Ann Hornaday Understands Seth Rogen & Judd Apatow's "Dismay" at Suggestion That Neighbors Influenced UCSB Tragedy

Washington Post columnist has been widely slammed for writing that the 22-year-old who allegedly killed six people had a distorted world view due to films like Rogen's latest comedy

By Natalie Finn May 27, 2014 11:54 PMTags
Seth Rogen, Judd Apatow, Ann HornadayMichael Buckner/Getty Images for HFAG; Julia Ewan/The Washington Post/Getty Images

Ann Hornaday may not have intended to prompt quite so much ire with her weekend essay linking the mindset of the 22-year-old alleged to have killed six UC Santa Barbara students in a murderous rampage last week with unrealistic expectations about the social options for young men propagated by movies such as Neighbors.

But she did, so...bring it on, she says.

"Some columns get more reactions than others. One of mine just did. A sampling," the Washington Post critics, who also reviewed Neighbors for the paper earlier this month, tweeted a link to a new essay, this one addressing the backlash, including angry tweets from Neighbors star Seth Rogen and his frequent collaborator Judd Apatow.

"@AnnHornadayI find your article horribly insulting and misinformed," Rogen tweeted in response to her first column, headlined, "In a final videotaped message, a sad reflection of the sexist stories we so often see onscreen."

Spencer Weiner/Getty Images

"@AnnHornaday how dare you imply that me getting girls in movies caused a lunatic to go on a rampage," Rogen continued.

Quoting Rogen's tweet, Apatow then chimed in, "She uses tragedy to promote herself with idiotic thoughts." Asked by a fan why a tragedy such as this one is "always about everything but mental illness," the filmmaker replied, "Because that doesn't sell papers."

"@AwardsDaily@Glenn__Kenny@cbumbray@Sethrogen she can criticize but can't handle criticism? That is as logical as her opinions," Apatow continued. "we all are attacked online. For every reason. That is not a reason to not say she is wrong. with every view her paper makes money from discussing a story no one yet knows anything about.Now it is a media profit center."

Apatow then tweeted, "Remember everyone - ads next to articles generate money. They say something shocking and uninformed & get you to click on it to profit."

Glen Wilson/Universal Pictures

The Knocked Up and 40-Year-Old Virgin director then retweeted this, That being said. I hope anybody looking to defend @Sethrogen and @JuddApatow do so in a respectful manner. Don't make @AnnHornaday's point." (The originator of the tweet had previously written that Hornaday was "right on the money when she claims that Hollywood is INSANELY lop sided when it comes to representing men and women."

Rogen and Apatow were certainly not the only ones who were outraged, with Hornaday's essay prompting all sorts of responses, from applauge to apoplexy, including a Variety op-ed labeling her rationale as "absurd."

"As un-fun as it is to be slammed by famous people, I could understand Apatow and Rogen's dismay," Hornaday wrote in her response post that the Post titled "Ann Hornaday on her Elliot Rodger YouTube video column, the response and a conversation that should continue."

Spencer Weiner/Getty Images

She included a number of excerpts of reader notes ranging from one calling her "spot on" and another calling her a "sad, sad individual." 

Neither Rogen nor Apatow have directly responded to the new essay, but Apatow has continued to go on about the evils of media-for-profit, and Sarah Silverman defended her pals this afternoon, writing,  "It's way easier to blame art than to blame a fundamental lack in mental health, education & gun control @Sethrogen@JuddApatow@annhornaday."

And so the conversation continues.

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