http://www.buzzmachine.com/2006/08/07/guardian-column-who-needs-critics/ by Jeff Jarvis Wed, 03 Dec 2008 06:20:55 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 http://www.buzzmachine.com/2006/08/07/guardian-column-who-needs-critics/#comment-183332 BuzzMachine » Blog Archive » Criticism is free Fri, 03 Nov 2006 15:30:27 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/?p=1866#comment-183332 [...] So now the Guardian brings this to arts and entertainment, which makes perfect sense. Now critics find themselves in the conversation . . . with other critics (formerly known as the audience). What’s so right about this is that the conversation is going on anyway; by helping it to come together, the Guardian puts itself in just the right position, in the middle of the talk. It becomes the water cooler. If I started Entertainment Weekly today, it would look like this, with links to stories, clips, sites, and more. [...] [...] So now the Guardian brings this to arts and entertainment, which makes perfect sense. Now critics find themselves in the conversation . . . with other critics (formerly known as the audience). What’s so right about this is that the conversation is going on anyway; by helping it to come together, the Guardian puts itself in just the right position, in the middle of the talk. It becomes the water cooler. If I started Entertainment Weekly today, it would look like this, with links to stories, clips, sites, and more. [...]

]]> http://www.buzzmachine.com/2006/08/07/guardian-column-who-needs-critics/#comment-108202 cryinginthewilderness Fri, 11 Aug 2006 14:04:00 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/?p=1866#comment-108202 IMHO, Critics are basically interpreting entertainment for the New York, Hollywood, San Francisco, Seattle Axis. They have nothing to say to people in Flyover country. I quit paying attention in my 20's and I'm 67 now. IMHO,
Critics are basically interpreting entertainment for the New York, Hollywood, San Francisco, Seattle Axis. They have nothing to say to people in Flyover country. I quit paying attention in my 20’s and I’m 67 now.

]]> http://www.buzzmachine.com/2006/08/07/guardian-column-who-needs-critics/#comment-106032 faithx5 Tue, 08 Aug 2006 03:00:10 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/?p=1866#comment-106032 [...] Jeff Jarvis of the Buzz Machine has been blogging about this on and off for a while now. Jarvis has worked for many high-profile magazine and newspaper companies as critic, editor, publisher, and media consultant, and he often has very astute things to say. This morning, he posted an excerpt from an article he wrote recently for the UK’s Guardian. Here’s a quote from it: In 1990, I created Entertainment Weekly, a magazine of pop cultural criticism in the US, because I saw an explosion of entertainment choice thanks to cable and the VCR (little did I know what would come next). And so I said we needed critics to help us find the good stuff. But if I started EW today, I’d create it online and I’d try to find ways to gather the taste of the crowds regarding far more entertainment: let sci-fi fans help you hunt the best sci-fi; debate the literary merit, if any, of Harry Potter; argue with Woody Allen fans over whether he has his mojo back. Mind you, I’d be loath to end up with the world’s largest focus group or most uninformative online poll. Instead, I’d hope this would be a salon of salons, where you could find the discussions and people you like and with them, the entertainment you want. [...] [...] Jeff Jarvis of the Buzz Machine has been blogging about this on and off for a while now. Jarvis has worked for many high-profile magazine and newspaper companies as critic, editor, publisher, and media consultant, and he often has very astute things to say. This morning, he posted an excerpt from an article he wrote recently for the UK’s Guardian. Here’s a quote from it: In 1990, I created Entertainment Weekly, a magazine of pop cultural criticism in the US, because I saw an explosion of entertainment choice thanks to cable and the VCR (little did I know what would come next). And so I said we needed critics to help us find the good stuff. But if I started EW today, I’d create it online and I’d try to find ways to gather the taste of the crowds regarding far more entertainment: let sci-fi fans help you hunt the best sci-fi; debate the literary merit, if any, of Harry Potter; argue with Woody Allen fans over whether he has his mojo back. Mind you, I’d be loath to end up with the world’s largest focus group or most uninformative online poll. Instead, I’d hope this would be a salon of salons, where you could find the discussions and people you like and with them, the entertainment you want. [...]

