critic manifestos
BRITTANY STEWART
"The role of the critic should be similar to that of a best friend. They are there to celebrate the good things. They are there to point out the bad things that you probably wouldn't have noticed otherwise. They are there to point out when something tried, but wasn't quite good enough. The purpose of a critic (and a best friend) is to provide their opinion in such a way that it steers you in the direction of making good decisions. The type of decisions that are going to make you happy at the end of the day.
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In order to create this kind of relationship with her audience, the critic must establish trust. This may come over a long period of time or being brutally honest, but this trust is what keeps readers coming back and helps critics shape the world. A critic must also engage her audience by pulling them in and telling a story in a way that doesn't just read as another play-by-play of a fancy restaurant she ate at or the newest television show that she binge watched. The method to the critique may vary, but the goal is simple: make it something that people will want to read.
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Perhaps the most important quality of a critic is being transparent. Before this class, I thought that critics tried to tear everything down and only saw the negative. Now, after this class I see that the most important goal of the critic is to be transparent. This means pointing out the positive and negative, and leaving bias at the door. This kind of transparency creates trust and engagement. See how they're all related? This is what makes a great critic and can help shape the world around us."
COLE ROGERS
"Everybody is a critic in today’s world. Any person can review anything they want and share their commentary with the world with no barriers. With the power of the Internet and social media, everybody loves giving their thoughts as if they’re a professional critic. However, it’s the real critics’ job to show how it’s done. I think the contemporary critic needs to offer a lot more compared to these average joe reviews. It’s important for a critic to have a strong voice in their reviews that is backed up by an educated and experienced thought process in the art they are reviewing. Being informed and having experience completely changes the quality of a review. When reviewing, it’s important to be honest and share your personal thoughts. However, staying fair and unbiased while doing so is the best way to approach a review. This class has completely changed how I approach art and culture. I feel like I now have a new lens that I look through that’s much more observational and analytical. I definitely pay more attention to little things that didn’t seem important before, but now I see how they can alter the bigger picture of art. This lens has helped me begin to be more accepting of different ideas and thought processes as well. I don’t want to be a forgettable cookie cutter reviewer with a basic opinion, so I feel like understanding art on a deeper level will help me stand out. As a critic, I want to entertain readers while giving them a little insight as to what I thought about something. I will always strive to stick to my neutral principles in every review, but I want to offer different perspectives to consumers that they may have not considered before."
HOLLY ROBERTS
"My name is Holly Roberts, and I want to sample everything I can.
Whether this be a student production of a time-weathered short story or a fresh take on a counter-service meal, my intention as a critic is to inform and entertain while not deviating from impartiality. I want to engage with materials in order to provide accountability for chefs, directors, authors and more while allowing audiences and consumers experience things from another’s view. Trying new things, whether it’s a new dish, an interesting looking novel, or a TV show you might not normally give a try, is meaningful and exciting.
If my writing about a new restaurant encourages others to try it, wonderful. And if they find the same enjoyment that I did, even better. While not all people are the same, taking into account the opinions of others can often help people better understand their own feelings on a subject. As humans I believe that we love to hear others opinions to make judgements and decisions, so I am here to provide my opinions with wit.
In most areas I review I am not an expert, but I try my best to to critically examine different foods, movies and performances in ways that express my opinion while letting others make their own. In some ways, we all can be reviewers, as everyone sees things differently. One dish might suit others, while some may only like a certain kind of film. Reviewing a variety of topics requires research into different subjects, the gathering of background information, occasional interviews and discipline. It also requires an open mind to try new things, experience new situations and, hopefully, get something meaningful out of it."
RACHEL KELSO
"When I first entered this class, I was under the impression that critics were the bad guys, that their jobs were to judge and scrutinize every detail of food, art, music and film. I thought that critics’ opinions didn’t carry any weight, since everyone has different tastes and preferences. I also thought it was impossible for me to write convincing reviews, because who am I to judge something I’ve never done, like write television scripts or perform in a musical. But what I quickly learned is that critics carry great responsibility for their communities. They are the voices that not only provide analysis and observation, but also context and unique perspectives that the general public may not be able to see, like issues and details noticed revolving around race, gender, sexuality, disabilities, and more. Now that I see myself as a critic, I feel a deeper responsibility to pay closer attention to the arts that I’m consuming. I believe that everything is done with purpose, whether it’s the way a dessert is made or a script is written or a painting is painted. I have also learned to not hold everything to the same standards. My meal at Taqueria Tsunami can’t be judged the same way I would judge my meal at Hilltop Grille. An interpretive dance can’t be judged the same as The Nutcracker. Through my time as a critic I have learned to evaluate different forms of art through an appropriate lense, immersing myself in the experience and judging it the way it deserves. Being a critic has also taught me to embrace new things. I’ve been a picky person my entire life. Whether it’s the food I’m eating or the movies I’m watching, I don’t stretch outside of my comfort zone often. But it turns out that there is a lot of joy and excitement in trying new things. It turns out that being a critic is the most exciting life to live."
TAMARA KHADER
"So what’s the point of a critic in an age where everyone and their mom is a blogger or Yelp reviewer? That’s a good question and it’s the exact question I had at first.
In short, everyone can be a blogger or Yelp reviewer, but not everyone can be a critic. Critics are experts in their specialty, reviewers may not be. Critics are scholars—they study and explore their speciality enough to be alert to its nuances, reviewers may not be. Critics are often first responders, calling out genius before it’s realized in the industry. They have access to their specialty and subjects in ways reviewers may not. While reviewers merely touch the surface in a review, a critic dives deep to discover hidden meaning and purpose for a work. They may have interviews with the chef for a food critique or a producer for a movie critique. Critics shed exposure by exploring parts unknown and they have an obligation to try it all—the good, the bad, and the ugly. Most of all, critics are expert judges—they leave their personal biases aside and judge a work in comparison to the plethora surrounding it. Critics are not sponsored, but reviewers might be.
There are a few spots for critics in the journalism industry. They are only handed out to the most trusted, experienced, creative and reliable of the bunch. The best critics understand their responsibility to influence and implement change in their industry.
Perhaps the best thing I learned in this class is that a critic should remember there are real humans with feelings behind the work that’s being judged. While we must be honest, we should also strive to be fair and objective.
As to my manifesto, a critic should always strive to be unique, humorous and fun."