And it’s time to let our squabble come to an end. Perhaps, out of my profound ignorance of the acting profession and how television is produced I’ve unfairly judged Ms Lucci.

So why don’t we simply agree that although Susan Lucci’s 40 year stint on All My Children has not demonstrated any discernible acting ability so far, in future roles she may shine with ferocity that matches Streep, Hepburn, Leigh, Taylor or Foster.

In the meanwhile, let’s just be appreciative the amusement and joy she’s brought to millions and the care and consideration she’s given to our community.

My apologies for being unclear. I meant the way you characterized Susan Lucci’s acting abilities, which by belittling shows a profound ignorance of the acting profession and how television is produced.

By the way, would YOU please point out where I have made PERSONAL attacks either on you or any of the posters here?

kindly point out my “sweeping judgments about a profession”

I’ve been ridiculed, had death threats, called a variety of names, and that’s on a good day, so pardon me if I think you’re a tad smug and self-satisfied.

Acting is the one profession where you can be not hired, or fired, for being to short, too tall, too thin, too fat, too ugly, not ugly enough, too pretty, not pretty enough, all perfectly legal and legitimate.

Yes, I’ve criticized your mistakes, but I’ve never demeaned you or belittled your abilities.

And, would you like your abilities judged on one piece? Remember this, with screen or television, there’s also a director, editor and producers between you and the actor’s actual performance.

again, please don’t make sweeping judgments about a profession where you are ignorant about the inner workings of.

In short order now no show at all. Hollywood is KILLING productions of scripted shows like Raid on roaches.

Silly, silly boy. How could you possibly think that my criticism of Lucci’s acting abilities are “jabs meant to hurt just for the pleasure of demeaning others”?

I think she’s the best thing on the show.

Watching Susan Lucci as Erica Kane is great fun. She’s so sincere, she tries so hard, and she’s so colossally bad that you find yourself rooting for her. Maybe if Lucci herself were arrogant or full of how wonderful of an actor she is, it would be different. But the combination of ‘really nice person’ playing ‘really bad person’ and doing it poorly is somehow delightful. And I don’t think that American would have put up with Erica Kane for 40 years if Lucci’s niceness wasn’t right under the surface.

(I watched Kane in some other made for TV movie and it just didn’t translate. Sadly, it wasn’t delightful, just bad acting.)

But I don’t think this is about me criticizing Lucci. I think you’re just projecting your own experiences here. You’re upset at people criticizing you.

To which I have to say: you need thicker skin if you want to be in that business. Entertainment isn’t known for “honest criticism”, you know. And if you can’t stand someone being snarky about one of your performances, then you need to keep your audience limited to Mom and Dad.

And as for people making snide remarks about my writing abilities… read the comments. You’re not exactly the first to be less than pleased with something I’ve written.

So let me give you some advice: take it in stride.

In life, people aren’t going to appreciate your efforts, only your results. You can spend hours preparing and rehearsing (or researching and writing) and put out your best effort only to have someone see only the flaws.

But we have to recognize that when you act or I write, we are asking something of others: their time. We want them to sit there and watch (or read) what we have prepared – no, not just that – to stop whatever else they are doing in their busy life to watch and read and be impacted by what we have prepared.

That’s a lot to ask.

And if we are wasting their time, if we fail to deliver, then we hardly have any right to complain if they say so.

It doesn’t matter how hard it might be to deliver lines, hit your mark and create a believable character, while dealing with a new script every day and constant rewrites. Our work doesn’t entitle us to their time.

That’s a cheap and easy way for people to justify being catty and you know it. Honest criticism I’m fine with, jabs meant to hurt just for the pleasure of demeaning others, not so much.

If you don’t want to be judges on your performance get a job where you’re not (though to be fair EVERY job has appraisals, just not public ones!)