Quote: Don’t Put Spike Lee Next to Judd Apatow

Posted on Monday, September 15th, 2008 by Peter Sciretta

The September 22nd issue of The New Yorker has a profile on Spike Lee. At one point Lee is given a poster to sign for the wall at the Sony Music studio that he used for his latest film. So while his feud with Clint Eastwood might be officially over, Lee launches a shot in the direction of America’s favorite comedy producer/director Judd Apatow:

“Don’t put us next to Judd Apapoe, whatever that guy is,” Lee says, referring to Judd Apatow. “We gotta be next to Spielberg and Williams!”

Lee has considerable talent, and some might argue that he deserves to be put on the same level of a Spielberg, or at least above a guy doing those “funny movies”.  But am I the only one who is bothered with the elitism that Lee demonstrates in this quote?

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  • Apatow is as talented at comedy as Sidney Lumet, or Clint Eastwood, or SPIKE LEE are at drama.

    I love Spike Lee's 25th Hour and am highly anticipating Miracle at St. Anna, but tell this guy to get over himself.

    Congrats, you're friends with John Turturro. Nobody gives a crap.
  • I tend to believe Spike Lee needs to just make films and disengage the mouth. he makes great films but many people will NOT check the out because of his attitude. Oh and he needs to stop calling his films 'joints'.
  • Tendrillar
    Spike Lee is a massive cunt. I met him once, when I was in film school, and he's the most arrogant, condescending jackass you'll ever meet. Admittedly though, I really like most of his movies. But, this man needs a fuckin' reality check. Or an asswhoopin'.
  • Ryan
    Denzel Washington and Spike Lee are very arrogant men of considerable talent who act in the most prototypical "gangster" fashion and then suddenly decide to be eloquent. They both seem like huge phonies to me, who do whatever is possible to bank on a little publicity.

    Still, Washington was great in Training Day, and Lee has shot some seriously great flicks.

    Thing is, plenty of directors have shot even better flicks and they don't act like they've got a 10 foot dick.
  • mayh3m
    Worthless, racist and egotistical... he is the Al Sharpton of film making.
  • Indiefilm
    I agree with all the above.
    The only real reason why I have yet
    to see a Spike Lee Joint is because
    of how much the guy's a dick
    in the press. What's wrong
    with this dude?
  • egyptnation
    spike lee needs to shut HIS face!
  • kiwi
    This guy's becoming more and more like Britney Spears and LIndsey Lohan, or even Tom Cruise, for a while there. I'm not hearing about whatever it is he does nearly as much as I'm hearing about his retarded shenanigans.

    There are artists I appreciate as artists while thinking very poorly of them as human beings. Spike Lee is on that list. I have been underwhelmed by many of his films, and felt that even Inside Man was almost eclipsed for me by his two little nudgies of 'fuck whitey'. Arrogant and condescending doesn't even begin to cover it. Take a note from Woody Allen, who learned his lesson about living in the spotlight. STFU and GBTW.
  • Joseph Fritzl
    aside from jj abrahms, judd appatow is probably the most overrated filmmaker in hollywood right. his movies are not completely horrible, but its the same juvenile bullshit every time. spike lee was obviously joking a bit when he said this and you are blowing it out of proportion by even posting it.
    lol @ all you clowns 'OMG, WHAT A RACIST ELITIST CUNT'
    you people have pretty strong opinions on this guy based on a few random things you've heard him say. hes not that bad of a dude.
  • Tyler J.
    So damned arrogant...it even tends to come across in the advertising for his movies. Some are pretty good, I'll admit. But some aren't that great either.

    He's definitely no Spielberg. And no, the reason he's not "next to" him isn't a racial one.
  • jesse
    fuck that elitism!!!!

    this guy deserves his props, and he gets little

    stfu, this sites opinions are so idiotic
  • Spike Lee has been a talented a-hole for a long time, so why should this surprise anyone? He's the Kanye of filmmaking.
  • Cenzo
    No offense to Spike... but he's not that great of a director. Also, I'm not surprise about his comment, especially when his ego was way out there when he sued SPIKE TV for using his name... yeah. Spike Lee is just another average director.
  • Rich
    Spike Lee is such an asshole, he needs to get over himself, he is a racist, period.
  • Steelo
    I can understand what your saying,Peter but I see where he's coming from.
    HOWEVER, I wouldn't do it by down grading other artists or however you chose to refer to them unless they came at you in a specific way. That's just my opinion.
  • Steelo
    also, the context in which all of this was presented is questionable. Media tends to like drama.
  • Elpizo
    Spike needs to learn to have respect for his peers- ESPECIALLY a guy who's movies have grossed near a billion dollars.

