jakec:

“A smart woman said something smart in 2008 and then two dudes in 2011 told her she was wrong and to stop complaining about how music criticism doesn’t engage with its audience because writing is an important form of self-expression and also they don’t like reading other people’s criticism because that would distract them from writing purely for their own enjoyment.”

—

Mike Barthel on point.

Let me clarify that I never said she was wrong. In fact, I STRESSED that she was right. My entire argument was based on the idea that I hope that there are some of us who truly are exceptions to that rule, that I hope the few of us that are can change things for the better. My entire argument was based on the fact that acknowledging an obvious problem does not make you part of the solution.

In no way was I saying that I (nor anybody who thinks like me) is above the law here. If you want to critique how I or anyone reviews music, knock yourself the fuck out. But what does that espouse? What does that have to do with the artist, or the narrative of where music is going? I don’t consider myself the type of critic Jillian was rallying against three years ago. I’m not telling people what to like or dislike; I’m not a fucking arbiter of taste. I’m merely a bit player in the legacy of whatever artist I decide to write about. I don’t give a shit who likes or doesn’t like the artist I write about, and I’m surely not trying to convince someone to enjoy someone I enjoy. People are smart enough to make their own decisions. Very fucking seldomly has a writer sold me on an artist or has changed my mind about one. In the eloquent, timeless words of Cedric the Entertainer, “I’m a grown-ass man, dogg.”

I’m sure there are plenty of people who think the opposite, but the criticism of criticism is one of the most annoying things to ever happen to the practice. It’s reductive, it’s redundant, and it reeks of arm-crossing self-righteousness. The way you decide to rally against your idea of the holier-than-thou music critic is to be holier than said holier-than-thou music critic? Three hipsters walk into a bar and say, “This place sucks, it’s full of hipsters!” It’s hypocritical (no pun intended with the use of that suffix) to the point where it veers dangerously close to being comedic. Maybe that wasn’t Jillian’s aim at all, but that’s what it comes across as. Wasting your time criticizing the environment-at-large of criticism is just plain fucking corny.

(Source: jakec)

Notes

  1. foryourpleasure reblogged this from douglasmartini and added:
    just say…I just finished my thesis (yay!) and...Tumblr about something
  2. icedoutlighthouse reblogged this from douglasmartini and added:
    specialist review, you gotta submit...criticism. Even if what you’re making is criticism....
  3. douglasmartini reblogged this from jakec and added:
    Let me clarify that I never said she was wrong. In fact, I STRESSED that she was right. My entire argument was based on...
  4. jakec posted this