This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/jul/29/dont-damn-critics-we-do-have-our-uses-honest
The article has changed 7 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Don’t damn critics – we do have our uses, honest | |
| (6 months later) | |
| We highlight hidden treasures and encourage the arts to flourish | |
| Sun 30 Jul 2017 00.05 BST | |
| Last modified on Sat 2 Dec 2017 02.54 GMT | |
| Share on Facebook | |
| Share on Twitter | |
| Share via Email | |
| View more sharing options | |
| Share on LinkedIn | |
| Share on Pinterest | |
| Share on Google+ | |
| Share on WhatsApp | |
| Share on Messenger | |
| Close | |
| We all know you have to suffer for your art, but should you suffer for someone else’s? Two examples from my brief stint as an occasional reviewer for BBC Radio 4’s Saturday Review, last week granted a reprieve from the controller’s axe: the matinee in which an elderly woman lasted all of 10 minutes of an experimental play before departing in a huff, leaving those of us on duty to look at her enviously; and a moment at the seaside when, having puzzled over an art exhibition frankly beyond me, a vicious gull snatched an ice-cream cornet clean out of my hand. Yes, licence-fee payers: the BBC treats its freelance contributors to sweeties, but don’t worry, there was no replacement at your expense. | We all know you have to suffer for your art, but should you suffer for someone else’s? Two examples from my brief stint as an occasional reviewer for BBC Radio 4’s Saturday Review, last week granted a reprieve from the controller’s axe: the matinee in which an elderly woman lasted all of 10 minutes of an experimental play before departing in a huff, leaving those of us on duty to look at her enviously; and a moment at the seaside when, having puzzled over an art exhibition frankly beyond me, a vicious gull snatched an ice-cream cornet clean out of my hand. Yes, licence-fee payers: the BBC treats its freelance contributors to sweeties, but don’t worry, there was no replacement at your expense. |
| My frivolously made point is that you have to stick with it even if you don’t like it, because being a critic is not about getting your jollies, although it would be an outright lie to deny that you quite often do. At its best, it’s not a straightforward thumbs-up, thumbs-down exercise either, even if many of its practitioners have had to succumb to the egregious star-rating system. Rather, the aim is to acknowledge the variousness of personal taste and the vicissitudes of fashion and place a piece of work in the context of its medium, the surrounding culture and the extent to which its maker negotiates the demands and restrictions of the form. | My frivolously made point is that you have to stick with it even if you don’t like it, because being a critic is not about getting your jollies, although it would be an outright lie to deny that you quite often do. At its best, it’s not a straightforward thumbs-up, thumbs-down exercise either, even if many of its practitioners have had to succumb to the egregious star-rating system. Rather, the aim is to acknowledge the variousness of personal taste and the vicissitudes of fashion and place a piece of work in the context of its medium, the surrounding culture and the extent to which its maker negotiates the demands and restrictions of the form. |
| But critics often get a bad press, as if their primary concern were to cordon off the arts behind a barbed-wire fence of adjectives and ensure that anyone not from the Oxbridge Academy for Debs and Toffs sticks to Fast and Furious 438 and Riverdance. Such people might have existed in the past, and might still; they are Bad Critics and those who give them house room are Naughty Editors. | But critics often get a bad press, as if their primary concern were to cordon off the arts behind a barbed-wire fence of adjectives and ensure that anyone not from the Oxbridge Academy for Debs and Toffs sticks to Fast and Furious 438 and Riverdance. Such people might have existed in the past, and might still; they are Bad Critics and those who give them house room are Naughty Editors. |
| The majority, however, are quite keen to convey to audiences and readers why they might rush towards their latest culture fix with open arms or give it a swerve, at least until the dust of publicity settles. Part of their function is to act as a bulwark against excitable marketing, to counteract the vast brouhaha that accompanies most high-profile releases or to drum up noise where the stage has fallen unaccountably silent. One such is the New York Times’s outgoing chief book reviewer, Michiko Kakutani, who chose as her last subject after nearly four decades a debut novel – Ayòbámi Adébáyò’s Stay With Me, which she described as “stunning”, “entirely fresh” and “powerfully magnetic”; imagine how that feels for a first-time novelist. | The majority, however, are quite keen to convey to audiences and readers why they might rush towards their latest culture fix with open arms or give it a swerve, at least until the dust of publicity settles. Part of their function is to act as a bulwark against excitable marketing, to counteract the vast brouhaha that accompanies most high-profile releases or to drum up noise where the stage has fallen unaccountably silent. One such is the New York Times’s outgoing chief book reviewer, Michiko Kakutani, who chose as her last subject after nearly four decades a debut novel – Ayòbámi Adébáyò’s Stay With Me, which she described as “stunning”, “entirely fresh” and “powerfully magnetic”; imagine how that feels for a first-time novelist. |
| Writing and talking about culture is no longer the preserve of the condescending didact and nor must critics sit bang in the middle of the mainstream media; the welter of excellent bloggers and podcasters who have flourished in the internet and social media age demonstrate that. Not only has this development increased the number of voices on offer, as traditional critical outlets have shrunk, it has been the most significant factor in the increase in the diversity of those voices, a process with a great way still to go. | Writing and talking about culture is no longer the preserve of the condescending didact and nor must critics sit bang in the middle of the mainstream media; the welter of excellent bloggers and podcasters who have flourished in the internet and social media age demonstrate that. Not only has this development increased the number of voices on offer, as traditional critical outlets have shrunk, it has been the most significant factor in the increase in the diversity of those voices, a process with a great way still to go. |
| So if the term “gatekeeper”, almost invariably used pejoratively, is to persist, then let’s redefine it to describe those who want to safeguard art so that it might live long and prosper. And finally, thank heavens that the BBC has adopted the critics’ most important adage – never be afraid to change your mind. | So if the term “gatekeeper”, almost invariably used pejoratively, is to persist, then let’s redefine it to describe those who want to safeguard art so that it might live long and prosper. And finally, thank heavens that the BBC has adopted the critics’ most important adage – never be afraid to change your mind. |
| Culture | |
| Opinion | |
| BBC | |
| Radio 4 | |
| Radio industry | |
| comment | |
| Share on Facebook | |
| Share on Twitter | |
| Share via Email | |
| Share on LinkedIn | |
| Share on Pinterest | |
| Share on Google+ | |
| Share on WhatsApp | |
| Share on Messenger | |
| Reuse this content |