Firing back at a critic is almost always a losing proposition for actors. After all, what’s the use of taking on someone who is professionally guaranteed to have the last word? Still, actor Harvey Fierstein has been lashing out at a Los Angeles Times critic who panned his new musical adaptation of an old Paddy Chayevsky film. It might seem like a standard-issue star tantrum, but Michael Riedel sees some smooth strategy behind the dustup.