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The Top 10 Movies That Don’t Suck: A Critique of Roger Ebert's Book

Updated on November 1, 2015
Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert

Critiquing the Critic

How many times have you wanted to see a movie based on the trailer only to check what groundbreaking film critic Roger Ebert had to say? He knows his movies, doesn’t he? Well, mostly right. Recently, I read his book Your Movie Sucks, which was published in 2007. So, yeah, I’m a little late, but better late than never, right? The book is 333 pages of really, really horrifically bad movies-with the exception of a few. It’s a real small percentage, but a few of the movies in his book aren’t as bad as he says they are. Sure, they don’t deserve Academy awards, but ‘suck’? That’s harsh.

Ebert begins his book explaining about movie reviews and how he came to write a long list of movies he feels aren’t up to snuff. It starts off with Rob Schneider and a letter to Patrick Goldstein who wrote a scathing review of Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo. Rob was angry that someone wrote a bad review of that movie? Seriously? I can’t argue with that one. That movie does suck.

Ebert then discusses the Brown Bunny saga. If you know anything about the tension between Ebert and indie director Vincent Gallo, you should read this book just for that. He gives a great insight to how the verbal attacks and cursing hexes began and ended. I won’t go through that here, but I will mention that it is a story about a film critic who changes his mind. He shouldn’t have. Even after editing Brown Bunny still sucks, but hey, we all have opinions.

I’m not trying to change Ebert’s mind (because he’ll never read this), but I have to wonder if he’s missing something about certain types of films. The 10 movies on this list share something in common: they are the cheese on top of nachos. These movies aren’t great, but it’s like eating at the movie theater. The food may not be good for you, it may not be what you would normally order, but there’s a reason you didn’t eat before going to the theater. That reason is the experience; the joy of popcorn in an industrial sized bucket with sprayed on butter, the oversized candy boxes and the molten hot cheese on top of your nachos.

Critic’s Criteria

To get this list, there are several things I’ve taken into consideration. The first thing is Ebert’s reasons the movie sucks. Also, Ebert thinks these movies suck, but what about some other similar movies that don’t seem to make this book? I’ll compare and contrast and on occasion I’ll quote his book and make my argument why he doesn’t get the cheesy goodness.

The next thing to consider is the genre of film and the target audience. Ebert is brilliant at analyzing and pull out nuanced theoretical observations when reviewing movies. This doesn’t mean he gets all of them. In fairness, sometimes he’s really not supposed to. Either he’s not the target audience or he’s digging deeper than he really needs to be. What can you say? Not everyone likes a gigantic box of M&Ms. I do. I don’t like Milk Duds, so I get it. Some of these movies are my M&Ms.

The last thing is the movie’s box office take and accolades. These things aren’t the end all, but they should be considered. It’s the butter on top of your popcorn. It’s not necessary, but it sure as hell makes the popcorn a little more appetizing.

10. Reign of Fire (2002)

Soon I will write about the Top 10 Best Apocalypse movies. This one won’t make the list. Having said that and admitting it’s not one of the best doesn’t mean it’s one of the worst. What’s Ebert’s first critique of the movie? “Not since Battlefield Earth has there been worse grooming.” I can’t believe he’s serious. This is a post apocalyptic movie. Is everyone supposed to get their ‘hair did’ and go for their mani and pedi every Tuesday? I’m sure Road Warrior would have been much better Mel Gibson would have shaved and took an occasional shower.

I will agree with Ebert that the plot was thin and didn’t really make as much sense as it probably wanted to. Like Charlie’s Angel’s before it, this movie had a goal in mind when it was made. In this case, the special effects and use of badass looking CGI dragons (for the time) was pretty cool to see on the big screen. In fact, the special effects guys took some awards for their good work. Too bad the movie tanked pretty bad. The depended a little too much on Matthew McConaughey’s persona and Christian Bale’s rising stardom to lift the movie up. It didn’t succeed, but it was one of the movies to really meld CGI and live action. Too bad that same year Minority Report, The Bourne Identity and Spiderman did it better and with more realism. What the other ones missed out on are dragons. Dragons are awesome.

9. Team America: World Police (2004)

Right underneath the title, Ebert quotes Marlon Brando in The Wild One, “What’re you rebelling against, Johnny? Whatddya got?” Then he goes to critique the team of Parker and Stone about needed to offend, but not having a plan. They have a plan. They’re not rebelling against anyone, but they do want to offend everyone.

Ebert gets that they are satirists, but doesn’t seem to understand that they are playing off of morning cartoons from the 80s and early 90s and stereotypes. I’m guessing he’s never watched any cartoons, let alone the South Park cartoons, minus their movie South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut. He complains, “The plot seems like a collision at the screenplay factor between several half-baked world-in-crisis movies.” If that’s his complain, he should know that’s exactly what Parker and Stone were going for. Also, the critique about the use of puppets? Yawn. They knew exactly what complaints they would get. I just appreciated seeing something new and you don’t see a movie filled with puppet superheroes everyday. It’s not something I’d want to see everyday, but it was novel.

This is a movie Ebert seems to be taking a little personal. He says, “They may be right that some of us are puppets, but they’re wrong that all of us are fools and dead wrong that it doesn’t matter.” I don’t think that Parker and Stone think everyone is a fool. They make their movies to highlight those that are.

Ebert didn’t get that he wasn’t supposed to extract a political position from the movie. Instead, I believe the idea was to highlight some of America’s stereotypes (of our own country, the far left and the far right as well as how we see others) and put it on the big screen. The movie wasn’t entirely successful in that, but I can’t lambast them just for trying.

Team America: World Police was moderately successful at the box office. It barely broke even in the US and nudged its way to a profit worldwide. It’s hardly a great success story. It is, on the other hand, a movie that looks at why other countries may hate America and digs into that a little bit. It could have dug a little deeper and I admit it’s not for everyone, but it doesn’t do too badly of a job.

8. Death to Smoochy (2002)

This movie lost close to 5 million dollars at the box office. It bombed. I agree with Ebert when he says the movie is “so miscalculated, so lacking any connection with any possible audience.” Well, almost. It had an audience, but that audience makes up a small portion of the box office, it’s a wonder they didn’t just go direct to video on this one.

In fact, I didn’t like or get the movie until after 2005, which is the year my daughter was born. When she was young and would cry, I would try putting on different kinds of music. It didn’t work. I would try putting on my favorite kids TV shows as a kid and would you believe Bugs Bunny didn’t work? I then tried the PBS learning station called Sprouts. That’s when she was introduced to Barney, a time in her life I hated, but kept her attention long enough for me to get some dinner together and finish homework. I mention all of this because that is the audience this movie is for: moms, dads, grandparents and caregivers who are forced to watch large monstrosities singing nonsense to their toddlers.

Ebert’s error is that he just doesn’t get any part of it. If he’s never seen TV series that were huge hits, he’s never seen a bunch of grown people is costumes, let alone get a satire about it. To get a satire, you have to understand what it’s critiquing. He says, “Both of these clowns wear the kinds of costumes seen at the openings of used car lots in states that doubt the possibility of evolution.” Yep, he’s never seen a toddler’s TV show. First off, they aren’t clowns, Robert. Things have changed a lot since the days of Mr. Rogers and now many big draws are giant live action dinosaurs and men with rosy cheeks who sing songs about everyday life. The song “My Stepdad’s Not Bad, He’s Just Adjusting” is a joke in the movie, but that’s because it’s not too far off what’s happening now.

I get this movie and though I’m not a huge fan of most comedies, I thought this one was hysterical. That’s because I get it. Not everyone will and that the problem with movies that are as specific as this one. Some people will never get it. That doesn’t mean it sucked. That just means you’re not ‘in the know’.

7. Daddy Daycare (2003)

I agree with Ebert when he says that Eddie Murphy has had his share of bombs like I Spy (2002)and Adventures of Pluto Nash (2002) and I’ll go one further by mentioning Vampire in Brooklyn (1995) and The Haunted Mansion (2003). What’s the problem with this? The only movie in his book is Daddy Daycare. He listed two stinkers and I listed two more and this is the one he chooses to include? Why?

