By now, Murphy didn't need to personally handle certain issues. Whenever negative news appeared on the internet or any other media, his supporters, which included a massive fan base and numerous professional critics, would naturally step in to counter it.
One undeniable fact was that in today's increasingly homogeneous Hollywood film industry, Murphy, with his distinctive style, was a darling of many professional critics and considered a beacon of integrity in commercial filmmaking.
These critics were already inclined to support Murphy. Coupled with the appropriate maneuvers by CAA and 20th Century Fox, they naturally spoke up in his favor.
As negative news filled the media, Richard Roeper, Roger Ebert's partner, published a supportive review for Murphy and "The Wolf of Wall Street" in their "Roger Ebert and Roeper Review Movies" column.
In response to the criticisms against Murphy, Roeper's article titled "This Is Why We Can't Have Good Movies: Oscar Voters' Outrage Over 'The Wolf of Wall Street'" stated: "The Oscars will never return to the golden era of the 60s and 70s. Now, all the members of the Academy are becoming cautious, conservative, safe, and politically correct. Although there have been a few excellent works in recent years, these are extremely rare. The awards are still overly biased towards films showcasing the goodness of human nature."
"'The Wolf of Wall Street' is disgusting? Damn right, those things are disgusting, but that has nothing to do with the film or Murphy Stanton. The movie showcases the lavish lives of American billionaires. Isn't it disgusting when these billionaires make money off the middle class? The Oscars' mistake is believing that movies should reflect an idealized version of life instead of exploring the dark side of human nature. That's why it's increasingly difficult to see good films these days."
"In this regard, having Murphy Stanton and his films is a blessing for this era."
With Richard Roeper and Roger Ebert leading the charge, more critics began to support Murphy. Even the notoriously caustic New Yorker published a column in his favor.
"Beneath the glamor, extravagance, and absurdity, Murphy Stanton imbues 'The Wolf of Wall Street' with a sense of real-world critique. The film is filled with biting satire of today's money-driven society. Though its values might seem problematic, it actually prompts a lot of reflection."
"The film depicts America itself. If you have money, anything legal or illegal, moral or immoral, beneficial or harmful, normal or perverse—whatever you want, you can get it. This is the American Dream: as long as you have money, you can have whatever you desire."
"This is the so-called American Dream. Murphy Stanton strips away the bright facade to show what's inside. Many people are greedy, which is why Jordan Belfort could get rich. If these people weren't greedy, how could Belfort have succeeded? If Belfort weren't greedy, how would he have found these greedy clients? The American Dream makes everyone greedy, greedy for money, leaving them with nothing but the scent of dollar bills."
"And with money, Jordan Belfort's life is empty. He has nothing to do but indulge in sex and drugs every day."
"This is the American way of debauchery: drugs, girls, alcohol, parties. This is the lifestyle of America's young rich. They don't use their money for anything meaningful. Their image isn't as grand as legend suggests. The film mentions that these rich people donate to charity simply because it's fun or because they can do whatever they want. But the money they donate is just a drop in the bucket compared to what they earn."
"Murphy Stanton wants to show through this film what the world you long for really is: America and the American Dream. Take a good look and see what kind of world this is. This is a world that has abandoned all morality, ethics, integrity, and ideals. If you want to enter this world, cocaine is just the beginning; there are many more things to come."
"So living in this **** of a country is truly sad!"
Seeing the review in the New Yorker, Murphy could only conclude that a hundred people would have a hundred Hamlets in their minds, each interpreting the film differently.
Compared to these imaginative professional critics, Murphy's die-hard fans had simpler thoughts. To them, Murphy's films were always good. If someone didn't understand or liked the film, it was their problem, not the film's. Opposing Murphy and his films meant opposing his fan base.
The Murphy Stanton Fan Association in Los Angeles, like the Murphy Stanton Discussion Group on IMDB, was the largest supporter group of Murphy in North America. Unlike the loosely connected online discussion group, the former had a more structured organization. The association's head was closely linked with CAA and had a permanent office near Beverly Hills.
These might seem like fan-initiated organizations, but they were far from simple.
"Many people are attacking Murphy now, especially those self-righteous Oscar voters!" The head of the Los Angeles Murphy Stanton Fan Association addressed a dozen core members in the office. "We can't sit idly by. We must fight back!"
"Yes!" A young man, looking furious, said, "We must fight back!"
Others echoed his sentiments.
"Here's the plan. We don't have a voice in professional reviews, so we'll leave that to the supportive media and critics."
The head looked at his subordinates seriously. "When you go back, mobilize as many fans as possible to post supportive comments about Murphy and 'The Wolf of Wall Street' on forums, portals, Rotten Tomatoes, IMDB, and especially social media. The more, the better. The bigger the momentum, the better!"
"No problem."
"Leave it to us."
"Don't worry, we've already mobilized our people."
The core members were highly enthusiastic, more so than their own personal matters.
After giving further instructions, the head said, "Don't rush off. Let's have lunch together and distribute your activity funds."
Everyone beamed with joy.
With lunch and activity funds in hand, their morale was through the roof. They immediately mobilized fans, focusing on social media, and became active all over the internet.
The head of the fan association personally joined in.
"Really admire Murphy. Nearly three hours of madness, with the camera and Robert Downey Jr. going wild. All sorts of debauchery, reckless indulgence, excessive drug use, and profanity. They couldn't speak without swearing. Completely without shame or limits!"
"Watching the whole film felt like accompanying Murphy and Downey Jr. through a complete descent into depravity. No wonder some Oscar voters felt uncomfortable and criticized Murphy as disgraceful. I can imagine Murphy's smug look at these criticisms. He'd definitely be proud because it means he's still relevant, not singing the same old praises of society, always keenly aware of the darker sides of this country, and brave enough to expose them to everyone!"
"Many say Murphy is a film sociologist at times. That's true. This film is his observation. Poverty can't test people, but wealth can. He sees the greed and selfishness, the hedonism. It seems everyone is chasing superficial thrills, but behind it is deeper frustration, emptiness, and fear."
"In short, the best film I've seen in the past six months is 'The Wolf of Wall Street.' Despite the constant sex, orgies, drug scenes, and hundreds of uses of 'f@ck,' all of this is essential!"
"I don't understand why so many people are criticizing this film. They say it's full of drugs and sex but lacks critique? Wrong! It's precisely because of the drugs, money, and flesh that it has such a strong critique! It deeply reflects human alienation!"
In just one afternoon, voices cheering for Murphy online, much like the professional critics in today's newspapers, gained overwhelming dominance. The most direct effect was on IMDB ratings. Within a few hours, "The Wolf of Wall Street" gained thousands of nine-plus ratings, boosting its score from 8.7 to 8.9.
Unlike internet trolls, these ratings came from long-standing accounts. Even if IMDB scrutinized them, they couldn't find any issues since they were genuinely from fans.
Of course, amidst the praise, negative voices about Murphy and "The Wolf of Wall Street" wouldn't disappear.
To be honest, anything or anyone that has fans will also have detractors. Celebrities are public figures, and directors are increasingly stepping into the spotlight. Some people will like their films, while others won't.
This time, however, the negative voices against Murphy and "The Wolf of Wall Street" were unusually loud.
"This situation isn't normal," Bill Rossis told Murphy on Sunday evening. "The negativity towards you and 'The Wolf of Wall Street' doesn't seem organic."
"Not organic?" Murphy immediately caught the key point. "So it's organized?"
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