Michael Crichton is a tool  

Re: Michael Crichton is a tool

Well it's easy to accuse someone but you stand to look like a fool yourself...I read the original in TNR today.

Reminds me of a favorite Pope story. Pope Julius II comissioned Michalangelo to paint a judgement-day fresco behind the altar in the Sistine Chapel. There was this one Cardinal that Michalangelo hated, so he depicted him falling into Hell with a big snake wrapped around him. When the Cardinal saw the fresco, he went straight to the Pope and vented. So the Pope went over with him and viewed the fresco. When the Pope saw the image at issue, he busted out laughing and was only able to control himself after a long paroxism of laughter. The Cardinal was told, "no, it doesn't look anything like you!"

Re: Michael Crichton is a tool

crichton didnt like an article written about him so he used the writers name in a book.
the writers namesake in the book is a child molester and has several things in common such as attending Yale.

just as a short summary.
more details at the link

Re: Michael Crichton is a tool

I think we know who's REALLY worried about having a small penis...

Re: Michael Crichton is a tool

I suppose that Crowley just learned the adage about 'choosing ones enemies wisely' makes some sense afterall.

Re: Michael Crichton is a tool

The pen is mightier than the . . . uhhh, sword.

Re: Michael Crichton is a tool

This is tasteless, doesn't matter if it was written by Michael Crichton or William Shakespeare. There's nothing wrong with some gentle allusion and ribbing your critics, but this borders on petty liabel. He overtly alludes to this character being a RL person (down to his college credentials) and then pegs him as a child molester.

Really low of Crichton, he should be better than this.

Re: Michael Crichton is a tool

That is funny, crowley thinks making a profit is worse than child molestation. I guess it's a good thing he has a small penis. I wonder if the guy that started him on his road of evil had a small one.

Re: Michael Crichton is a tool

Might've had something to do with Crowley's piece, MICHAEL CRICHTON'S SCARIEST CREATION. Jurassic President, which can be read in its entirety here: http://www.tnr.com/doc.mhtml?i=20060320&s=crowley032006 (need to be a subscriber to the New Republic). Maybe Chrichton took a low shot but I think he was just royally pissed at the overall tone of the above link that had its fair share of generalizations and character assassination.
In the end, I like a good pissing match.

Re: Michael Crichton is a tool

I'm out of the loop. Who or what is Crichton shilling for these days?

Re: Michael Crichton is a tool

I believe that he might be referring to the "evil" and "obviously wrong" non-leftists (More specifically...ush-Bay). Look, he obviously doesn't go along with the "agenda", neither does Fox News and Bill O'Reilly, let's just deal with it and not word attacks based on politics.

I didn't read the Crowley's article, but the poster who talked about it suggests that the article is very critical and maybe even harsh. I believe that "State of Fear" was tremendously misunderstood. It was never a debunkment of Global Warming. In fact, in his own personal acknowedgements at the end of the book, he states that he believes that CO2 levels in the atmosphere are rising. It was a criticism of blind faith and extremism based on "Pop" science, the perpetuation of fear from the media (which is even a point that "Saint" Michael made in "Bowling for Columbine") and "know it all" celebrities. Remember a few years back when we "knew" that Saddam Hussein was stockpiling WMDs (yes even democrats) and we know now how that turned out.

I don't think that the parallels between the real Crowley and the character in "Next" are very nice. But I don't think that Crichton is deserving of all the ugly criticism that has been leveled at him lately (and alot seemingly from dissenting political views)

Re: Michael Crichton is a tool

Michael Bay? What does he have against Michael Bay?

Re: Michael Crichton is a tool

Is this story really true? I must say when I read it, it sounded a bit fake. Would someone actually do that?

If so, the guy is obviously a tool...in addition to his prior offense--being one of the crappiest writers around and making tons of money for it. Why do people even read this guy's books anyway? The telephone book is as compelling a read as anything he has ever written, with twice the literary merit.

Re: Michael Crichton is a tool

Books that you'll find on my shelf: Airframe, Jurassic Park, The Lost World, The Great Train Robbery, Five Patients, Travels and Congo. They're easy reads.

Re: Michael Crichton is a tool

I give you all except Congo. That last 5 to 10 pages ruined it! The movie had a better ending than the book. Thats the only GOOD thing about that movie. A lame ending to an otherwise good book. Sorry to derail the thread.