Ebert’s main complaint is simple. “What the movie lacks is any attempt to place Murphy and his costars in a world of real kids and real day care.” If I want real kids in a real day care, I’d go to one.

In Screenwriting: The Art, Craft and Business of Film and Television Writing author Richard Walter makes a comment in reference to new writers putting ummm and err into their screenplays and saying that’s the way people talks. He tells them, “But the way people talk is for free; the way people talk in movies costs six dollars.” The same can be said of movies with reaching plotlines and coincidental events. The audience doesn’t want to see real life, they want to pay (now) 10 dollars to see a movie about something that will never happen to them.

I’m not a huge lover of comedies, but there was something enjoyable about this movie. I thought this film had a minimal requirement of funny, most of which were brought by Jeff Garlin, Steve Zahn and the kids and not Eddie Murphy. Would I want my kid to go to his daycare? She’d be better off with Shaun (of the Dead) and whisked away to the Winchester while being chased by zombies. But that’s hardly the point.

In the end, the movie cost 60 million to make and grossed over 104 million worldwide. Not bad for a movie Ebert deems “a film so wrongheaded audiences will be more appalled than amused”. I was slightly amused by the movie and not appalled at all. The one thing that squicked me out was when a 5 year old’s mother said she had to breast feed her son. Ick. I chuckled and was thoroughly grossed out. Good job director Steve Carr, Takashi Miike would be proud.

6. Final Destination 2 (2000)

The original movie, according it Ebert, is pretty good because though it follows all of horror’s dead teenager clichés, it ends up being good because the teenagers are “talking about God” in their “teenage vernacular”. Go ahead Ebert and just say that you’re an old man surprised that teenager could have a real discussion about God and damn it if it isn’t garbled by teenage talk. The gap that he’s showing off like a badge of honor is the size of the Grand Canyon and he should be a little more aware than he is that he’s a little out of touch.

So, what’s Ebert’s main issue? He had a problem with the implausible ways the people die in the film. Do the killings get a little convoluted? And by a little I mean a lot, then absolutely. The crux of the movie (and its many sequels) stands with the lack of a physical antagonist. To show this, director David Ellis stages one improbable method of death after another. It gives the effect that there is more going on that just coincidence and the effects take on a life of its own and in many ways become death itself. It’s an interesting way to show something that can’t be shown.

Let me get this out of the way. Is the first movie better? 99 times out of a 100, the first movies are always better, but there’s nothing wrong with this sequel. It stays pretty true to its formula and delivers a series of events that are interesting to watch. If you liked the first one, you should like the sequel just fine. Ebert was expecting more, but why should he? The first one made back its money worldwide and so did this one. To top it off, it’s just number 2 in the franchise which is now up to 5, so it couldn’t have sucked as bad as he thinks.

5. Charlie’s Angels (2000)

The first thing Ebert says for this movie is, “Charlie’s Angels is eye candy for the blind.” It almost sounds like he understands this movie, but alas, here is it on the list.

His first issue is that he openly admits he has never watched the TV series, though he is familiar with the plot and basics. He then critiques how perfect Drew Barrymore, Lucy Liu and Cameron Diaz look after every fight. If he had even watched one episode, he’d know that the TV show was pretty much the same. Has he somehow forgotten that the TV show was what launched Farah Fawcett’s career and made her feathered locks famous for all time? Ms. Fawcett looked impeccable after every tussle she got in to.

Sure, they could have gone dark with it, but they didn’t. In fact, the original show had guns, but they went more for a fighting/martial arts approach instead. This movie is more of a comment on the summer blockbusters of its time: fast pace action with an insertion of comedy and self reference. The same could be said for other action movies released that same year: X-Men, Mission Impossible 2, Romeo Must Die and Gone in 60 Seconds. One of these movies also made it into his book, but the other three didn’t. I’ll discuss that one later, but for now I’ll say that some of these movies are better than other, but none of them suck.

Another issue is that Ebert wonders if the movie supposed to be a satire, a comedy, an action movie and more importantly, what’s so funny about it? Well, I guess you would have to have more reference to the TV show other than the plot is about a voice who “issues commands to the three babes who work for his detective agency”. They also fight crime in high heels and look spectacular doing it.

This movie isn’t something you have to think too hard to get. The more complicated you try to make it, the further away from enjoyment you go. Guys get to see 3 hot chicks fight crime while the ladies get to see 3 cool girls to get kick some butt. It’s really that simple. This movie is a big box of box office candy. Though it cost 92 million to make, it grossed over 264 million worldwide. Mmmm…M&Ms.

4. Constantine (2005)

Ebert begins by saying this movie is not a part of a trilogy including Troy (2004) and Alexander (2004). The movie going audiences around the world applaud happily, because unlike Constantine, those two movies really do suck. In fact, they had to retool Alexander several times after the movie had already been released. Yet, neither of these stink bombs made it onto Ebert’s list. I’ll give Troy a little credit though, at least that movie made its money back without having to fix it and then fix it again.

So, what is Ebert’s biggest complaint about Constantine? Is it Keanu Reeves’ just being himself once again, only in a different situation? Nope. Is it that Gavin Rossdale is a barely passable actor, though nice to look at? Nope. Is it the fact that Shea LaBeouf and Rachel Weiss are completely underused? Nope. In fact, he doesn’t even mention Shea at all in his review. So, what is Ebert’s issue? I don’t know, since his complaints are more of a chance to be witty than to actually express why the movie doesn’t work for him.

I think the underlying issue (which he doesn’t come out and say) seems to be the fact that in a fight between good and evil, good always wins, so what’s the point of this movie? Ebert chooses to pick apart plot points and criticize the fact that Constantine smokes too much and how odd is it he’s the only one fighting demons. Ebert doesn’t seem to get that Constantine isn’t the only one that fights the demons, but he is the person whose story we follow. Why? Because that’s what movies do.

This movie is just another one of Keanu Reeves movies. He can make some stinkers, but he makes more than his fair share of fun action movies worth the ride like The Matrix (1999) and Speed (1994). If you start to think too much and put too much into movies like this you get The Matrix Reloaded (2003) and Speed 2: Cruise Control (1997). Thank goodness he got out of Speed 2, because that was a movie that really sucked.

Constantine cost 100 million to make and made 230 million dollars worldwide. It definitely found its audience, because there are rumblings of a sequel because of emerging status which has a ‘cult following’ according to director Francis Lawrence. He says if he makes another one it will be gorier and rated R. Count me in.

3. Romeo Must Die (2000)

My biggest problem with Romeo Must Die is that it’s set in Oakland, yet obviously it’s not filmed there. They have some nice overview shots from there and San Francisco, but sigh, Oakland isn’t in Canada. Just saying.

One area where I will agree with him is that there is little romantic chemistry going on between Aaliyah and Jet Li. They seem more like friends than love interests in the movie, but that’s not what Ebert’s main problem with the film lies.

Ebert’s issue is that the movie doesn’t really resemble William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. He feels it should be more the vain of China Girl (1987) and Romeo + Juliet (1996). I guess he feels there should be more to it, but what does he expect when the movie stars action hero Jet Li and singer Aaliyah? When people see that these two are stars they aren’t expecting to see a performance worthy of Globe Theatre. They’re expecting some fun action sequences and a cool soundtrack. Check and check.

It seems that Ebert’s major issue is that Jet Li uses trickery to complete his effects and doesn’t do all of his stunts by himself. He sounds like a nagging parent, “When Jackie Chan does a stunt, it may look inelegant, but we know he’s really doing it” or “There’s a moment in Jackie Chan’s Rumble in the Bronx (1995)”. He really does harp over the fact that Jet Li isn’t Jackie Chan. Who cares? If he only knew that a mere few years later the saintly Jackie Chan would be drowning us in special effects to hawk V8 juice, maybe he’d change is complaining. I don’t care Jet Li got some help to do his stunts, most actors do. I don’t hold it against them either.

