Comments by Professor Carl Rollyson Most recent public comments by Professor Carl Rollyson https://nowcomment.com/users/10691 I think your response has been shared by many people. https://nowcomment.com/documents/30605?scroll_to=340392 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30605?scroll_to=340392 Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:47:06 -0500 True, although to this day McCarthy has his defenders, and I wish someone would make a film with a different perspective. https://nowcomment.com/documents/30605?scroll_to=340391 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30605?scroll_to=340391 Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:47:06 -0500 Yes, Clinton's recovery is remarkable, although it may be because he was lying about sex, not some issue of great importance to the nation. And lots of people lie about sex, and he may have been forgiven for doing so as well. https://nowcomment.com/documents/30605?scroll_to=340390 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30605?scroll_to=340390 Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:47:06 -0500 The question is do we equate Starr with McCarthy. Are both investigations equally suspect? https://nowcomment.com/documents/30605?scroll_to=340389 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30605?scroll_to=340389 Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:47:06 -0500 always overplayed? I think that is an exaggeration. And why past tense? Surreal means something more than unreal. https://nowcomment.com/documents/30605?scroll_to=340388 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30605?scroll_to=340388 Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:47:06 -0500 yes https://nowcomment.com/documents/30605?scroll_to=340387 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30605?scroll_to=340387 Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:47:06 -0500 I think you capture the film's momentum, wanting to know what happens as McCarthy digs himself deeper into that hold. https://nowcomment.com/documents/30605?scroll_to=340386 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30605?scroll_to=340386 Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:47:06 -0500 For entertainment but also to score certain political points. https://nowcomment.com/documents/30605?scroll_to=340385 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30605?scroll_to=340385 Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:47:06 -0500 Yes, though not all documentaries are the product of a filmmaker's point of view. Some filmmakers are hired guns. https://nowcomment.com/documents/30605?scroll_to=340384 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30605?scroll_to=340384 Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:47:06 -0500 Right https://nowcomment.com/documents/30605?scroll_to=340383 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30605?scroll_to=340383 Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:47:06 -0500 Your sentence structure makes it impossible to know what yo are saying. Who is in favor of what? https://nowcomment.com/documents/30605?scroll_to=340382 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30605?scroll_to=340382 Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:47:06 -0500 Having secret? I don't follow. https://nowcomment.com/documents/30605?scroll_to=340381 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30605?scroll_to=340381 Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:47:05 -0500 I agree. https://nowcomment.com/documents/30609?scroll_to=340017 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30609?scroll_to=340017 Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:47:05 -0500 Gun violence occurs in good communities all the time. https://nowcomment.com/documents/30609?scroll_to=340016 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30609?scroll_to=340016 Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:47:05 -0500 Sometimes less is more. https://nowcomment.com/documents/30609?scroll_to=340015 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30609?scroll_to=340015 Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:47:05 -0500 Some would say not tragic, but stupid. https://nowcomment.com/documents/30609?scroll_to=340014 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30609?scroll_to=340014 Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:47:05 -0500 What does his sequencing of the stories tell you? https://nowcomment.com/documents/30609?scroll_to=340013 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30609?scroll_to=340013 Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:47:05 -0500 Right https://nowcomment.com/documents/30609?scroll_to=340012 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30609?scroll_to=340012 Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:47:05 -0500 Just to create the film? https://nowcomment.com/documents/30609?scroll_to=340011 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30609?scroll_to=340011 Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:47:05 -0500 Right https://nowcomment.com/documents/30609?scroll_to=339883 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30609?scroll_to=339883 Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:47:05 -0500 Lots of distractions in the way car interiors are designed. https://nowcomment.com/documents/30609?scroll_to=339882 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30609?scroll_to=339882 Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:47:05 -0500 Right, there is more than content to discuss. https://nowcomment.com/documents/30609?scroll_to=339881 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30609?scroll_to=339881 Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:47:05 -0500 Yes, the film certainly could deserve a different kind of review. https://nowcomment.com/documents/30609?scroll_to=339880 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30609?scroll_to=339880 Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:47:05 -0500 Good points. https://nowcomment.com/documents/30609?scroll_to=339879 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30609?scroll_to=339879 Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:47:05 -0500 Yes, the film has a certain universality. https://nowcomment.com/documents/30609?scroll_to=339878 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30609?scroll_to=339878 Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:47:05 -0500 Yes, the film has a lot of ramifications. https://nowcomment.com/documents/30609?scroll_to=339876 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30609?scroll_to=339876 Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:47:05 -0500 And in part this is a story about family, not just texting. https://nowcomment.com/documents/30609?scroll_to=339875 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30609?scroll_to=339875 Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:47:05 -0500 I think there is another reason. He wants you to like him. He does not want the audience to feel they are lectured to. https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=339151 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=339151 Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:47:05 -0500 Yes, he found a way to make an important film that does not require you to be a texter. I don't text at all, but I am still affected by texting. https://nowcomment.com/documents/30609?scroll_to=339123 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30609?scroll_to=339123 Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:47:05 -0500 I think the film gains in credibility it is not does simply concentrate on the victim, or on attacking the guilty party. https://nowcomment.com/documents/30609?scroll_to=339121 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30609?scroll_to=339121 Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:47:05 -0500 There are studies that show that any kind nof activity other than concentrating on your driving is likely to contribute to an accident. https://nowcomment.com/documents/30609?scroll_to=339119 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30609?scroll_to=339119 Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:47:05 -0500 It is also in their self-interest. They don't want to be associated with a product involved in the deaths of its customers. https://nowcomment.com/documents/30609?scroll_to=339118 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30609?scroll_to=339118 Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:47:05 -0500 Texting is a huge problem. I just listened to a radio report of a person struck by a car looking at a phone while crossing the street. https://nowcomment.com/documents/30609?scroll_to=339116 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30609?scroll_to=339116 Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:47:05 -0500 yes https://nowcomment.com/documents/30609?scroll_to=339114 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30609?scroll_to=339114 Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:47:05 -0500 The film creates a context for the accident, one of the major contrbutions of documentary film, according to Nichols. https://nowcomment.com/documents/30609?scroll_to=339113 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30609?scroll_to=339113 Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:47:05 -0500 Good point https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=339083 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=339083 Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:47:05 -0500 The film does not say that much about the ingredients you mention. https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=339082 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=339082 Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:47:05 -0500 Correct https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=339081 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=339081 Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:47:05 -0500 He just sticks to his plan and shows you what happens. https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=339080 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=339080 Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:47:05 -0500 Reporting, yes, and it is significant that he does not editorialize. Why? https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=339079 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=339079 Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:47:04 -0500 More than heavy set. He was obese. https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=339078 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=339078 Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:47:04 -0500 I think we need his personal testimony and example. https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=339077 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=339077 Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:47:04 -0500 It is remarkable that the experts do not predict all of the dire consequences of his diet. https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=339076 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=339076 Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:47:04 -0500 yes https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=339074 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=339074 Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:47:04 -0500 Right https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=339073 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=339073 Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:47:04 -0500 Going outside the film to understand what is in the film can be a very good way to come to your own conclusions. https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=338986 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=338986 Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:47:04 -0500 Calling him a star raises interesting questions about the nature of film. https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=338985 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=338985 Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:47:04 -0500 I would guess that in the end the damage was reversible. https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=338984 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=338984 Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:47:04 -0500 But some reviews do get quite personal. Ebert had a huge following as a film critic and he became a public figure, which means what he thinks and experiences allowed him to say what many other reviewers can't. https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=338983 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=338983 Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:47:04 -0500 Yes, bringing in how this diet affects the most intimate parts of his life is effective. https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=338982 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=338982 Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:47:04 -0500 Yes https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=338981 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=338981 Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:47:04 -0500 I don't Ebert makes claims as large as you suggest. https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=338980 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=338980 Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:47:04 -0500 yes, the comparison with Moore is a good one. https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=338979 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=338979 Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:47:04 -0500 Good point. https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=338978 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=338978 Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:47:04 -0500 You may be right. https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=338977 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=338977 Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:47:04 -0500 just how bad--right. https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=338976 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=338976 Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:47:04 -0500 You get both the facts and the personal story. https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=338975 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=338975 Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:47:04 -0500 Right https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=338974 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=338974 Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:47:04 -0500 Those desserts are either high in fat content or sugar. The low fat desserts tend to have too much sugar. So it's hard to win at Starbucks if you want a healthy desert--unless you eat a banana. https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=338972 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=338972 Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:47:04 -0500 The fast food industry is changing--I think for the better--but it is a slow process with economic consequences. https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=338971 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=338971 Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:47:04 -0500 The views believes the story more because of the statistics, and believes in the statistics because there is a personal story. https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=338970 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=338970 Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:47:03 -0500 Time and education are a factor. If you don't know or don't pay attention to what is healthy, and you are rushed, it is difficult to make wise choices. https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=338969 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=338969 Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:47:03 -0500 Yes, Spurlock had to make certain choices, and he opted for a kind of memoir which then limited other kinds of choices. https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=338968 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=338968 Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:47:03 -0500 A good documentary makes the audience identify with the person or persons in the film. https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=338967 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=338967 Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:47:03 -0500 The diets that work, like weight watchers, are based on behavior modification. I've been on weight watchers most of my life. Crash diets--any diet that you cannot stay on except for short periods--always results, eventually, in weight gain. https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=338966 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=338966 Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:47:03 -0500 The review is shaped by Ebert's own experience. He was obese for many years. https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=338965 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=338965 Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:47:03 -0500 Actually a sensible dies will work even without much exercise. We are burning calories all the time, but without exercise we burn them more slowly. Exercise without diet is useless if you are trying to lose weight. https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=338964 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=338964 Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:47:03 -0500 yes, the scientific evidence does change. Both eggs and coffee used to be suspect, and now both, in moderation, seem "healthy." What does not change is the detrimental impact of high fat fast food. https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=338963 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=338963 Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:47:03 -0500 Somewhat healthier, but not as good as it could be. https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=338962 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=338962 Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:47:03 -0500 Yes, a workaround. https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=338961 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=338961 Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:47:03 -0500 a good example https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=338960 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=338960 Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:47:03 -0500 Yes, education is an important issue. https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=338959 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=338959 Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:47:03 -0500 Part of the problem is packaged salads. There are lots of ways to eat healthy and not expensively, but it takes some time and care. https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=338958 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=338958 Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:47:03 -0500 Some big producers like Tyson Foods are beginning to eliminate some additives. https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=338957 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=338957 Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:47:03 -0500 Yes, I agree, and I do look at calorie counts. But I've read of one study that suggests consumers ignore the calorie counts. That, however, may change as awareness of healthy diets increases. https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=338955 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=338955 Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:47:03 -0500 Sometimes choice is an illusion. https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=338954 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=338954 Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:47:03 -0500 Like all businesses, some of these restaurants know how to advertise as healthy when in fact they are not. https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=338953 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=338953 Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:47:03 -0500 Yes, that is his strategy. https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=338952 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=338952 Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:47:03 -0500 Yes, the supersize then seems like a bargain. https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=338951 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=338951 Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:47:03 -0500 Yes, the fat content is part of the addiction. Body chemistry has to adjust when you lower the fat content. https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=338950 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=338950 Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:47:03 -0500 McDonald's is not cheaper than buying something healthier. What may be true is that it takes a little time to prepare something healthier. Hence "fast food." https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=338949 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=338949 Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:47:03 -0500 prove against? the wording is confusing. https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=338948 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=338948 Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:47:03 -0500 I didn't know this. https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=338947 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=338947 Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:47:03 -0500 To some extent, what Spurlock is doing is a stunt. He is exaggerating his own case to make a point. https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=338946 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=338946 Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:47:03 -0500 Right. https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=338945 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=338945 Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:47:03 -0500 The trouble is people get hooked on the fat in their food. https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=338944 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=338944 Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:47:03 -0500 Yes the film and a lot of other negative press has done some damage to McDonalds. https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=338943 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=338943 Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:47:03 -0500 I have to confess I don't feel any sympathy for McDonalds. I think it has done a lot to ruin the American diet. McDonalds is not alone, but it the biggest player in this drama. You have to pick your targets wisely--as I think Spurlock did. https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=338942 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=338942 Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:47:03 -0500 Avoid words like impactful. They don't mean much. The question is what is the impact? I think the word you may want is influential. Why choose the less meaningful word? https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=338941 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=338941 Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:47:03 -0500 Supersize became a liability to the corporation. https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=338938 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=338938 Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:47:03 -0500 Yes, there might be different results, but given the high fat content of McDonalds food I find it hard to believe that anyone following Spurlock's diet would not gain weight. https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=338937 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=338937 Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:47:02 -0500 Right, the film is about process. https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=338935 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=338935 Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:47:02 -0500 Of course, some people seem to metabolize just about anything without gaining weight--although in middle age they usually begin to bloat. https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=338933 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=338933 Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:47:02 -0500 his statement? Spurlock's? I 'm not sure what you mean. https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=338932 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=338932 Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:47:02 -0500 Some reviews are just that: a report. https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=338930 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=338930 Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:47:04 -0500 His continuing for the full month also increases the sense of drama and risk taking, making the film more than a study of eating habits. https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=338841 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=338841 Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:47:02 -0500 He wants to create a compelling story and make himsself into a character, not just someone who studies fast food. https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=338840 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=338840 Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:47:02 -0500 Ebert was obese for many years. https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=338839 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=338839 Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:47:02 -0500 The film does call attention to what we eat simply by having its main character follow a diet in relentless fashion. https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=338838 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=338838 Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:47:02 -0500 I wonder how many McDonald's employyes have had similar experiences? Time for another documentary. https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=338837 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=338837 Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:47:02 -0500