John Simon (critic) facts for kids

John Ivan Simon (born Simmon; May 12, 1925 – November 24, 2019) was an American writer. He was known for being a critic of books, plays, and movies.

John Simon grew up in Belgrade before moving to the United States. He served in the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. Later, he studied at Harvard University. From the 1950s, he wrote reviews about arts for many magazines. He was the theater critic for New York magazine for 36 years. Later in his life, he also wrote as a blogger.

His reviews were often known for being very direct and sometimes negative. The New York Times called him a "caustic" critic who "saw little that he liked." The Washington Post reported that out of 245 movie reviews he wrote, only 15 were positive. His writing style could be controversial. He sometimes made harsh comments about how performers looked. This led to people accusing him of being unfair. Other critics and artists sometimes spoke out against him.

About John Simon

Early Life and Education

John Simmon was born in Subotica. His family was of Hungarian descent. His parents were Joseph and Margaret Simmon. He later changed his last name to "Simon." He said his father added "Ivan" as a middle name to make it special.

He grew up in Belgrade and moved to the United States in 1941. He was 16 years old and came on a tourist visa to join his father. By 1944, he was in basic training for the United States Army Air Forces in Wichita Falls, Texas. He served until 1945. Both of his parents became United States citizens in 1941.

John Simon went to Horace Mann School. He earned three degrees from Harvard University: a bachelor's, a master's, and a PhD in Comparative Literature. As a student, he was hired by playwright Lillian Hellman. He was supposed to translate a play called The Lark. He said he was only paid half of what they agreed upon.

His Career as a Critic

Simon wrote reviews for many publications. These included New York, Esquire, The Hudson Review, and The New York Times Book Review. He reviewed theater, movies, music, and books.

He was the theater critic for New York magazine for a long time. He worked there from October 1968 to May 2005. After that, he wrote theater reviews for Bloomberg News until 2010. He also wrote for The Westchester Guardian.

John Simon even appeared on television. He played himself in an episode of The Odd Couple in 1975. He also appeared in a short film on Saturday Night Live in 1986.

His Unique Review Style

John Simon's reviews were often very strong. Robert Simonson of Playbill wrote that Simon's "stinging reviews" sometimes caused people to ask for him to be removed. This was especially true when he made comments about how performers looked.

In 1969, a group called the New York Drama Critics' Circle voted against letting Simon join. However, he was accepted into the group the next year. In 1980, an advertisement in Variety magazine was signed by 300 people. It criticized Simon's reviews as being unfair and harsh.

Simon believed that people's opinions of his reviews changed. If he gave them a good review, they liked him. If he gave them a bad review, they didn't. For example, producer Joseph Papp was happy with a good review. But he later asked for a photo back after a bad review.

Some people felt his negative criticism was not helpful. He was known for focusing on what he saw as physical flaws in actors. He called Wallace Shawn "unsightly." He described Barbra Streisand's nose in a very detailed and critical way. He also called Kathleen Turner a "braying mantis."

Filmmaker Roger Ebert wrote that he disliked Simon's style. He felt it was wrong to attack how actors looked. Steven Pinker also criticized Simon for focusing too much on actors' appearances. Actress Carol Burnett wrote a letter to Time magazine. She defended Liza Minnelli after Simon compared her face to a beagle. Burnett wondered if Simon was "suffering from a simple case of heart envy." However, years later, Simon gave a very positive review to a play Burnett co-wrote.

In 1973, Simon wrote a negative review of a play. He called actress Sylvia Miles "one of New York's leading party girls." In response, Miles reportedly dumped a plate of food on Simon's head at a restaurant.

John Simon is thought to be the inspiration for a character in Wilfrid Sheed's novel Max Jamison. This character was also a sharp and troubled critic. Simon was unhappy if reviews of the book did not mention his name.

The character of Hugh Simon in the film What's Up, Doc? was a parody of John Simon. This was confirmed by the film's director, Peter Bogdanovich. Simon was also known for criticizing poor American writing. He edited a collection of essays about language in 1981. He appeared on a PBS special about American English.

Later Life and Legacy

John Simon died on November 24, 2019, at age 94. He passed away at Westchester Medical Center due to complications from a stroke. He suffered the stroke while attending a dinner theater. At the time of his death, he lived in Manhattan with his wife, Patricia Hoag-Simon. They had married in 1992.

After Simon's death, playwright and critic Jonathan Leaf wrote about him. Leaf said that those who defended Simon's work believed he was driven by a strong belief in artistic standards. Others disagreed with this view.

Awards

• George Polk Award for Film Criticism (1968)
• George Jean Nathan Award (1970)
• American Academy of Arts and Letters Literature Award (1976)