Comments on: A case for criticism http://theatreisterritory.com/2008/06/a-case-for-criticism/ Performance. Production. Theory. Tue, 07 Feb 2012 18:07:33 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7.1 hourly 1 By: mary http://theatreisterritory.com/2008/06/a-case-for-criticism/comment-page-1/#comment-961 mary Tue, 01 Jul 2008 00:10:00 +0000 http://theatreisterritory.com/?p=368#comment-961 I think he's nailed one of the main problems with a lot of reviews, that being the reviewer's failure to understand the work's intent. But there is another problem that too often unfairly colors a review: personal bias against the artist(s).<br/><br/>To illustrate, I once read a movie review in which the writer's major beef with the movie was two of the actors' names. And this guy was a professor of film studies at a major university!<br/><br/>IMO, that kind of crap should never be published. It's unfair to the artists and the public and serves no purpose but to massage the ego of a faux journalist.<br/><br/>If reviews are needed as marketing tools, then I think they should focus on summarizing the work, without passing judgment, so that the public can decide for themselves whether it's something that may be of interest. Once a reviewer says "this is good" or "this is bad," the public (often) takes that as gospel. I think he’s nailed one of the main problems with a lot of reviews, that being the reviewer’s failure to understand the work’s intent. But there is another problem that too often unfairly colors a review: personal bias against the artist(s).

To illustrate, I once read a movie review in which the writer’s major beef with the movie was two of the actors’ names. And this guy was a professor of film studies at a major university!

IMO, that kind of crap should never be published. It’s unfair to the artists and the public and serves no purpose but to massage the ego of a faux journalist.

If reviews are needed as marketing tools, then I think they should focus on summarizing the work, without passing judgment, so that the public can decide for themselves whether it’s something that may be of interest. Once a reviewer says “this is good” or “this is bad,” the public (often) takes that as gospel.

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