    He is not some type of god of film making.
  • Wall•E Plays Pong
    Everything I hear about Spike Lee as a person seems to sound irritating, regardless of the quality of his films.
  • If he deserves to be put next to Spielberg, then that should happen without him having to ask for it.
  • He's always been kind of a douche
  • Mike
    What a twat
  • BicentennialHoosier
    Really, Spike Lee needs to keep making good movies, but keep the mouth shut. He is really a bit of a tool whenever he speaks.
  • Duval
    i knew the article was by peter as soon as i saw the title. somebody is biased.
  • Vega Bro
    I dislike the majority of Lee's movies mostly because of the backwards way of injecting his black agenda into his films. But he is right, he is still 100 times the filmmaker Judd Apatow is. His movies are funny, but to a degree. He isnt this comedic god that most people have projected him to be.
  • Gart, Bo
    He's a racist that has to speak for his art because his (recent) art doesn't speak for itself. Everything he has to say has already been said by himself and others. Do the Right Thing, Jungle Fever, Malcolm X, She's Gotta Have It, all brilliant films. But he's getting tired. Notice how he stirred up the controversy with Clint when HIS movie about war was about to be released. Why didn't he mention it when the film originally came out???? Hype. That's why.
  • Brock
    I met Spike Lee and he was really rude to me because I was some white kid trying to get tips on film making. I think his earlier works are amazing but he has kind of turned into a satire of himself. That last good thing he did was the Katrina documentary. He is very polarizing in his film making. So that to me is quite a turn off. As for Peter, this site is starting to remind me of the arrogance of AICN. This concerns me cause this site was pretty awesome. I think once these people become part of Hollywood, the influence of friends peaks through.
  • Talent? Spike Lee's movies are devoid of anything that resembles talent. I guess most commenters are just afraid of offending Lee. And that's sad guys. Because Spike Lee is a bigot who uses film as a way to inflate his own ego while expressing his overly ignorant views. There is a reason none of Lee's films have grossed over $100 mil in their theatrical lifetime.
  • Oi Vey
    I don't understand Spike - I think he's losing his mind.

    Is it wrong to like a movie like The Dark Knight or heck, The Goonies and still like The Godfather or 2001? No. Just because Judd Apatow is out there, does not restrict you from watching movies like "The Wrestler". It's very elitist.

    I agree - I think Spike is actually hurting himself than anything else. I agree with "Gart,Bo" that mentions that Spike should let his art speak for him. But when Spike opens his mouth, his message in his art gets tainted. Sometimes, you have to speak your mind. And sometimes, you have to know when to shut up - this applies to everybody.
  • fanboy d
    spike lee is the kanye west of filmmaking. make of that what you will.
  • Mao
    Fuck you!!! Lee is an artist.
  • Brody
    @Tendrillar

    Couldn't have said it better. You pretty much hit it perfectly.
  • evergreen
    Why are people so delusional as to defend Spike? Talent doesn't require you to shoot off your damn mouth.
  • Lee's just advertising his film the best way he knows how: by being controversial. By mouthing off about his contemporaries, he ensures that not only is his story picked up,b ut that some poor junior reporter has to get in touch with Judd's publicist and ask for a response. And with every article about this conflict, there will be a mention of "Lee's latest film, Miracle at St. Anna".
  • Chris
    I've never really liked anything he's done, but his ego or whatever doesn't surprise me.

    Look at Uwe Boll, right?

    Or Hell, those sucky sucky American Idol singers; the real bad ones that think they're awesome? Same thing overall, really. Mouthy crap is all they know.
  • ian
    Me and a buddy were having a conversation a while back about how few really good comedies come out vs action/drama movies. Some years u get stuck with one really good comedy for like the whole frickin year.