There’s another issue that bothers me about Ebert’s critique of this movie. He thinks it sucks, but somehow Queen of the Dammed isn’t anywhere on his list? Not that they’re anything alike, but damn does Queen of the Dammed suck huge monkey balls, yet it isn’t here. Both star Aaliyah and at least Romeo Must Die was fun to watch. The movie doubled its take the box office with a sprinkle more. There could have been a sequel, but the death of Aaliyah stopped any chance of that.

2. The Grudge (2004)

Let me begin by saying that the original Japanese version is better by far. In fact, every J-Horror film that has been adapted by Hollywood is better than the remake. That’s just how it is.

So, what is Ebert’s issue with the remake of The Grudge? It seems he has a problem with the fact that the movie is set in Japan and has a cast of English speaking Americans. He doesn’t seem to like Sarah Michelle Gellar and is annoyed that Bill Pullman is underused. Buffy would stake him in the heart for that.

I can understand where he’s coming from. I really can. Why see the remake, when you can see the original, which is even better and scarier? The issue lies with the average American horror fan. The majority of this audience is general teenage and twenty something males who have little patience for reading subtitles. That’s why they make these remakes. So boys don’t have to read. It’s the sad truth, but if it gets more people to watch these movies and, more importantly, get them to be interested in the original all the better.

Another issue Ebert has is that he can’t seem to understand why scary things are happening. He’s stuck in the muck of needing more of an explanation than is given. Of course the original does a better job of doing that, but it is not too far off from what Buffy eventually finds out in the end.

What’s odd is that he doesn’t seem to have any issues with the remake of Dark Water. That remake sucked, because there are some cultural effects that can’t be translated easily. That is, most likely, the reason The Grudge was set in Japan and not some random place in the US. The Japanese culture provides influence over the events to come. It shapes it in ways that can not be replicated in the US. That’s what Dark Water does wrong and The Grudge does right.

The finally tally is that The Grudge cost 10 million to make and took in around 110 million dollars. That’s called taking it to the bank. On the other hand, Dark Water (2005) cost around 30 million to make and only took in 49 million. Audiences know a good horror movie when they see it.

1. 13 Ghosts (2001)

I really can’t believe his first complain, no nag, is about how loud the movie is. Maybe he should complain to his local theater and pull up his big girl panties. It’s a feature film, not Sunday mass.

Ebert sounds like an outraged mother-in-law bent on breaking her son’s wife until he comes back home to tell her how much he misses her. He doesn’t like the editing, the story or the characters. He seems to approve of the set, the special effects and the production, but doesn’t go where the movie is taking him.

Maybe it’s because he’s not paying attention. “What intrigues me is that this house-its shrieks of terror and its moving walls-attracts no attention at all from the neighbors, even late in the film when truly alarming things are happening.” Is he serious? The house was in the middle of nowhere. It’s a house made of shatterproof glass and built by a maniacal man capturing ghosts. Where does he think this guy is going to build this house? Next to Ward and June Cleaver?

When you see the house you’ll note that there are no neighbors and this movie is exactly what it’s supposed to be. A well acted movie (well, minus Shannon Elizabeth) that scares and takes you on a ride.

By the way, the movie is called Thir13een Ghosts not 13 Ghosts as he wrote it in his book. It’s like his poor ears were so tortured by the movie’s loud sound that he couldn’t even get the name right. 13 Ghosts is the original 1960 movie this one was based on. There’s a difference and his work just shows his own laziness.

The movie cost 20 million and made over 68 million worldwide. It has become a Halloween favorite and has also made my list of 10 Of the Best Obscure Horror Movies Worth the Watch. You know why? Because Thir13een Ghosts doesn’t suck, in fact, it’s really damn good.

There You Have It

This list may seem long, but it really isn’t. I could barely come by these 10 movies to make the list in the first place, so despite my verbal lashings, Roger Ebert’s percentage is still damn good. If you get a chance, you should read his book. It really is worth it to get an interesting perspective on movies that you should avoid like Swept Away (2002), Freddy Got Fingered (2001), Battlefield Earth (2000) and many others. He really has a wonderful insight into what can make or break a movie. When he gives an honest theoretical critique his observations are hard to deny.

Do you think any of these movies really do suck? Which one?

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    • jmatthewdobson profile image

      Joseph Matthew Dobson

      3 years ago

      Couldn't agree with you more on Death to Smoochy, but dark comedy can often go over the heads of regular movie-goers. I thought the movie was outrageous, a brilliant dark-satire on early morning kiddie shows.

    • KU37 profile image

      3 years ago

      Checking out what Ebert thought about a movie was a "win-win" proposition. If he really liked it, then he would provoke you to take the trouble to go out and see it. I can't begin to list how many great movies I've seen in my life because of his great reviews. If he really hated it, then the entertainment value you got from the review itself was worth the effort. If there was anybody who could make rubbernecking fun, it was Ebert. I'm scratching my head over his choice of "Team America". That film should stand out historically for the scatology alone (alongside "Pink Flamingos"). And now after "The Interview" and all its first amendment and geopolitical fallout, "Team America" has a new level of relevance.

    • vmartinezwilson profile imageAUTHOR

      Vanessa Martinez Wilson

      6 years ago from Vancouver, WA

      rednickle, I agree that there's a lot that could have made Team America better. It had a lot to say, but in the end it really lacked on saying anything in particular. I get where they were going, but it did lack focus. I did think, however, there were some highly amusing parts. It's definitely not one I'd watch again and again, but one that I don't regret seeing in the first place.

    • rednickle profile image

      6 years ago from New Brunswick Canada

      i almost completely agree with you list of movies.That being said, though team america was quite unique with marionettes being used in its production, i believe the movie was quite bad overall

    • vmartinezwilson profile imageAUTHOR

      Vanessa Martinez Wilson

      6 years ago from Vancouver, WA

      @stevennix, every film critic has flaws most definitely. I tend to grade movies on their own genre, even allowing for camp to be its own. I tend to base my writing on what my profs preferred. They wanted analytic, theoretic yet still amusing papers, therefore I've learned to adapt to that. Though I don't think I'm funny at all, my profs found a way to laugh at my paper and now I don't know if I should have been insulted, lol.

      @spomposello, For Team America, let me just say that I didn't really care for that one either. I preferred South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut and was expecting something like that. I didn't think it was a great movie, but I didn't think it sucked...not like Swept Away.

      As for Eddy Murphy, I couldn't agree more. In fact, I even mentioned more of his many crappy movies that he shells out and that we're supposed to go, watch and pretend it's not torture. He has this idea of what he wants to present to the world about who he is and he's been that way ever since he picked up a transvestite prostitute. Sure, he'd like us to forget that, but that's what I see. Even in Daddy Day Care, he was the least funny to me. It's a barely passable comedy and something kids enjoy more than adults. He should stick to animated voices or just go for edgier movies like he used to. Though it might be too late for that.

      For all the movies who had been advertised too much, I'll say that I normally don't watch commercials and always change the channels when they happen. It's probably why things like that don't bother me as much since I usually find trailers to watch on YouTube since I miss them on the TV.

      As for Death to Smoochy, it's in no way shape or form a kids movie. In fact, if you have a kid and you watch this movie, tell them to leave the room. It's actually pretty demented in its approach, but that's par for the course since Danny Devito had his hands on it. I think another issue is that people might have thought it was a kids movie when there's death, drugs, and guy trying to kill Smoochy throughout the film, but like I said in my analysis, I had to agree with Ebert that it was a hard movie to sell.

      It's really cool to see how you've reacted to some of the movies. My husband is pretty on par with what you said, except that he (like me) also has a thing for dragons and he really enjoyed Death to Smoochy after a friend of ours forced him to watch it and therefore he forced me to do the same. He also can't stand Daddy Daycare, but was relieved when he had to do some babysitting that kids under 10 seem to like it just fine.

