All right, agreed, I should have linked last weekend to Glenn Kenny‘s response (appearing on his newish blog, “In The Company of Glenn”) to Peter Bart‘s 3.15 Variety column. The following passage is especially savory. Mort Sahl said it: the cruelest jokes are the funniest:

“Bart says, because A.O. Scott and Kenneth Turan hated 300, and because Stephen Holden didn’t much care for Night at the Museum, and because no critic found anything nice to say about Ghost Rider, movie reviewers ought to ‘consider a sabbatical until September, when movies aimed at their quadrant magically reappear.’

“By this point in the article many might be wondering just why they’re reading it; then Bart tips his hand and shows us his reason for writing it. A joke he clearly loves so much he can’t keep it to himself: ‘And, by the way, if you’ve ever met a film critic, you”ll know they’re not big on either the pectoral, deltoid or other muscle groups.'”

“A less refined and kindly critic than myself would here note that Bart isn’t exactly a body-builder himself, and further note that Bart might want to make a point of avoiding drinking establishments which feature dwarf-tossing contests, lest he be mistaken for the entertainment. But I am more refined, and kindly, than that. And now, I have to get to the gym.”