If you're good enough at it to be paid to do it, who cares what the people not getting paid call themselves? Any film critic who has a problem with bloggers "calling themselves" critics has either self esteem issues or a superiority complex.

Sure there are people who post reviews that are crap, but who actually reads them and keeps coming back for more? I submit to you that film bloggers, especially the good ones, actually strengthen the industry by keeping the "professionals" on their game.

Yes, the industry is changing, and many film critics have lost their jobs at traditional print publications, but anytime someone is truly great at something, they can find a way to monetize it. It's the mediocre who suddenly feel exposed.

If someone does the same thing (write about film) on an amateur basis (read: hobby), they can claim the title of film critic if they'd like.

It's the same thing as playing a sport. I'm a basketball player, but I don't do it everyday, nor am I paid to play.

People who get paid to review movies shouldn't get their panties in a wad about mere semantics. They should be thankful that they have such an awesome job, and continue to impress us with their encyclopedic film knowledge and mastery of the written word.