      @rabbit, When I was younger I was always agreed with Siskel and very rarely with just Ebert. I would watch their show and always wonder why Ebert seemed to have a stick up his butt. Now that I'm older, I see where he's coming from, even if I don't agree with him. That's what makes film review so awesome. You find the reviewer that seems to be on the same page as you more often than not and you're good to go to save a lot of time, money and effort by avoiding some movies and going to see others.

      @Steve, What are you talking about. I love to roll my eyes at movies you enjoy! As I'm sure you do for me, hopefully occasionally. :D When we critique movies, it's with full knowledge that not everyone is going to agree with us. It's an honest point of view, hopefully full of things that are substantial. Most of the movies on the list aren't really all that and a bag of chips, but I didn't think they sucked in the same manner that Swept Away sucked.

      I own Death to Smoochy, Reign of Fire and Thir13een Ghosts. I did own Constantine, but my mom 'borrowed' it and never gave it back.

      @FatFreddy, I'm looking for I Hated, Hated, HATED This Movie, but it isn't at my local library. I'm trying the one in Portland and hopefully I have some better luck. My favorite part of this one was finding out his perspective on the Brown Bunny saga. I remembered it when it was happening and thinking the whole thing was just so odd. I'm glad that they were able to meet and discuss things. It might have changed Ebert's mind, but in my opinion, Brown Bunny still sucks, lol. And this is coming from someone who liked Buffalo 66.

      I wrote this hub for fun, because I had just read his book and found it amusing that I only disagreed with him for only a few movies. Writing a hub about everything I like without having to dissect a subject and weigh in on it's credibility isn't as fun. I liked this book and I like Roger Ebert. I'm overjoyed about all of the agreements AND disagreements, because if we all agreed then there'd be little point to having us all on Hubpages, we'd just be carbon copies of each other with little differences in opinion.

      Thank you all so very much for your input. I've enjoyed reading them and learning a little as well!

    • FatFreddysCat profile image

      Keith Abt

      6 years ago from The Garden State

      I have also read this book (as well as Ebert's other compendium of savage reviews, "I Hated, Hated, HATED This Movie") and enjoyed them both. I have to say that even though I rarely, if ever, agree with Roger's views on films, I love his writing.

      I haven't seen all of the films mentioned in this Hub but I'm with Roger on "Daddy Day Care" and "Charlie's Angels," both were wretched as far as I'm concerned.

    • Steve Lensman profile image

      Steve Lensman

      6 years ago from Manchester, England

      An interesting read Vanessa. The bottom line is that we all have our opinions. You might roll your eyes at some of the films I've enjoyed in the past 10 years. :)

      Okay Ebert didn't get those films but of all the critics out there I usually trust him the most but he does let me down occasionally. The funny thing about reading this is that Ebert of all the critics out there enjoys junk movies, I see movies that other critics have turned their nose up and Ebert would admit to enjoying it.

      But getting back to your list, I've seen 8 of them, haven't seen Death to Smoochy or Daddy Day Care and have bought those 8 films on DVD. I agree with you on the points you made on each film. I couldn't even begin to tell you which Final Destination was worse than the other they all seem the same to me and I have them all on DVD. :)

      Voted Up and Interesting.

    • rabbit75 profile image

      6 years ago

      I've never been a fan of Roger Ebert, and I tend to dismiss most of what he says when it comes to which films should I watch or not.

      If he says a movie sucks, most often I'll probably like it. It's all subjective anyway...just like all depends on if the movie speaks to you in any sort of way.

      And if it does, how much did it speak to you? How connected did you feel towards the story or characters, and it tends to determine my mood at times.

      As for Constantine...the movie is based off the DC Comics of John Constantine, in which the character first appeared in the Sandman comics by Neil Gaiman. It's not supposed to be Slumdog Millionaire or The King's Speech.

      I'll write a review purely on my objectivity, and what ride the movie took me on. If it spoke to me, or if it asks a question that I would've not otherwise thought about before or if it purely entertained me for entertainment's sake.

      Ebert can say his drivel about a film, and I'll say mine. That's the great thing about freedom of opinion.

    • SPomposello profile image

      6 years ago from NY

      10. I didn't see the whole movie, but I'll agree with you on that one. Dragons were never really my thing though but either way...

      9. Ah, didn't really care for this one.

      8. Oh. My. God. I forgot this movie existed. I never saw it and was never interested in it, because every time they advertised it on TV (and it was OVER advertised), it would annoy the crap out of me. First of all, the title is stupid, the name Smoochy is stupid AND cringeworthy, and the fact that the plot has anything central to do with a guy dressed up like that is plain stupid to begin with. Of course, this is just my view. I don't care if it's a kids movie or not, there's a million bad kids movies and only a dozen good ones.

      7. Oh Lord, not this junk again. I agree about Murphy's other films that you mentioned, but I can't possibly see this one being any better than those. As far as I'm concerned, this one is just as guilty. Heck, it's not even a guilty pleasure, not in the least bit. I don't care about the "real day care" bit, that's not really my complaint. My complaint is "somewhat" in line with that but not exactly...

      This movie is a little TOO perfect for its own good. Too rosy rosy and sunshiney, much like the other Murphy flicks you mentioned. Even a kids movie like "Home Alone" parts 1 and 2 had their share of imperfections within the world they depicted. And why is Murphy always playing the same kind of character in these kids movies?

      He's always some huge executive at some big company who makes lots and lots of money, he has a nice house, a nice car, a beautiful and perfect wife with no character flaws whatsoever, and a cute kid. If I were to put Murphy's character from "Daddy Day Care" and his character from....say.... "Imagine That" in the same room together, I would not be able to tell them apart. I think Eddie Murphy let the movie "Trading Places" go to his head. Heck, if his character in "Boomerang" wasn't a womanizer, then I would have assumed it was the same character as in "Imagine That" and "Daddy Day Care". Another stupid executive.

      Not only that we see "The Big Executive" as the lead character in WAYYYY toooo many movies, soooo many movies that I personally am getting sick of seeing him. Why not give us a goddamn garbage man for a change? Something which more of us movie-goers can reach out to. I mean not all of us went to school for that MBA or whatever and got all that Murphy's rich executive characters have in real life. Sure it exists, of course, just go to Midtown Manhattan and you'll see plenty of them, but attaining that is a bit of a stretch.

      I think it's probably in Murphy's contract that he has to play white collar workers in his roles. Also, during the last act of the film, when Murphy has the "change of heart" and quits the new job, it was too soon and too forced. It's like the writer thought, "Well, we need a *CRISIS* or *BLEAK POINT* right now in the movie because the third act is approaching, let's just shove this in there and call it a day".

      6. This series never really bothered me either, it's in the same boat as the Freddy and Jason films. You get what you expect, no surprise there.

      5. This is a straight up chick flick so it never really caught my eye to see it, but it did annoy me when it came out because they wouldn't stop advertising it (kinda like that movie "Insidious").

      4. I skipped this one as well.

      3. This is one movie I have no issues with. It has many positives. It's one of the best interracial on-screen couples and movies out there. The chemistry between Li and Aaliyah is good and the plot is certainly not shallow at all. Agreed about "Queen of the Damned". Also, Aaliyah being a singer acting in this movie didn't overshadow her role like say.... Ashanti in "Resident Evil 3" or.... Beyonce in just about anything she's in (Anyone wanna watch "The Pink Panther"?).

      2. I'll admit it was cool when it came out, but the trend it started has dried out and has kind of disinterested me from the film a bit.

      1. The house is cool, there's great special effects, but my problem is that.... it's not scary at all. But it is a good NON-SCARY horror flick though.

    • Stevennix2001 profile image

      Steven Escareno

      6 years ago

      Well this is a pretty interesting analysis of Roger Ebert, and it's definitely going to be very hard to top when I have to review him eventually for this new hub series i started called, "Critic's Corner", where i analyze other film critics. lol.

      Having said that though, I do agree with you and innersmiff that Roger Ebert is a great film critic, but like all film critics (myself included), all have their own share of flaws.

      I know when I first started on hubpages, Roger Ebert was one of the film critics that I've tried to model my writing after, and still do to some degree. However, I do think he sometimes has trouble grasping the fantasy and science fiction genre of films though if you ask.

