Ebert's Law

When you ask somebody to try their own hand at something before criticizing your efforts, you have violated Ebert's Law and lost the argument. Roger Ebert is not a filmmaker, but he knows what he likes and doesn't, and has every right to say so. Similarly, people don't need to be chefs to recognize a good restaurant, or musicians to appreciate a symphony.

Person 1: Your story is rubbish!
Person 2: I bet you couldn't do better!

Person 2 has violated Ebert's Law

Ebert's Law by Sairin December 30, 2004

Ebert's Law

Film critic Roger Ebert's philosophy to criticizing works: "It's not what it's about, it's HOW it's about it."

This applies to any type of work, be it films, TV shows, music, books, etc.

Occasionally an unsuspecting innocent will stumble into a movie like this and send me an anguished postcard, asking how I could possibly give a favorable review to such trash. My stock response is Ebert's Law, which reads: A movie is not about what it is about. It is about how it is about it. -- Roger Ebert

Ebert's Law by Judas Zala July 10, 2011