    Long story short comedy producers/directors should be held in higher regard cuz dramas and action movies are a dime a dozen. Spike Lee should be honored. Get on the Bus sucked btw....
  • Kip
    What is this 1988 and Lee is still relevant? Aptow is making money and putting out films that the community loves. Your going to Knicks games shaking your head. Now go make another film about 1-900 girls! Just put Johan Hill and Russel Brand in it.
  • harrycaul
    spike's humility is so charming.
  • GOOFRIP
    LOL. . Where is the love>
  • A.J.
    Whats new, Lee's elitist remarks are nothing but old news, whenever a new film-maker starts to take the spotlight Lee bashes them with snarky remarks. Sounds a bit like jealously eh, but who knows?
  • Ghost
    Naw I wouldn't want to be next to Apatow either if I was him.

    Haha Lee reminds me of Liam and Noel Gallagher of Oasis.
  • dlb
    He's just getting old and looking to stir up shit. I'm sure if people just ignored what he's saying, he'll drop it. He likes these reactions because he loves himself. The best thing to do is just shrug and have a stiff upper lip.

    Lee should be pretty bummed on his credibility because of this school yard trash talk. What's an oscar worth if you have no shame?
  • Vega Bro
    I am reading these posts and am dumbfounded. It seems to me that Spike Lee is getting the Tom Cruise treatment. I mean that in the way that their personal lives are being confused with their professional ones. When most people think of Tom Cruise they think weirdo and then jump to the conclusion of bad actor for whatever reason. Tom Cruise is an excellent actor. Probably one of the best of today. The same goes for Spike Lee. Everyone hears these comments and immediately thinks racist and then immediately thinks bad filmmaker. They are not the same. He has compiled such a great body of work, he deserves the respect of a Spielberg professionally.
  • Sauce
    It was an offhanded comment at best...and the only reason it's not controversial is because we're taking notice. Move along folks, nothing to see here. We've known who and what Spike is for a very long time, it's new to no one.

    And to be Fair, Kayne West is the Spike Lee of Rap music.
  • Mr_Sammich
    I hate Spike's attitude, he's a punk, and he's trying to be a modern Malcom X but nobody really cares what he has to say. The only reason that thing with Clint Eastwood ever went puplic is becase Clint was involved... I hate Spike Lee.
  • Bull
    Spike Lee is fucking lame. No one anticipates his movies, unlike Spielberg. Miracle at St. Anna is getting less publicity than any Apatow movie, so maybe he should shut the fuck up.
  • Steelo
    @ Vega Bro

    No doubt, but Spielberg doesn't go around disrespecting other filmmakers in public regardless of their level or status.

    I've been a fan of Lee's execution, message and talent for years. At some point though you would think with that level you'd be above even discussing that. Now if something has happened that dictates otherwise that's something else and I wouldn't be surprised. But let's just continue to make quality movies and let the message speak for itself. That's why it's called art. If "Mr_Sammich" wants to hate him cool, but Lee's track record of film creation will still be greater.

    But hey, maybe it's an attitude like that that keeps people talking about him. I mean hell I just wrote a paragraph.
  • Meli
    I've always enjoyed Lee's flicks, but his public persona annoys me most of the time. If Lee tended to say things jokingly or tongue in cheek I might say he was probably joking, but I don't think the man has ever been publicly funny.

    @fanboy d - you said exactly what I was thinking. LoL
  • Greyson
    Spike Lee > Judd Apatow. I've been calling him Apapoe for years. Summer of Sam, Inside Man, School Daze and He Got Game are better than any Apatow flick, period.

    When Judd gets nominated for an Oscar, then maybe we'll start this discussion again.
  • Arch Stanton
    Have you seen He Got Game? Nothing in that demonstrates "considerable talent". Spike Lee is a hack. The only good movies he's done are Do the Right Thing and Inside Man. Malcolm X is pitiful, specifically because of him.
  • Captain Awesome
    haha, I love everyone here losing their mind over his statement. Personally I think Lee is pretty funny for what he does and says.

    His actions seem to always work on people.
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