      Plus, as you pointed out earlier, some of his complaints aren't that reasonable, as he sometimes has a tendency to judge all films exactly the same way. Granted, he's not the only film critic that does this, but I don't know if I agree with people completely who judge all films (regardless of genre) the same way. After all, you can't hold up a movie like "Toy Story 3" up to the same standards as something like "The Godfather", or vice versa, as that would be ridiculous. This is also why I always think that every film critic should have different sets of criteria for each genre of movies. However, I do respect the man, as I'm sure he'll forget more about movies, than I'll ever learn in my lifetime. lol

      But, I think you did a pretty good job here with this hub, as it was definitely a lot of fun reading. :)

    • vmartinezwilson profile imageAUTHOR

      Vanessa Martinez Wilson

      6 years ago from Vancouver, WA

      @Alecia, I do think, on occasion, he expects a higher brow movie than he gets and he takes it a bit personal. Most of the critiques I read where he doesn't discuss shots, narrative flow or acting are usually comments on how the movie offended him personally. Like the comments about how loud Thir13een Ghosts was just seemed odd.

      But, in his favor, I could only find 10 and barely at that. He really does a great job at what he does. Most of the time, the book is funny and most of the time I agreed immensely. I will never get those hours spent watching Pearl Harbor back...ever. lol Thanks a bunch!

      @innersmiff, I think on most occasions that he does get where the movie was supposed to go and in most of the movies in his book, he does a great job at seeing where it came from and how it failed. By no means do I think that Charlie's Angels is a great movie, but it's on par with the TV show and I couldn't knock it for that reason. That's probably because I remember watching reruns of the show when I was a kid. Is it cheesy? Absolutely, but does is suck on the same level as Swept Away? I don't think so, but according to the book it does.

      I also agree that he may know what the movie is trying to be, but like most people, he has a point of view and if it doesn't measure up to that then it lack merit. Just remember all the critics who lambasted The Wizard of Oz, sometimes people really just don't get it. It's OK, because if everyone's tastes were the same, the world would be a boring place. Me personally? I usually don't get comedies. Most just aren't funny no matter how much everyone loves them or how well they do at the box office. Which brings me to...

      I agree that the money a movie makes is no indicator of the quality of a film. I do mention that, however, I used it as an illustration that people did enjoy the movie even though Ebert did not. Nothing more, nothing less. One of my favorites on the list, Death to Smoochy, was in the hole money wise, but it didn't stop me from putting it on the list.

      I think Ebert is a great critic, which is why I mention his groundbreaking status as a critic and that the majority of his book in on the money. I wouldn't have read it if I thought his opinions were rubbish.

      In fact, I wrote this hub, because I think others should read his book. He lists around 200 movies in it that suck and boy do they.

      After all that, can you believe that I agree with you on most of your points? lol. I thank you so much for your critique of my critique.

    • innersmiff profile image

      James Smith

      6 years ago from UK

      Very nicely written but there are a few flaws. Your critique of his critiques often consists of the 'Don't you know what this movie was trying to be?' argument. I probably think he does know what the movie is, and doesn't expect much more than it is trying to be, but actually expects it to be good. Charlie's Angels is a movie about hot chicks fighting. It's also a bad movie. Not very exciting and not funny. It is bad at what it is trying to be.

      Also, the money a movie makes is no indicator of quality. If a billion people saw a bad movie, it is only a reflection of their poor taste, not of the films quality.

      I think Ebert is a good critic despite the fact that I disagree with him half the time. I do think, on the whole, he has a good grasp of the purpose of certain kinds of movies, including the mainstream, but appreciates the high art too.

    • Alecia Murphy profile image

      Alecia Murphy

      6 years ago from Wilmington, North Carolina

      I completely agree with you on Ebert. I think he's almost like the critic in Ratatouille. He can't get his way so he just keeps complaining until someone finally gets in his face. I think sometimes his critiques are great but for the most part he tries too hard to make movies into high art instead of entertainment. Great hub. Up and interesting

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Leaving Home for the First Time / Child vs. Parent Perspectives - - Young People on Their Own

Updated on October 21, 2011

There comes a point in every child’s life where he or she must leave the nest. This experience can be one of excitement and fear for both the child and the parents alike. There are both positive and negative effects of a child leaving home for the first time, but ultimately it is an occurrence that everyone must deal with in their lifetime at some point or another.

Leaving home for the first time is very important life experience. The child leaving home will be both excited and afraid, even if they claim otherwise. The usual excitement would stem from the child ready to be on his or her own. Living on their own, without parental authority, is a new idea to them. Hopefully, up until this point, the parents have done a good job of raising their child so that he/she can function in society in a safe, productive, and morally righteous manner. Leaving home for the first time comes with a few benefits for the child. These benefits include, but are not limited to: meeting new people, freedom to make choices about one’s own life, no curfew, ability to choose one’s own path- whether it be in the workplace or in a college environment. Although the excitement of leaving home for the first time is unlike anything else, it also brings with it more responsibilities.

Children who have very nurturing parents will have a harder time leaving home than children whose parents are more indifferent towards their child’s life. Some children will be very afraid to leave home, and may even delay the option until a much later point in their life. Usually, in America, children leave home about the time when they are first going off to college. Going to college for the first time, and living in a dorm, is a stepping stone on the path to actually living on your own in the real world. Eventually, the child may decide to rent an apartment near campus for the latter years of their college experience. This is the reality of leaving home. Young adults will have many new responsibilities to deal with than they ever imagined possible. Some of these new responsibilities include, but are not limited to: finding a job, doing own laundry, learning how to clean their home, buying groceries, and paying rent. Finding a job can be a very difficult task for a young adult, but it is necessary for being able to have financial freedom. No job or means of earning money makes it difficult for a young adult to pay his or her living expenses. The cost of paying rent, utilities, and buying food add up. Without a job, none of this would be possible, unless the parents of the child support him/her financially.

Young adults aren’t the only one’s nervous about moving out for the first time. Their parents are nervous and fearful themselves. Of course, it is expected that a mother and father would be worried for their child venturing off to live on their own for the first time. The parents are still the parents, and it is important for them to maintain that type of relationship with their child, even if it must be through infrequent meetings or phone calls. If the young adult has siblings, it is also important for the parents to show those younger siblings that they are making an effort to stay in touch with whoever left home. Parents must remember that these younger siblings will in fact be leaving home themselves at some point. Just as the person leaving home is going through major changes, the parents will go through changes as well. Some changes that a parent might go through include: the absence of a good night kiss, groceries lasting longer, and a lower food/utility bill. Above all, it is important that parents remain parents to their children, even if they have decided to venture out on their own. Young adults need to be re-assured that they are still loved, and that the parents haven’t forgotten about them. They must know that they are always welcome home.

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    • Esther  Strong profile image

      Esther Strong

      5 years ago from UK

      Some very interesting points from both perspectves. Voted up etc.

    • PauloPaz profile image

      7 years ago from London

      Congratulations for the great hub.I really enjoyed the reading because it reminds me the experience teaching English and Spanish for children when I lived in Brazil.The first school day were a nightmare for the little ones,but when they discovered that they could enjoy the company of other children and of course to learn languages and other subjects they started to enjoy their staying in school.

      Nice hub!!!

    • Cogerson profile image

      7 years ago from Virginia

      Another solid are nice...but they need to go with the article...I could read your hub just fine.voted up

    • LeisureLife profile imageAUTHOR

      7 years ago from USA

      Thanks, I'll see what I can do about the pictures !

    • earnestshub profile image

      7 years ago from Melbourne Australia

      Good advice, I found it hard to read all the way through without any pictures to break it up, but it was compelling enough to hold me till the end. I don't get much time to read long hubs and often scan them instead.

      Good writing.

