Roger Ebert, Conrad Black: Let's Get Ready to Rumble

By Rachelle Bowden in News on Oct 28, 2004 4:21PM

Chicago Sun-Times film critic Roger Ebert dueled Conrad Black, the ousted CEO of the paper's parent company Hollinger, in letters published in the paper today.

Ebert: Says he felt betrayed by reports that Black used Hollinger profits for personal expenses. Also said Black used the money while the Sun-Times building sat in disrepair and union employees threatened to strike.

Black: Says that Ebert is ungrateful for his $500,000 salary. Finds Ebert's "proletarian posturing on behalf of those threatening to strike the Sun-Times and [his] base ingratitude…very tiresome."

Ebert: Gets the last shot by saying that he found out that Black's wife got $300,000/year from the paper for duties described as reading the paper and discussing it with Black. Ebert says that if Black's wife gets paid $300k just for that then he himself isn't overpaid.

Chicagoist ruling on the blow-by-blow: Ebert wins. Black and his wife were totally using money that they didn't deserve for personal expenses. Ebert might make a lot, but he's the best movie critic around. Besides, we pay Margaret $400,000 to make cunt jokes, so we really don't know what the big deal is.