“A man must serve his time in every trade save censure critics are ready made.”
Byron wrote that.
You can roughly translate it as finding critics is an easy process as opposed to artists and creators who spend years on their craft.
I remember reading this as an elocution topic…
Yeah that’s about it. And with so little an attempt at persuasion and deliberation I came to a decision (I’m quick like that) “Hey maybe, I should critique criticism!!” *light bulb*
My first thought was of Anton Ego from Ratatouille.
This is one of those characters so well scripted that it seems almost impossible to forget.
It’s a classic nature-name attribution (that’s not a real term, I just made that up) where a character’s name is their trait, like “Snow White” or “Edward Scissorhands.” It’s pretty clever and quite lazy at the same time.
But let’s back on a tangent, Anton Ego, is by far one of my favourite Disney characters. This character is so consummate in his work and his self esteem that his last name fits just right in. But then again, if you’ve watched this movie (spoiler alert) you know how one dinner changes his life as we know it; from a famed and dreaded food-critic to a small-time nameless investor. However, he’s not too bummed about it. In his final review the character has a change of heart.
He says, “In many ways, the work of a critic is easy. We risk very little yet enjoy a position over those who offer up their work and their selves to our judgment. We thrive on negative criticism, which is fun to write and to read. But the bitter truth we critics must face is that in the grand scheme of things, the average piece of junk is probably more meaningful than our criticism designating it so.”
I love this dialogue, and the majestic voice of Peter O’Toole is just the cherry on the top!
Now, lets take a minute here…
There are two ways I can go about this:
Either I tell you,
“You do you, and don’t let a critic turn you blue.”
That a critic does not know the struggle of the enterprise you’ve embarked on; that you have your own story for doing things the way you have and a critical opinion shouldn’t put a damper on the way you think.
Or I flip the switch.
I tell you to “suck it up.” Face it, the world ain’t a goddamned fairytale and every new venture will have criticisms. The world is vary of ‘new’. Learn to grow with the weeds in your garden; everyone is fighting for that space.
Option A if you think the world is propelled by positivity
Option B if you think criticism is for a greater good.
What do I think?
Option C: I think it’s not always about you. (Seriously dude)
The conundrum here is not your estimation of criticism (ironical if you ask me) but about the critics themselves.
What goes on when you’re judging something?
Do you rate something by your idea of merit?
Is it a set template or one that revolves around your liking?
Do you rate something on its effort?
Respect the troubles and the toil that is evident?
Do you rate something based on an utopian idea of the same, compare it to some legendary example of the past?
What goes on in your head?
You see, I refuse to believe that critics are hard set, grim and displeased people. It’s too easy. For far too long we’ve carried a collective memory of critics being a bunch of meanies. We need to cut them some slack, they can do with better PR.
Not convinced? I can do better.
You see, Anton Ego was wrong: A critic’s job is never easy.
Yes, it sounds remorseless; you keep emotions at bay and let logic lead the way. But it gets tiring to live like that. Because what they are truly giving up is the pleasure of the very thing they critique.
I remember in my media classes where sometimes I’m forced to observe the shots, the angles of camera and the nuances of cinematography. I’ve never enjoyed a movie like that. In the grand scheme of things, you give up on the beauty of the very thing you criticize in a bid to be honest of your estimation of it. Cruel isn’t it?
And what’s more? A critic is bound by their time; little can they go out of the way and embrace something new. Imagination, creativity and fascination dissipate in the face of critical analysis. There is a constant search for ‘what it means’ and ‘what it implies’, rather than the simple pleasures of absurdity. Sometimes stupidity is fun; the world knows this for a fact. But would you hear a critic saying this? No. We’ve resigned them to a post on a pedestal and quite frankly, I think they are trapped up there.
If critics truly judged something based on their life experiences and their tastes,
I’d like to think we’d have a different breed of critics altogether.
So now ask yourself,
Who is doing the real judging here?
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Oh btw, fun fact,
After the success of Ratatouille in 2007, one domestic pet chain saw a near 50% increase in the sales of pet rats. Imagine expectant kids thinking their pet rat is a culinary genius. The world is a weird, weird place.
Over and out.
Featured Image: Pinterest.
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