John Simon (1925-2019) was a critic of literature, theater, film, and other arts, writing for New York (for over 30 years), The New York Times Book Review, Esquire, and others. He was known for his erudition, extensive knowledge and intelligence (he spoke several languages), but most of all, for his often negative, harsh, and even vitriolic style as a critic. To him, the purpose of a critic was to expose what was bad in the arts, although at various times, he fell into emphasizing what he saw as physical shortcomings in performers (such as actress's breasts) or commented on their race.
His reputation was such that when The Walt Disney Company was considering a Muppet musical for Broadway, The New York Post referenced Simon: "On the other hand, the old Muppet TV show might inspire a vaudeville-style musical, with those grumpy old critics, Statler and Waldorf, in their box seats heckling the acts. If one or the other is indisposed, I’m sure John Simon could fill in."
References
- In Henry Wadsworth Wrongfellow's final poem (actually a poetic rendition of the sponsor closing) in Sesame Street Episode 2718, he shouts, "And if I don't want it to scan or rhyme or anything else, that's my business, and who do you think you are anyway to criticize my poetry, John Simon?"
Sources
- "The Muppets likely to take on Broadway." The New York Post, June 16, 2014.