Quick Facts
Biography
Armond White is an American film and music critic who writes for National Review and Out. He was previously the editor of CityArts (2011–2014), the lead film critic for the alternative weekly New York Press (1997–2011), and the arts editor and critic for The City Sun (1984–1996). Other publications that have carried his work include Film Comment, Variety, The Nation, The New York Times, Slate, Columbia Journalism Review, and First Things.
White is known for his provocative, idiosyncratic and often contrarian reviews, which have made him a controversial figure in film criticism. These include negative reviews of widely acclaimed movies such as The Dark Knight, There Will Be Blood, Up, Toy Story 3, and Get Out. On the other hand, he has championed critically disliked films such as G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, Jonah Hex, Grown Ups, and I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry, the latter of which he indicated as being a better gay-themed film than Brokeback Mountain. His work led film critic Roger Ebert in 2009 to label White as a "smart and knowing [...] troll".
Early life
White was raised in northwest Detroit, Michigan, as the youngest of seven children. His family was the first African-American family to move to a primarily Jewish neighborhood, where he grew up. Raised Baptist, he later became Pentecostal, and identifies himself as "a believer".
His interest in journalism and film criticism began as a student at Detroit's Central High School, when he first read the book Kiss Kiss Bang Bang by film critic Pauline Kael, whom he cites for "her willingness to go against the hype", along with Andrew Sarris, for his "sophisticated love of cinema", as being a major inspiration on his choice of professional career. White received a Master of Fine Arts degree in film from Columbia University's School of the Arts in 1997.
Career
White was the arts editor for The City Sun, where he wrote film, music and theater criticism, for the span of its publication from 1984 to 1996. He was hired by New York Press in 1997 and wrote for the paper until it ceased publication in August 2011. He then assumed the editorship of its sister publication CityArts starting in September.
White is a member of the National Society of Film Critics and New York Film Critics Online. He was the three-time chairman of the New York Film Critics Circle (1994, 2009 and 2010), and has also served as a member of the jury at the Sundance Film Festival, Tribeca Film Festival and Mill Valley Film Festival and was a member of several National Endowment for the Arts panels. He has taught classes on film at Columbia University and Long Island University.
In 1992, White was one of nine newspaper and magazine writers to win the ASCAP Deems Taylor Award for music criticism.
In January 2014, White was expelled from the New York Film Critics Circle for allegedly heckling director Steve McQueen at an event for the film 12 Years a Slave. White maintained his innocence, and characterized his expulsion as a "smear campaign". White received an Anti-Censorship Award at the 35th annual American Book Awards for being "unfairly removed" from the critics' organization.
Influence
Critic Thelma Adams has cited White as an influence on her work.
Books
- The Resistance: Ten Years of Pop Culture That Shook the World, 1995 (ISBN 978-0879515867)
- Rebel for the Hell of It: The Life of Tupac Shakur, 2002 (ISBN 978-1560254614)
- Keep Moving: The Michael Jackson Chronicles, 2009 (ISBN 978-0984215904)
- New Position: The Prince Chronicles, 2016 (ISBN 978-1536878561)