Though Roger Ebert supposedly gave up his debate against video games being art, mostly by publicly stating that he's sorry he ever brought the subject up in the first place, he apparently isn't above posting the occasional childish retort on Twitter. To whit:
Aaaaaand, here we go again. This comment of course stems from the Smithsonian's upcoming video game exhibit. Now, I'm not posting this to say that Ebert is wrong, or bring up the "games as art" debate for the hojillionth time. This is just a general plea. Don't be this guy. Don't be this guy who has spent so many years immersed in his medium of choice, his life's work, that he has become a parody of himself. The man in the ivory tower sneering at something he doesn't understand, nor chooses to make the effort to do so. As someone that spent four years in college studying film history and theory, and critique, there are aspects that I admire about Ebert. He has an encyclopedic knowledge of film and a deep respect for the medium. But he chose to stir a pot, and was not prepared for the violent splash he received. Eventually, he chose to take his ball and stay in his tower, and now he's content to merely sling taunts and insults from his Twitter feed.
No matter whether you believe games are art or not, keep an open mind and maintain a willingness for civil discourse. Just because we disagree on something, nor may we ever agree, mean that the debate can't still take place. Both sides can learn things, so long as they're willing to learn. Ebert, unfortunately, isn't, and look where it's gotten him.
