Bit of a meta comment, but: it’s popular to rag on critics but I think it’s a tragedy that the professional critic is less and less of a thing anymore. It’s the same phenomenon as the widespread loss of trust in “professionals” and institutions, but in the cultural sphere.
Critics can sometimes be aloof or out of touch, but the alternative is basically just money-driven populism untethered to any deeper notions of quality.
They could be huge jerks, but I lament the fact that people like John Simon or H. L. Mencken don’t exist anymore. Nowadays people like them would probably be unable to make a living.
Critics can sometimes be aloof or out of touch, but the alternative is basically just money-driven populism untethered to any deeper notions of quality.
They could be huge jerks, but I lament the fact that people like John Simon or H. L. Mencken don’t exist anymore. Nowadays people like them would probably be unable to make a living.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H._L._Mencken
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Simon_(critic)