Destroyed Quote by Whit Stillman
![“Mary McCarthy and that Mr. Intellectual kind of guy ... Dwight McDonald? And they were really mean about [Jerome David] Salinger, and oh they were going to destroy him, and just look how thoroughly they destroyed him! No one reads Salinger anymore!” quote by Whit Stillman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/3a0/whit-stillman-16157_destroyed_mary-mccarthy-and-that-mr-intellectual-k_1756044.jpg)
“Mary McCarthy and that Mr. Intellectual kind of guy ... Dwight McDonald? And they were really mean about [Jerome David] Salinger, and oh they were going to destroy him, and just look how thoroughly they destroyed him! No one reads Salinger anymore!”
About This Quote
Source Film: Metropolitan, 1990
Criticism can ruin an artist's reputation and legacy, often beyond repair.
In simple terms: Harsh criticism can destroy a writer’s fame.
Key Takeaway
Be mindful of how you critique others.
Themes
criticism
legacy
reputation
Mood
cautious
reflective
Type
analytical
observational
When to use this quote
- publishing
- literary criticism
- public opinion
- author reputation
Key Concepts
cultural impact
media influence
Questions to Reflect On
- How does criticism shape an artist’s future?
- Can negative reviews ever be constructive?
A Different Perspective
Criticism may also spark renewed interest or reinterpretation.
![“[Jerome David] Salinger was really taken to the cleaners by nasty critics in his day. I think Joan Didion was one of the people who attacked him in a very unfair way.” quote by Whit Stillman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/ee8/whit-stillman-16157_cleaners_jerome-david-salinger-was-really-taken-t_2324552.jpg)
![“I think a lot of ["Cosmopolitans"] is marked by [Jerome David] Salinger. Salinger wouldn't allow his works to be adapted for film after his experience with "Uncle Wiggly in Connecticut," and I think that's great for us because then we have to do our own Salinger stories.” quote by Whit Stillman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/edb/whit-stillman-16157_adapted_i-think-a-lot-of-cosmopolitans-is-marked_422570.jpg)
![“My dad challenged every president from President [Dwight] Eisenhower and Vice President [Richard] Nixon to President [J.F] Kennedy, Vice President [Lindon] Johnson to President Johnson and Vice President [Hubert] Humphrey. It's challenging the administrations to do the right thing.” quote by Al Sharpton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/cba/al-sharpton-2091_administration_my-dad-challenged-every-president-from-p_506712.jpg)
![“When [my dad] was at the University of Michigan, my mom was a social-worker. As he rose, he voted for [Adlai] Stevenson initially. Then he voted for [Dwight] Eisenhower. Then he kept voting Republican until he voted for Barack Obama. So that's kind of amazing. But he was offered a cabinet post by…” quote by Bill Ayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/f11/bill-ayers-1848_barack_when-my-dad-was-at-the-university-of-mic_501515.jpg)
![“We just became very good friends [with Dwight Eisenhower], we played golf, we played heart exhibitions. Then his doctor said he should not play golf anymore.” quote by Arnold Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/4df/arnold-palmer-2127_doctors_we-just-became-very-good-friends-with-dw_500540.jpg)
![“I think that President [Dwight] Eisenhower was... did the most marvelous job in the war, not really a military job: a public relations job, and it was essential that there should be a public relations job done in the post that he had.” quote by Malcolm Muggeridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/4f8/malcolm-muggeridge-2370_done_i-think-that-president-dwight-eisenhower_288256.jpg)
![“I think it [presidency of Dwight Eisenhower] came too late and I think that he is not on the wavelength of this dreadful time through which we're living.” quote by Malcolm Muggeridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/442/malcolm-muggeridge-2370_dwight_i-think-it-presidency-of-dwight-eisenhow_270940.jpg)
![“Evil cannot be "treated" -- nor should it be. Evil has to [be] confronted and destroyed and it matters not why the evil is in play. Society has no obligation to try to rehabilitate evil.” quote by Bill O'Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/b89/bill-o-reilly-1019_destroyed_evil-cannot-be-treated-nor-should-it-be_3597.jpg)
