Movie Critics vs. Teen Queens

Duff slams New York Critic

Hilary Duff has issued a stinging response to the York Times movie critic who described her acting as “talent-challenged”.

Stephen Holden has consistently slammed Duff’s teen comedy movies and singled out her performances particularly.But Duff insists she isn’t making movies for New York Times readers.

She tells Elle magazine: “He doesn’t really fit the demographic. So I could really care less. Look at me, and look at where he is – sorry! Would he prefer that I take some super-adult role that is inappropriate so I would have no place to grow?”

“Suppose the next thing I did was this super-edgy independent movie where I was pregnant or shooting up. What would that do to my fanbase?“

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Harsh words coming from the pop tart. But when Stephen Holden or any other critic attacks her movies, it may have something to with demographics, but not entirely.

Older reviewers can appreciate movies made for teen audiences just as someone my age can appreciate the classics. What critics are attacking, however, is the lack of quality in Hilary Duff’s films and how they are always the same mundane crap.

Maybe talentless is the wrong way to describe Hilary Duff, but if she doesn’t want to step away from her comfort zone of safe teen and family movies, she won’t be accepted by critics or moviegoers different tastes.

I was browsing Entertainment Weekly online and I found the Ask the Critic question. It goes along with what I was saying above. Here it is:

Why do critics treat bubblegum teen-oriented movies as if they’re real films? They have no artistic or intellectual merit whatsoever and only add to the dumbing down of American kids.

Because you haven’t provided any examples, I can’t gauge the scope of your disdain: Gidget? Beach Blanket Bingo? Rebel Without a Cause? Grease? Mean Girls? The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants? American Pie? Okay, let’s for a moment say you think none of the above has any artistic or intellectual merit: Still, each represents an idea what American teens are interested in, what the prevailing popular culture (marketed by adults) thinks American teens are interested in, or a potent combination of both. In such an influential genre, even a crummy, disposable title (and I’m not crazy, I won’t try to make a case for Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen’s New York Minute is worthy of analysis as a ”real” film), if only to identify how bubblegum tastes change from generation to generation. — by Lisa Schwartzbaum

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That’s another perspective. All I know is that there will always be the never ending cycle of the teen queen versus the movie critic.

What is your thought on this issue? Sound off below.