From: Christopher L. Filkins, design@chronotope.com
Subject: RE: Critics
Date: 2/21/2002 1:44:40 PM
To: jlmicek@mindspring.com
seance@lists.no-fi.com


Actually I don't have any more respect for a critic who heaps praise
than one who doesn't.  I don't happen to agree with your examples of
either Britney Spears or the Church.  I strongly believe in my comments
about episodic criticism.  It is very rare to find a review or criticism
which gives context, information, education, the joy of music,
lifestyle, etc. as well as a fair guide to the music itself.  IMHO if
music criticism were taken as seriously as the criticism of literature
we'd be a lot better off when it comes to reviews.   Of course it would
still be masturbation but that's another conversation. 
 
To be honest I find as much value in Britneys Spear's "stuff" as I do in
the Church's "stuff".
 
So as you can see I want to have it both ways.  I want to find critics
who understand I don't give a flying fuck about their personal likes and
dislikes.  I distrust anyone who thinks I care what they like.  Or that
I want to be like them or like the artist themselves.  Hero worship is
so boring.  I want to know why the critic likes what they like and I
want to know why they don't like what they don't like.  And I want a
context in which the critic is questioning their own likes and dislikes
as much as what they "think" about the music.   I find the argument over
low art and high art to be banal, the Spears/Church juxtoposition is an
example, and would love to read a few critics who can see that as well
as I.  I don't want winks, sly confirmations that I'm the choir who is
being sung to, or pandering.
 
 
Christopher@arrogance.r.us
 
PS.  Not that I don't find value among some criticism on occassion but
the stance of disliking them all is more productive.
 
 
-----Original Message-----
From: seance@lists.no-fi.com [mailto:seance@lists.no-fi.com] On Behalf
Of John L. Micek
Sent: Thursday, February 21, 2002 1:29 PM
To: Christopher L. Filkins
Cc: seance
Subject: RE: Critics



Lucky that us part-time critics are thick-skinned.
But this criticism of critics does raise an interesting point.
I have found, over the years, that critics are acceptable, so long as
they're offering blanket praise for someone's favorite artist
or are heaping scorn on some unfortunate.
For example, it's fair game to denounce Britney Spears as vacuous, but
to discuss the Church in anything other than hushed and reverential
tones is 
unacceptable.
You can't have it both ways.
 
Double lucky for me I'm not a Republican, Christopher. Then I guess I'd
be really screwed.
 
john.