’Tain't praise

This was a couple of days ago, actually, but let's pretend it was today: a Today Show "in the next half-hour" thing, about an interview with Dennis Farina, the new "Law & Order" cast member:

Matt Lauer: I love him as an actor.



Me: ..."But in person, what a prick."



J.: "But I'm deeply ambivalent about him as an exotic dancer."

I mean no personal insult to Dennis Farina here, since of course I don't know him; but really, what else does "I love (him/her) as (a/an) ______" imply? What other thing about him/her prevents you from making an unequivocally positive statement?