny.
I wouldn't say they were making fun of TMNT or the guy who brought up the topic. I'm sure they were just making light of the topic and humoring everyone. Not dissing TMNT.

[ThemanthatwouldbeRaphael]

I saw the interview. I didn't really mind as much, I mean, he didn't outwright insult the Turtles like Jerry "The King" Lawer did on an episode of RAW.

Besides, I'm sure that comment he made was taken out of context. Like maybe he was saying that he was surprised someone of his age remembered the TMNT because they were all the way back in the 90's, and he's probably not familiar with the new series out.

[Buslady]

naw he totally rags on TMNT and his review on TMNT1 was idiotic claiming that the movie was based off a VIDEO GAME.

I never liked Siskel & Ebert, Ebert & Roper, and any other incarnations of their public personas, whatever...eheh...they like movies that have no i magination IMHO.. dont get me wrong, he IS a good critic, does a well rounded job but sometimes he gets things wrong.

Here's that part of his review that says it :

Anyone unfortunate enough to have a Nintendo device in the house will be familiar with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, who star in one of the most insidiously addictive Nintendo games (i dont remember but was there a TMNT game for Nintendo back in 1990?)

he does say this: . But this movie is nowhere near as bad as it might have been, and probably is the best possible Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle movie.

:-)

[iris]

Yeah... the first TMNT movie is classic, and Ebert really has no affection for "comic book" films, though he pretends to know what he's talking about.

But I caught this interview Friday and I thought the TMNT part was hilarious. I couldn't believe that they actually had a FULL ON, unbelievably passionate discussion about ninja turtles. I love TMNT and all but it was basicallly very absurd. Thanks DH for posting the link to CC. :)

And now, because transcription gives me joy:

[Roger is pointing out various reasons why Jon might be nervous about hosting the Oscars to an audience of 42 million, and finds it difficult to believe that, as Jon insists, Jon will not be nervous. Roger has pointed out that the house audience at the Oscars, with all the celebrities in it, is much closer to the host than the house audience at the Daily Show.][90 sec clip]
Roger: What about the fact that you're right there on top of those people. Like you grew up looking--
Jon: Were you sent here to f*** with my mind?! Is that what this is?
Roger: You grew up watching Jack Nicholson and now there he is. And he's kind of like, you know... [Roger imitates Nicholson's cranky pose]
Jon: But he doesn't know that.
Roger: He'll have the eyebrow up like this... looking to see how you're doing, you know, and you're gonna feel--
Jon: You think that'll freak me out? [points to audience] That kid asked me about the ninja turtles before the show! Here's what he says to me before the show, Roger. "Hey ah, which weapons that the ninja turtles used would be most effective?" And I started answering him and then all of a sudden I was like, what am I doing?!
Roger: You were gonna actually answer that?
Jon: I did answer it.
Roger: Do you know them apart? Like you know Michelangelo from... Rembrandt or whatever their names are?
Jon: [indicates audience] He knew.
Roger: I mean they're color coded aren't they?
Jon: The one guy's got a stick and the other guy's got a sword...
Roger: But one is red and one is blue...
Jon: Right...
Roger: And one is green...
Jon: But here's what I thought. So he says, "one guy's got a stick and one guy's got nunchuks." And I go, "nunchuks is the worst because if you're fightin' turtles, it's very hard to crack that shell." And he says, [in a snide voice] "they're not fightin' turtles!"
Roger: No they're not. [points to audience] You're right! You're right! They're fighting against their enemies.
Jon: Right! Right!
Roger: Right, it's the enemies who are fighting the turtles.
Jon: Right. The rag men or... what are they called?
Audience guy: The Foot clan!
Jon: Foot...?
Audience guy: Foot soldiers. Foot clan.
[pause]
Roger: Don't you think that life is way to short to know that when you're that age, and even worse when you're his age?
Jon: You mean old enough to be in the army?
Roger: I mean... he's retained that knowledge.
Jon: He has retained that knowledge.
Roger: He probably knows the Spice Girls too.
[In the next segment they discuss Jon's newest film role, in which Jon voices "a blue spring that wants to freeze the world through ice he shoots out of his mustache."]

[Tinuvielsdreams]

February 23rd. Seurat posted this thread within half an hour of the interview.

http://www.comedycentral.com/shows/the_daily_show/videos/celebrity_interviews/index.jhtml - The Ebert interview has been posted for anyone who cares to take a gander. It's presently the first one in the list.


Thanks!!! I really need to see this :o

[CylonsKlingonsDaleksOhMy]

It was a bit odd for the ninja turtles to spring up in a brief guest interview and they also find themselves scoping for more info on them from the audience. Ebert gave quite a negative review of the movie, way back at the cinema release, and had significant inaccuracies, as mentioned above. I bet he wasn't too pleased- with all the movies he's reviewed- they would be talking TMNT, but not specifically the movie. I thinks it's great when the TMNT get promoted on a prime-time show, it shows the great legacy they have left behind.

[iris]

It was a bit odd for the ninja turtles to spring up in a brief guest interview and they also find themselves scoping for more info on them from the audience. Ebert gave quite a negative review of the movie, way back at the cinema release, and had significant inaccuracies, as mentioned above. I bet he wasn't too pleased- with all the movies he's reviewed- they would be talking TMNT, but not specifically the movie. I thinks it's great when the TMNT get promoted on a prime-time show, it shows the great legacy they have left behind.
I don't think Ebert was displeased to discuss TMNT. Ebert was the one who drew out the tangent by asking Jon if he actually knew anything about the ninja turtles (because clearly, to Ebert, TMNT is not a subject worth knowing about). That led to a mock-serious discussion, as Jon Stewart often has on his mock-serious news show. Jon's initial point was that having celebs in the audience was no stranger than having a guy in the audience who wants to know his serious (?) opinion of TMNT weaponry and its usage.

Props to the fan who ask Jon about TMNT. I salute thee!

[Weapon X]

Like you know Michelangelo from... Rembrandt or whatever their names are?


Thats quote raises Ebert higher in my book, that whole thing was totally great. :D

[DSWBandit]

Well i've got a plan for people that really dis them, it involves
a chair, a hammer, duck tape and some custard pies :lol:

Grab your Ninjitsus and pitchforks!



Actually, I thought that was funny, contrary to what I thought I'd think I'd thought.
I think.

I will forever remember Raph as Rembrandt. XD

[Drtooth]

Don't sweat it... the guy gave great reviews to sh** movies like the Fast and the Fureous and 2 Fast 2 Fureous. If he can't find joy in TMNT, maybe he'lll find it in some lameass action flick.

Dude doesn't even know they were a comic book... he IS ignorant on the subject. Best not to let it phase you.

[Foot Soldier]

I missed the show too :evil:

[Turtledude2k3]

I watched the interview from the link you gave us. He wasn't making fun of the people in fact it was a little joke. Hehe.

It's funny how we all know the turtles even if we grow to be 50.

[Ra]

Roger: Do you know them apart? Like you know Michelangelo from... Rembrandt or whatever their names are?
Rembrandt? :o :lol: Oh man, that's a classic... :lol:
Roger: I mean they're color coded aren't they?
Jon: The one guy's got a stick and the other guy's got a sword...
Roger: But one is red and one is blue...
...Roger: And one is green...
*falls off her chair since she's laughing to hard* :lol: :lol:

Yeah, they weren't really dissing the turtles. More like dissing the older fans. I mean, the REALLY obsessed fans. Everyone here at the Technodrome is somehow a fan, but not too many are obsessed to go up to a celebrity in public and ask what weapon a ninja turtle would use most effectivly in battle :roll: