It’s so exhausting to see blue check critics with major bylines punch down to independent outlets that’s outside their demographic. I can’t tell you the many times I covered Tribeca AS PRESS for small unknown outlets that either died off/or never paid me.

I didn’t say anything because I was gaining experience and networking and I was grateful for that. Say what you will about C*rl but at least he was able to secure press accreditation for his site. Granted he himself never showed the work for it, he always gained access.

I said it once and I’ll say it again, FilmDaze is not a business. Carl toxically ingrained that idea that it was a major outlet when in reality it wasn’t, screwing up the site’s identity in the process. Now it’s up to the staff writers to change it from the ground up.

FilmDaze is a non-profit site for next gen writers to find their voice and grow. People who have been pitching there for years already know this. It’s nothing like FSR or Indiewire so you guys who have written for those places please let them be.

Just because an up and coming site with its own process meant for a new breed of writers doesn’t fit your demographic or perception of this already fucked up industry that gatekeeps young diverse writers, doesn’t mean you should beat them down. What are you even adding?

We don’t have the same privileges to just pitch to major sites that we barely get an emailed response to. That’s why I don’t freelance anymore. I barely get emails back for most of my pitches and I know many writers like me don’t as well.

It’s infuriating to see blue check X-ers criticizing a gen-z site that that they don’t understand, belittling the writers who are already happy with the work they’ve done there. Film Daze went through a lot this week. If you have nothing useful to say, leave those writers alone.