Tommy Edison | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Edison in 2012 | |
| Born | July 17, 1963 Greenwich, Connecticut, U.S. |
| Other names | Blind Film Critic |
| Alma mater | University of Bridgeport |
| Occupations |
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| YouTube information | |
| Channel | |
| Years active | 2011–present |
| Genres |
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| Subscribers | 727 thousand |
| Views | 154.9 million |
| Last updated: October 21, 2025 | |
| Website | tommyedison |
Tommy Edison (born July 17, 1963) is an American YouTuber, radio presenter and film critic known for his blindness and self-deprecating sense of humor in his internet presence.[1] From 1994 until 2013, he worked as a traffic reporter for the station Star 99.9 in Bridgeport, Connecticut.[2]
Although he had never driven a car or seen a traffic jam, as a traffic reporter he used what he heard about traffic on police scanners and in calls with listeners on the road.[3]
Motivated to review films by his frustration with their visual language,[1] he started a YouTube channel called Blind Film Critic with his friend Ben Churchill in 2011. His reviews focus on script, music and sound effects.[4] The first film he reviewed was Scream 4;[5] his favorites include Hugo, Goodfellas, Clerks and American Hustle.[1] In 2013, audio description allowed him to watch his first silent film, which he joked was "eye-opening"—however, he does not use it when preparing his reviews.[1] He was endorsed by Roger Ebert in 2011, and has been featured on The Howard Stern Show and CNN.[1] He also made videos answering viewers' questions about blindness on another channel entitled The Tommy Edison Experience, and has covered topics such as dreams,[3] colors,[6] Braille[7] and assistive technology.[8]
Early life and career
[edit]Edison was born completely blind due to an underdeveloped optic nerve.[1] He was born and raised in Greenwich, Connecticut, and attended Canterbury School and the University of Bridgeport, where he studied music.[2] He has credited his parents for treating him the same as his sighted sisters during his upbringing.[9] His mother went to great lengths to make sure Tommy was put into a normal class rather than the school recommended special education class, stating, "My kid—his cognitive skills are fine, he just can't see."[10] After developing an interest in local and New York radio stations, he was hired as a disc jockey for the station WJAZ in Stamford, Connecticut in 1987, becoming its traffic reporter two years later.[2]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f Buckmaster, Luke (December 3, 2014). "No spoilers: meet the film critic who's never watched a single film". The Guardian. Retrieved February 16, 2016.
- ^ a b c Weizel, Richard (September 28, 1997). "Connecticut Q&A: Tommy Edison; On the Air About Traffic, and Blind". The New York Times. Retrieved February 16, 2016.
- ^ a b Painter, Kim (May 23, 2012). "Blind movie critic Tommy Edison educates the masses". USA Today. Gannett Company. Archived from the original on July 4, 2017. Retrieved August 9, 2025.
- ^ Bunbury, Stephanie (December 3, 2014). "Meet Tommy Edison, the blind film critic". The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. Retrieved February 16, 2016.
- ^ Gibson, Megan (May 19, 2011). "Q&A: Tommy Edison, The Blind Film Critic With a Big YouTube Following". Time. Time Inc. Retrieved February 16, 2016.
- ^ Dahl, Melissa (July 2, 2014). "Could You Describe 'Red' to a Blind Person?". New York Magazine. Retrieved February 17, 2016.
- ^ von Baldegg, Kasia Cieplak-Mayr (May 7, 2012). "How Tommy Edison, the 'Blind Film Critic,' Became a YouTube Sensation". The Atlantic. Atlantic Media. Archived from the original on September 6, 2015. Retrieved February 17, 2016.
- ^ Ellcessor, Elizabeth (2016). Restricted Access: Media, Disability, and the Politics of Participation. New York University Press. p. 157. ISBN 9781479867431.
- ^ McCurley, Mark (August 20, 2011). "DON'T MISS IT: Milford blind film critic's website a must-see hit". New Haven Register. Digital First Media. Retrieved August 9, 2025.
- ^ Edison, Tommy (September 13, 2017). Going To School As A Blind Person. The Tommy Edison Experience. Event occurs at 00:40. Archived from the original on December 31, 2024. Retrieved August 9, 2025.
