"One of Hollywood's most respected actors"?

Will Smith. That's what MSN.com said about Smith in their tribute to dad's on this morning's front page. "One of Hollywood's most respected actors" doesn't come to mind when I think of Will Smith. Not that he doesn't get respect or deserve that respect. But - as a writer I take issue with blanket statements made about people that dilute the adjectives used in describing them and are disguised to seemingly come from a place of knowledge and finite-ess (is that a word?). The media does this all the time.

Follow? Like if someone said, "David Spade, one of the funniest men of our times". See? I think David's funny, but "of our times"? Abe Lincoln goes with "our times". Paul Newman goes with "our times". Bob Hope goes with "our times". When you take a phrase or adjective and connect it with someone, you have to figure that the greater majority of people will agree with you.

"Actor" Will Smith or "funnyman Will Smith", or maybe even "respected actor" Will Smith (though that even sounds odd).

My dear friend Leslie Chariper wrote this about me for a recommendation letter: "I believe that Jeffrey James Ircink is one of our most gifted playwrights working today." "Most"? I believe I'm a talented writer, but "one of the most..."? Debatable. But I didn't write it - and she could have been puffing me up for the play festival - as I said, it was a recommendation letter. Brett Favre. I say he's the greatest QB ever. But I'm allowed to say that in the privacy of my home or around family 'cause I'm a Packer fan and I'm from Wisconsin and I'm right. Ha. But in public, I say "arguably the best QB ever" because I may be biased and I don't wanna come off as a psycho.