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The Basics Of Italian Cooking Recipes

Updated on October 27, 2009

When you crave a certain dish, you'd do just about anything to get it. You search for the nearest restaurant that serves it, or try to have it delivered to you. If this is the case, then it's fairly easy to satisfy your cravings. However, it gets challenging when you suddenly crave authentic Italian food and you don't happen to be in Italy, or in one of the great Italian restaurant centers such as New York, Toronto, or Sydney. When this happens, you want to come up with your own Italian dish, but the problem is that Italian cuisine is not easy to just improvise. Therefore, you must scrounge up your trusty Italian cookbook and search for the recipe you crave.

There are thousands of Italian cooking recipes out there. In many cases famous Italian chefs come up with their own recipes, and then compile them in a cookbook. That's a sure way of learning how to come up with Italian meals. Just make sure that the chef author is well renowned and traditional. There is a new generation of New Italian Cuisine chefs who produce nothing but overpriced and very un-Italian trash.

You can get Italian cooking recipes from a variety of sources, such as the above mentioned cookbooks, and via the internet. A precursory Googling will confirm that the net contains thousands and thousands of recipes for Italian dishes. You might have to sift through quite a number of web sites before finding the one particular recipe that you like.

Of course, there are recipes on ragu, and carbonara, and bolognese, and pesto, and puttanesca. These are common pasta sauce recipes, and most people merely stop at the first recipe that shows up on the search engine and decide to make it that night. Sometimes, though, it pays to be a little more discriminating. As mentioned, famous Italian chefs impart their recipes by compiling it in recipe books. These recipes are most often than not, put up in websites. When you learn from the best, you'll surely come up with the best dishes. Italian cooking recipes can include extra steps that famous chefs take to add much more flavor to the dishes. These recipes on Italian cooking might include tips on how to preserve the freshness of your vegetables, or what to look for when buying ingredients for your dish. When looking for Italian cooking recipes, make sure that you maximize the resource. Don't just settle for a simple step-by-step narration on how to create the dish. Find the recipe that describes how your food should look like, how it should taste, how it should smell. Sometimes, following instructions from a simple recipe is difficult without much detailing.

However, because Italian cuisine is so versatile, you yourself can add that personal touch to your meals. Perhaps it's that extra dash of basil, or the additional helping of parmesan. It doesn't matter. What matters is that it tastes the way you would want it to taste.

Sometimes, Italian cooking recipes even suggest alternative ingredients for the dishes. This is extremely helpful because if you don't live in Italy, some ingredients may be hard to find. This way, you'll find yourself getting closer to satisfying your craving. Although portobello mushrooms, fennel bulbs, and Italian eggplants are now available at every supermarket throughout North America and Europe, there are still countless Italian ingredients which are virtually impossible to obtain fresh outside of Italy.

So the next time you crave for Italian food, don't panic. There are probably more than a million Italian cooking recipes available for you to follow. Now whipping up that Italian dish is as easy as ordering take-out. You might have to substitute a particularly difficult ingredient or two with something similar and more readily available, but it should still taste great!

Continued In: The Basics Of Italian Cooking Classes

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      5 years ago

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      5 years ago

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    • Leighsue profile image

      6 years ago

      The best italian recipes use simple foods that are found in the garden.

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text:
Moidon – The Lords of the Forest

Translated from Mizuki Shigeru’s Mujara

The Moidon’s name tells you exactly what it is. The word moi (森) means “forest,” and the word don (殿) means “Lord.” It is a title of honor bestowed upon grand and aged trees. In ancient Japan, long before there was any sort of organized religion, people believed that these great trees were deities and the land they inhabited was a sacred space. Southern Kyushu in particular is home to moidon, although on Osumi peninsula they are called moriyama. In Kagoshima prefecture you can find more than a hundred moidon.

Long before any shrines were built, moidon served as places of worship to the ancient Japanese. Very old and massive trees were said to be the bodies for gods. In particular, broad-leaf evergreen trees were considered to be moidon, such as beech, camphor, and fig trees. In modern day Shinto, you can still see moidon that existed long before the buildings were built. Indeed, many of those oldest shrines were built around a particular moidon, as the area was already considered a sacred space by virtue of the tree.

In Hioki ward, Ichiki city, there is a moidon whose festival is celebrated every year. On November 5th, by the counting of the old Japanese lunar calendar, people eat festive red rice to mark the occasion, and a dish is always set in front of the tree as an offering. However it is said that if you take a single leaf home, or if any part of the great tree is burned as firewood, you will fall under its curse.

Moidon were long worshiped as gods, but they were also greatly feared. It is said that moidon are quick to take offense, and bestow curses more readily than blessings. Those who ask too much of them, or who gather their fallen branches to burn, will find themselves stricken with various illnesses, including a burning, itchy skin. Sometimes doing so much as to touch the tree brings about its curse, so villagers are often careful to give their moidon trees a wide birth except at festival time.

Because of their ability to curse, it is thought that these lords of the forest may be one of the origins of yokai legends throughout Japan.

Translator’s Note

A new translation at last! Sorry about the delay, but work has kept me very busy as of late.

The moidon is a choshizen type of yokai, referring to a sort of natural phenomenon. As Mizuki Shigeru says, you can still see these ancient trees in old Shinto shrines, usually demarcated by a straw rope and other sacred symbols. When I lived in Nara prefecture, I used to go to Miwa shrine that had a massive, ancient tree that was said to be much older than the shrine itself, which was already several centuries old.

Other magical tree stories on

Jinmenju – The Human-faced Tree

Enjyu no Jashin – The Evil God in the Pagoda Tree

Ochibanashi nantoka – The Chinkapin Tree of Unfalled Leaves

9 Comments (+add yours?)

  1. barbaraelka
    Jul 01, 2012 @ 13:30:42

    Oh such a interesting post…a tree as a symbol for faith- common theme around the world

    • Zack Davisson
      Jul 01, 2012 @ 13:46:07

      Thanks! With the moidon, and with Shinto, the trees are not a symbol however. They are the actual gods. It is something you can see all over Japan — sacred trees, sacred rocks — at some point in time people found power and significance in those natural objects, and they have been worshiped ever since.

  2. Bill Ellis
    Jul 02, 2012 @ 08:05:43

    Your entry, as always, reminds me of the extensive lore collected in rural Great Britain about the dangers of using the leaves or wood from certain trees unwisely. The Rev. R. M. Heanley of Lincolnshire recorded some interesting beliefs about the black elder tree in a paper delivered in January 1902 before the Viking Club, London, parts of which were reprinted in the [British] Folklore Society’s journal County Folklore (v. 63, 1908) and from that source in a variety of publications on fairylore.

    He paid a pastoral visit to a family whose baby had been reported to be ill. When he arrived, the child looked well enough, but the mother explained that when a rocker had fallen off the cradle, her husband had made a new one out of “illerwood [elderwood] without axing the Old Lady’s leave, an’ in coorse she didn’t like that.” In retribution, the “Old Lady” pinched (or raised bruises) on the infant’s skin until he was nearly black in the face. The mother knocked off the elderwood rocker and replaced it with one made of ash, and the child was soon right again.

    Rev. Heanley, intrigued by the mention of the “Old Lady,” soon after saw a parishioner chopping firewood. Calling attention to a log made of elderwood, he asked if he was afraid of chopping up that one. “Nay,” the man replied, for the wood was seasoned and dry. But if it were “wick” (still green), he added, “I dussn’t, not without axin’ the Old Gal’s leave.” The minister asked how this would be done, and the countryman (perhaps with a twinkle in his eye) said that was “slape” (slick) enough: “Owl Gal, give me of thy wood, an Oi will give some of moine, when I graws inter a tree.”

    There seems to be a certain amount of practical truth behind these beliefs. Wikipedia notes that green elderwood contains a cyanide-inducing glycoside, and that there have been reports of children being poisoned by making toys such as whistles and slingshots out of green wood. Similarly, serious allergic reactions to processing lumber made of the camphor laurel are easy to find on the Web. One entry noted that a lumber mill in Australia actually had to close down because too many workers refused to work when green wood from camphor trees was being processed. The entry notes that some varieties seem to provoke allergic reactions, including serious skin and respiratory reactions, more quickly than others.

