Today marks the one-year anniversary of Roger Ebert’s passing. While he had always been an influence on me, since I was a kid (as I wrote my piece about him when I heard he had died), things took a turn for the distinctly awesome when he emailed me personally, from his death bed, two months (almost to the day) before he died, asking me to review movies for his site.
He was such a huge figure, such a presence for so many years, it is still hard to believe he is gone. I am never NOT present to the honor I feel that I am writing for the site that bears his name, and that I was asked by him personally to participate.
The contributors at Rogerebert.com all share memories of Roger today, the day of his passing one year ago.
I really think he was the last of a breed, and we won’t again see a critic (of any art) tower over the cultural and media landscape the way he did.
Many of the compliments and tributes in the wake of passing struck me back-handed, but I think as time goes on Mr. Ebert will receive his due.
Well, he also basically presided over the beginning of the death throes of the print medium. There won’t be another critic like that because the entire content landscape has changed (for better or worse). When Entertainment Weekly lets go an amazing writer/critic like Owen Glieberman – who has a huge fan base – to make room for “content” written by “unpaid bloggers” (EW actually said that in their press release about the situation) you know something STINKS.
Ebert had a platform like no other. What was also so incredible about him was how he (unlike many others in his position in his generation) embraced the possibilities of the Web and social media. He wasn’t just using Twitter to promote himself – he engaged with other people, people he didn’t know, he engaged with fans, other writers. He asked people he liked to write for him. There just is not another example out there of another critic doing such a thing with his power.
When I wrote about “My Favorite Roger,” I mentioned that aspect of him – the generosity and also awareness of what his position actually was. He used that power so well.
http://www.rogerebert.com/mzs/my-favorite-roger-sheila-omalley
He was not afraid of new technology or afraid of direct engagement with his commenters. He responded to comments on his own blog. He even befriended some of those people. You know, he was one of a kind that way.