Interview · moment 14 of 37
Jaws, Media Lies, and the New York Times Review Beef
from The Great Shark Debate | The Tim Dillon Show #356 · #356
2 min
Guest
They debate whether Spielberg's Jaws created irrational fear of sharks, and Eli vents about a New York Times review trashing his work without engaging with his shark documentary's arguments.
- Spielberg regretted making Jaws and apologized for the damage to sharks, though it became one of the greatest movies ever.
- Peter Benchley identified Jaws as a major component in shark fear, but Tim argues the fear may be justifiable given actual shark attacks.
- Tim defends sharks because they lack vocal cords and can't speak for themselves, unlike humans who would say horrible things.
- The New York Times trashed his special—calling it Eli Roth torture porn—without apparently watching the movie or understanding his point.
- Critics assume Tim exploits gore because he's known for horror, but he spent five years making a documentary and consulted serious scientists.
New York TimesEli RothJawsSteven SpielbergPeter BenchleyDr. Sean PowersDr. Marcus Dryman