    Whether the culprit is an offended moidon or “Owd Gal” indwelling in the tree, or a chemical released by chopping, handling, milling, or burning the wood, I’d say that the folk are preserving some good biochemical information by means of these legends.

  3. Zack Davisson
    Jul 03, 2012 @ 14:39:22

    Interesting additions as always Bill! Especially since the moidon specifically calls oat the camphor tree, and the “curse” of itchy, burning skin AKA allergic reaction.

  4. vilajunkie
    Jul 05, 2012 @ 07:32:40

    I wonder if the concept of moidon had any direct influence on Hayao Miyazaki’s Spirit of the Forest in “Princess Mononoke”.

    • 83n831
      Jul 05, 2012 @ 07:45:05

      Certainly seems explicit in “My Neighbor Totoro.” When Mei comes home after meeting the large creature in the woods, there’s a moving scene in which the father leads the two girls to the huge camphor laurel in the woods and leads them in ritual thanks to “the keeper of the forest.” (My Japanese isn’t good enough to catch if Tatsuo actually uses the word “moidon,” but I wouldn’t be surprised if he does, or at least a term associated with this belief.)

      • Zack Davisson
        Jul 09, 2012 @ 13:04:53

        It is very explicit. I did a short paper during my MA on Miyazaki’s use of Shinto imagery in his films, one of which was Totoro. The tree is decorated with a Shimenawa rice straw and paper ribbon that marks a sacred tree (moidon), and there is an abandoned shrine and Torii gate as well. Miyazaki invented the Totoro spirits himself, as the tree spirits of folklore have no physical form, but they draw heavily from the same nature-worship traditions.

  5. angrygaijin
    Jul 25, 2012 @ 22:53:47

    Kagoshima! That’s close to me…. (sorta). Maybe I can find some Moidon around here, too.

  6. meg
    Aug 11, 2016 @ 23:26:22

    Wow,that realy gave me nightmares……

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text:
The suffering poor

Why dost thou stand afar

Tune: RHODES (Jordan)
Published in 6 hymnals

Printable scores: PDF, MusicXML
Audio files: MIDI

Representative Text

1 Why dost Thou stand afar,
O Lord,in our distress?
And why dost Thou conceal Thyself
When troublous times oppress?

2 Do Thou, O Lord, arise;
O God, lift up Thy hand;
Forget Thou not the suffering poor,
The humble in the land.

3 Their foes Thou dost behold,
Their wrongs Thou wilt repay;
The poor commit themselves to Thee,
Thou art the orphan's stay.

4 Thou, Lord, hast heard their prayer
With humble hearts drew nigh;
Thou also wilt revive their strength
And ever hear their cry.

5 Defend the fatherless
And all who are oppressed,
That they by human pride and power
May be no more distressed.

The Psalter: with responsive readings, 1912

Text Information

First Line: Why dost thou stand afar
Title: The suffering poor
Language: English
Refrain First Line: Do thou, O Lord, arise

The Cyber Hymnal #7162
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text:
Creating Shared Value in South Africa

The bigger business gets, the higher the expectations that it will do good and act in a socially responsible way. Yet, after decades for corporate social responsibility programmes across the globe, critics note that there is precious little to show and in fact, the public’s trust in big business is declining. This has propelled business to rethink its role in society and morph from programmes of corporate social responsibility towards new policies of creating shared value. This article discusses this important shift.

Written by Tim Hughes, Corporate Affairs Director, Warwick

Capitalism is the worst form of economy, except for all the others. This may have been how Sir Winston Churchill would have captured the myriad challenges facing most social market economies, including that of South Africa. The dilemma we face is that, while capitalism is being scrutinised, blamed and criticised more robustly than at any time since the global financial crisis, the alternative models: socialism, communism, full-blown nationalism or a purely libertarian economic system, all seem to work less well.

While resurgent communists seek full-blown state ownership of the economy, socialists hanker after some never-has-been idyllic, egalitarian worker-led economy and those on the right of the spectrum seem equally committed to defying Einstein by turning back time, to an exclusive and mythical land of milk and honey, perhaps the real challenge lies in making capitalism more beneficial for more people in our country. But in order to even begin to achieve this, we may have to reconsider our conventional models and understanding of the roles and indeed rules of business generally and companies more specifically.

Corporate social responsibility under capitalism can be traced at least to the early 17th century with the Quakers’ refusal to accept slavery as a form of human capital. Since then, CSR has developed its own codes, its own practices, its own metrics and indeed its own politics! Yet the fundamental conceptual problem with CSR lies in the fact that it is not intrinsic to business, but rather is often an additional or external activity, not fundamentally linked to the business that funds it. This externalisation of CSR means that companies’ commitment to and relationship with CSR is contingent and often dependent on a host of factors, central to which is company profit. The convention of setting CSR spend at 1% of profit may seem at once generous or miserly, but whatever one’s viewpoint, CSR spend equates to the margin of company profit. This may read as axiomatic and obvious, but such thinking is old thinking and arguably less-effective than the new thinking captured in the concept of creating shared value (CSV). CSV seeks to link economic progress with social development. Within the CSV paradigm, there is no trade-off between business competitiveness, growth, and profits, while doing so in a manner that adds value to suppliers, communities and indeed the broader environment.

CSV is not charity, nor is it a social responsibility of companies, rather it is a better way of doing business that ensures that the value chain generates more benefits for all those involved. CSV is not about giving away money, or diverting profits, or giving to charitable causes, but is rather a way of business becoming more aware of how to do business in a way that is sustainable and that ensures the pool of wealth is broadened and deepened.

So how can CSV be achieved?

Three core pillars lie at the foundation of CSV. The first pillar requires a re-think of a company’s products and markets and to focus more on meeting social and societal needs. For example, in the food sector, while historically the marketing thrust of processed food has bene on flavour, taste, size and visual appeal, this has led manufactures into a ‘self-made’ cul-de-sac of blame for obesity, hypertension and other non-communicable diseases. A greater focus on, research into and marketing of tasty and nutritious products leading to healthier customers consuming good food for longer makes economic, business and social sense. Thereby shared value is created. The second area requiring rethinking is that of value chains. This means not only investing in more energy-efficient and environmentally sound procurement practices, but importantly, investing in communities involved in the value chain, such as small scale farmers, SMMEs and communities integral to the value chain. Ethically sourced coffee is one such example of CSV. The third pillar is linked to the second and that is for businesses to cluster their operations in such a way as to train, attract and retain skills and suppliers in their local economic environment. This clustering of the value chain within local economic communities can generate greater sustainability, local economic development, security, loyalty and enhance the overall quality of company and product, which, in turn, leads to sustainable company value.

It’s time we took a good look at creating more shared value in South Africa.


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Andrew Dwyer, Col USMC (Ret)

Timestamp: 2015-05-01
Focused on Acquisition support to enable the Marine Corps Network Operations Security Command mission. Experienced in all areas of Major Systems Acquisition (ACAT I) for advanced Logistics and Command, Control, Communications, and Computer (IT) systems. Currently focused on transition of MCNOSC operations from Contractor Owned/Contractor Operated to Government Owned/Government & Contractor Operated. Demonstrated expertise in Enterprise Software, Deployable servers, Security equipment hardware and software development, integration, assembly, test, and delivery of Logistics IT, communications security (COMSEC) and ancillary equipment and software for implementation to U.S. Marine Corps forces worldwide. Specialties: Top Secret Clearance, (SCI) Eligible, Government/Industry liaison, Contracts Law, Statements of Work, Deliverables Definition, Schedule development, budget execution, Earned Value Management, Program Status reporting, Contract Changes, Alpha Contracting, Contract Definitization, Systems Engineering, Testing, User Acceptance.