]]> http://www.buzzmachine.com/2006/08/07/guardian-column-who-needs-critics/#comment-105771 Pier Mon, 07 Aug 2006 21:03:36 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/?p=1866#comment-105771 As in the famous Mark Twain quote, reports of the demise of the critic have been greatly exaggerated. Why does anyone read criticism to begin with? Because there is a presumption that critics in general (and especially in widely-read, prestigious publications) know a bit about their subject. That's not to say that if I read a critic more than once, it's because I agree with everything he/she has ever written. But when I read Mick LaSalle in the San Francisco Chronicle, it's because Mick's seen a million movies, has interviewed hundreds of actors, directors and writers, and basically knows a lot more about how and why films are made than I (or any of my friends or acquaintances) ever will. He can relate whatever movie he's reviewing to others made by the same director, or compare it to others in the genre, and he'll usually have something interesting and cogent to say. Now, do I use Mick as my fail-safe guide as to whether I should go catch "The Night Listener"? HELL no; I ask my buddy Eli, whose taste is similar enough to mine that if he liked it, I probably will too. The information I get from Mick is just as valuable, in its way, as what I get from Eli, because I view each with different expectations. I think many critics are snooty and exclusive (including some who get paid a LOT), and if they have anything interesting to say it's purely by chance. I don't read them. I DO read the good ones. As in the famous Mark Twain quote, reports of the demise of the critic have been greatly exaggerated. Why does anyone read criticism to begin with? Because there is a presumption that critics in general (and especially in widely-read, prestigious publications) know a bit about their subject. That’s not to say that if I read a critic more than once, it’s because I agree with everything he/she has ever written. But when I read Mick LaSalle in the San Francisco Chronicle, it’s because Mick’s seen a million movies, has interviewed hundreds of actors, directors and writers, and basically knows a lot more about how and why films are made than I (or any of my friends or acquaintances) ever will. He can relate whatever movie he’s reviewing to others made by the same director, or compare it to others in the genre, and he’ll usually have something interesting and cogent to say. Now, do I use Mick as my fail-safe guide as to whether I should go catch “The Night Listener”? HELL no; I ask my buddy Eli, whose taste is similar enough to mine that if he liked it, I probably will too. The information I get from Mick is just as valuable, in its way, as what I get from Eli, because I view each with different expectations. I think many critics are snooty and exclusive (including some who get paid a LOT), and if they have anything interesting to say it’s purely by chance. I don’t read them. I DO read the good ones.

]]> http://www.buzzmachine.com/2006/08/07/guardian-column-who-needs-critics/#comment-105680 Dave Mon, 07 Aug 2006 19:11:16 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/?p=1866#comment-105680 I think there was/is a longstanding white collar belief that certain sectors of the economy [particularly the media and the finance industry] would be immune to disintermediation, and the howls of angst of those decrying the decline of the critic [who is an old-fashioned media intermediary] are compaining beacuse their cocoon is disintegrating around them. I think there was/is a longstanding white collar belief that certain sectors of the economy [particularly the media and the finance industry] would be immune to disintermediation, and the howls of angst of those decrying the decline of the critic [who is an old-fashioned media intermediary] are compaining beacuse their cocoon is disintegrating around them.

]]> http://www.buzzmachine.com/2006/08/07/guardian-column-who-needs-critics/#comment-105567 Jandy Mon, 07 Aug 2006 15:19:16 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/?p=1866#comment-105567 I agree. Most of my casual moviegoer peers don't listen to critics at all (I believe they all saw POTC2 multiple times during the first weekend, as well); they simply don't think critics are relevant. But critics have their place, and are necessary...I think you've hit the nail on the head with the critics-as-discussion-moderators idea, and I like your comment about "setting art in context." A good critic knows film history and theory, and that extra knowledge and insight is what sets him or her apart from the casual moviegoer. I'd hate to lose access to that insight because people think critics are irrelevant. I agree. Most of my casual moviegoer peers don’t listen to critics at all (I believe they all saw POTC2 multiple times during the first weekend, as well); they simply don’t think critics are relevant. But critics have their place, and are necessary…I think you’ve hit the nail on the head with the critics-as-discussion-moderators idea, and I like your comment about “setting art in context.” A good critic knows film history and theory, and that extra knowledge and insight is what sets him or her apart from the casual moviegoer. I’d hate to lose access to that insight because people think critics are irrelevant.

]]> http://www.buzzmachine.com/2006/08/07/guardian-column-who-needs-critics/#comment-105499 lism. Mon, 07 Aug 2006 12:05:03 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/?p=1866#comment-105499 Excellently written article - came across it on the Guardian website this morning. I'll be keeping an eye on this blog. Excellently written article - came across it on the Guardian website this morning. I’ll be keeping an eye on this blog.

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