Re: Michael Crichton is a tool

I just said they were easy reads, not necessarily good reads. It's been more than 10 years since I've read Congo, so I'd have to read it again to tell you what I think of it.

Re: Michael Crichton is a tool

Wow. Would you rather everyone be like you and like what you like?

While not my favorite writer some of his books are definatly in my top 10. He's got a good imagination and writes well enough and explains enough of the science/technology behind his stories that most people can understand it.

There are several rules that make up the universe and one I try to live by is "Never be mean or rude to those that bring you your food" and I mean this literaly. Always be nice to the food staff.

This is very similar, its a critics job to review works and comment on them, some one like Crichton writes about very politically charged content. As a critic you shouldn't let you personal feelings, on whther you agree with what the writer is talking about, run amok. I would like to read what this critic said, but if he did personally attack Crichton then I would say he got what he had coming to him.

I wish more poeple would push back like this.

Re: Michael Crichton is a tool

Bear in mind that Crichton did not fire the first below-the-belt shot here. Crowley's "Jurassic President" is a pretty straightforward piece of character assassination. At least Crichton isn't claiming his work is "journalism."

That said, Crichton has gone more than a few steps over the line.

Re: Michael Crichton is a tool

Few character assassinations are straightforward. Google has cached the article:

part one
part two

at the very worst, the critic compares Crichton to Ayn Rand.

Re: Michael Crichton is a tool

I guess this is going to come as a surprise but Crowley is not a literary critic and the purpose of the article was not to review a book.

The article is an interesting read and is far from a straight forward character assassination. Overall I think Crowley delivers an honest and accurate portrayal of Crichton.

Just some random thoughts I came away with from the original article.

As much as some people might not like the term, Crowley does accurately describe Crichton's body of work as "pulp". That in and of itself is not really a slam because Crichton’s work, like so much “pulp” literature does serves a purpose. It provides light weight entertainment that is easily digested and is then just as easily forgotten. It provides escapism without requiring any really thought.

The most appalling thing I came away with from the article was Crichton giving testimony on global warming before a Congressional committee. How embarrassing is it that anyone, let alone US Senators, would consider Crichton as an expert on anything other then how to churn out populist pulp. Of course since his views mirror the then controlling party’s views it’s no wonder they would like to portray Crichton as some sort of authority. I especially liked how they keep referring to him as "Dr. Crichton" in an attempt to give his views added weight. Sadly Crichton’s appearance before Congress said more about the Senator’s who called him as an expert then anything Crichton himself had to say on the subject.

As for Crichton’s response, I think it was rather childish but certainly well within his character.

Re: Michael Crichton is a tool

One of these being based on "know it all" scientists crafting a new global warming theory on mountains of publicly gathered data over the last 50 years, and the other on the word of the President that he had the evidence. You're right, these two things are EXACTLY the same inscope and tone...

Re: Michael Crichton is a tool

And you can read what Crichton said in his testimony here: http://www.michaelcrichton.net/speec...s_quote09.html and judge the nature of his testimony. Perhaps Prince Charles will also testify.

Re: Michael Crichton is a tool

Actually the real story is even funnier. Michaelangelo was ordered to do "The Last Judgment" as a fresco on the back wall behind the altar of the Sistine Chapel. The Cardinal in question was constantly telling Michaelangelo to do this or that to "improve" the painting, so when the time came to draw the damned, Michaelangelo went and painted the cardinal as Satan himself. the cardinal then went and complained to Pope Julius, who replied with a totally straight face "My jurisdiction does not extend into hell."

Re: Michael Crichton is a tool

Uhhh, considering Crichton earned a Doctorate from Harvard, exactly why should he not be referred to as "Dr. Crichton"? I know a few doctors who received degrees from far less reputable institutions who are referred to as "Doctor" and nobody questions it at all.

Re: Michael Crichton is a tool

Crichton did earn a medical degree, but he never completed a residency. Make of that what you will.

Re: Michael Crichton is a tool

Means he hated medicine and had no desire to practice it as a career. You're still an MD the moment you graduate medical school, and as such have earned the title "doctor."

Re: Michael Crichton is a tool

It's Dr. Evil. I didn't go to seven years of evil medical school to be called "mister", thank you very much!

Re: Michael Crichton is a tool

Ah, the belgian system.

Re: Michael Crichton is a tool

Shut your cakehole baldy!