Program Manager, GCSS-MC

Start Date: 2010-08-01End Date: 2013-04-02
Program Manager at Global Combat Support System - Marine Corps (GCSS-MC). Responsible for Cost, Schedule and Performance of all services and products in the GCSS-MC portfolio ($1B+ program). Duties included: Leading the planning and execution of six (6) key Web-Enabled Logistics Modernization projects: Enterprise HelpDesk, Operations & Sustainment support; Deployable Capability Dev/Test and Delivery for Marine Air Ground Task Forces (MAGTFs); sustainment/support of thirty (30) Legacy Logistics Information Systems and planning for Future Increments. Provided Vision, guidance and oversight of Competency Aligned functional support Matrix including 300+ government and industry professionals delivering Engineering, Logistics, Finance, Contracting and Information Assurance deliverables to 35,000 Marine Corps users over the past 2.5 years. Other successes included included an Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) Pilot Dev/Test and delivery of GCSS-MC capability supporting forces in Afghanistan.

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text:
Monthly Archives: September 2018

Idaho’s August Unemployment Rate Declined to 2.8 Percent

For Immediate Release: Sept. 21, 2018
Information Contact:  Robert Kabel (208) 332-3570 ext. 3886 or Karen Jarboe Singletary (208) 332-3570 ext. 3215

Over-the-Year Job Growth Remains Strong

Idaho’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate declined slightly to 2.8 percent in August, continuing at or below 3 percent for the 12th consecutive month.

The state’s labor force – the total number of people 16 years of age and older working or looking for work – was virtually unchanged at 852,878 people, breaking a streak of month-to-month increases.

Total employment increased by 676 to 828,864, continuing to grow though at a slower rate than earlier in the year. The number of unemployed decreased by 588 people to 24,603.

Idaho’s labor force participation declined one-tenth of a percentage point to 63.7 percent.

Over the year, Idaho’s statewide labor force increased by 15,884 (1.9 percent) in August, total employment grew by 17,400 (2.1 percent) and there were 1,516 (5.9 percent) fewer unemployed workers.

Online Idaho job openings were down slightly in August at 25,271 compared with 25,344 a year ago, according to the Conference Board, a Washington, D.C., think tank. At 5,755, fewer of those jobs were classified as hard to fill by department analysts (listed for 90 days or more), down from 6,246 in August 2017. Health care occupations, including physicians, surgeons, psychiatrists, occupational and physical therapists and support positions, represented about 15 percent of all hard-to-fill online openings.

Total nonfarm jobs decreased by 1,500 in August. Manufacturing, construction, other services and government all exceeded seasonal expectations for a combined increase of 800 jobs. Natural resources, information and financial activities remained unchanged. Leisure and hospitality, professional and business services, education and health services and trade, transportation and utilities had a combined decrease of 2,300 jobs, outweighing modest gains in other sectors.

Year over year, the state continued to see strong job growth as employers increased payrolls. Total nonfarm jobs grew by 3.1 percent for a total of 22,000 jobs. Construction and manufacturing grew more than 5 percent, gaining a total of 5,900 jobs. All other sectors saw some over-the-year gains, except for information which went unchanged from August 2017.

Two of Idaho’s five Metropolitan Statistical Areas – Boise and Coeur d’Alene – experienced month-over-month job gains. Boise jobs grew by 1,100, while Coeur d’Alene added 300 jobs. Idaho Falls and Lewiston had job losses of 300 and 200 jobs, respectively, while Pocatello’s nonfarm jobs went unchanged from July to August.

Over the year, Idaho’s five MSAs all experienced gains in nonfarm payroll employment. Boise added 11,400 jobs (3.6 percent), Coeur d’Alene added 2,600 jobs (4.1 percent), Idaho Falls added 1,800 jobs (2.7 percent), Pocatello added 900 jobs (2.5 percent) and Lewiston added 300 jobs (1 percent).

Annually, unemployment insurance benefit payments were down 15.5 percent from a weekly average of $1.1 million a year ago to $934,000 weekly for August 2018. The number of claimants decreased by 14 percent to 3,260 from a weekly average of 3,780 a year ago.

The national unemployment rate remained unchanged at 3.9 percent. The number of unemployed persons declined by 46,000 to 6.2 million in August. Both measures were down over the year, by 0.5 percentage point and 893,000, respectively.

County data will be released on Monday, Sept. 24.

September 2018 labor force and nonfarm payroll data for Idaho will be released on Oct. 19.

For details on Idaho’s labor market, visit

— end —

Serve Idaho Accepting Proposals for 2019 Annual Conference

For Immediate Release: Sept. 18, 2018
Information Contact:  Renee Bade, (208) 332-3578 ext. 4061

Serve Idaho is requesting proposals for presentations at its annual conference, March 27, 2019. Organizers are looking for proposals covering a broad range of topics in volunteer management, leadership and professional development.

The conference brings together a community of nonprofit/public leaders and volunteer coordinators from across Idaho to learn and discuss how to better engage their communities, organizations and volunteers.

The purpose of the conference is to foster diverse and inclusive environments, as well as to learn best practices, strategies and new ways of doing business from the state’s best thinkers and practitioners of service and volunteerism.

The target audience includes:

  • Nonprofit and public leaders/volunteer management staff who want to enhance their skills in the nonprofit sector.
  • People who want to foster diverse organizational cultures, especially in the area of volunteer management.
  • AmeriCorps members and program directors looking to expand their skills.

To submit a proposal, complete the online Request for Proposals form for the Serve Idaho Conference 2019.

Deadline for submission is Oct. 31. Speakers will be informed of their selection status by Nov. 20. Benefits of speaking at the Serve Idaho Conference 2019 include free conference admission for up to two co-presenters as well as statewide visibility and recognition.

Contact Kirstin Mann at or (208) 332-3578 with any questions. For more information on the 2018 conference or to learn more about Serve Idaho, visit the Serve Idaho website.

–end —

Serve Idaho Accepting Idaho’s Brightest Star Nominations

For Immediate Release: Sept. 4, 2018
Information Contact:  Renee Bade, (208) 332-3578 ext. 4061

Serve Idaho, the Governor’s Commission on Service and Volunteerism, is accepting nominations for the annual Idaho’s Brightest Star Awards. The awards recognize outstanding Idaho volunteers in a variety of categories. Nominations will be accepted until Oct. 19, 2018.

Nomination forms can be found at Serve Idaho, the Governor’s Commission on Service and Volunteerism, is accepting nominations for the annual Idaho’s Brightest Star Awards. The awards recognize outstanding Idaho volunteers in a variety of categories. Nominations will be accepted until Oct. 19, 2018. Continue reading

Around Idaho: Economic Activity in August 2018

Information provided in this article is from professional sources, news releases, weekly and daily newspapers, television and other media.

Northern Idaho
North Central Idaho
Southwestern Idaho
South Central Idaho
Eastern Idaho

NORTHERN IDAHO – Benewah, Bonner, Boundary, Kootenai & Shoshone counties

Boundary County

  • The State of Idaho auctioned 51 state-owned lakefront lots on Priest Lake for a total of $25.6 million. Forty-six of the 51 lots were purchased by the current leaseholders. Source: Spokesman Review

Kootenai County

  • A new transit center is in the works in the Riverstone development in Coeur d’Alene. Kootenai County Public Transportation announced that work on the facility is expected to begin in September, on track for completion no later than June 2019. Ridership on public transportation in Kootenai County has exploded in recent years as the county’s population has grown, and new developments have added to suburban sprawl in the region. Source: Spokane Journal of Business
  • Coeur d’Alene-based fiber optic provider Fatbeam has acquired a division of Post Falls-based Ednetics Inc, which provides IT and technology solutions for schools. Fatbeam intimated that it is planning additional acquisitions, but declined to specify further. Source: Spokane Journal of Business
  • Faced with increasingly tight inventories, Windermere Realty of Coeur d’Alene is building three new housing developments in Kootenai County. The three developments, located in different corners of the county, will provide a total of 273 new homes. Windermere ownership noted that inventory in Kootenai County is extremely low, creating aggressive inflationary pressure on home prices. Source: Coeur d’Alene Press

  • Global Kitchen Tapas & Wine (Coeur d’Alene)
  • A&B Market (Coeur d’Alene), regional economist
Idaho Department of Labor
(208) 457-8789 ext 4451

Continue reading


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