Role of the Critic

    It is my belief that the critic has multiple functions and roles in society, as well as responsibilities.  The more general understanding of the role of a critic would be implied…to criticize.  I feel that is not entirely accurate, nor is it the most relevant way to interpret the need for this role, not only in analyzing literature, but in a culturally significant aspect as well.  The critic should analyze, interpret, reveal, look, listen, and use all of their senses along with reason to inform and educate others or even if for the sole purpose of educating themselves.

            Most dictionaries would define a critic as being a person who expresses an unfavorable opinion of something or as a person who judges the merits of literary, artistic, or musical works.  While these definitions serve to be true, they do not encompass the entirety or the importance of the critic.  A critic should examine and evaluate all of the elements of a culture in detail in order to present ideas with a varying lens of the culture in seeing it from all possible and relative perspectives.  It is significant that a critic take views from as many perspectives as possible because it creates a newer medium for which others can gain insight.  Using this approach also allows for the critic to avoid creating a bias perspective in which they may deter the masses from seeing the truth that lies within a concept.  A critic should not analyze in vein, but rather envelope the purpose of mutual understanding-whether in terms of agreement or disagreement, acceptance of denial. Further, these are the responsibilities that a critic is accountable for in interpreting certain experiences. 

            What makes one critic relevant or more relevant than another?  What qualifies someone to openly criticize anything?  Does it come down to education, wealth, status, or is anyone qualified to be a critic?  In my understanding, if someone is going to criticize anything, whether it be art, literature, music, tradition, etc…. they should have viewed the subject from different stances, so that their understanding can translate to the general public-from the most common of people to the most elite.  Criticisms open an avenue for discussion, controversy, and diverse understanding.  A critic should present material to a culture in a way that they may not have seen it before-to show them something new that they had not perhaps even considered. 

            The role of the critic is often misused and misinterpreted as being one that only holds relevance in dissecting a particular piece of media or as someone holding some sort of authority voicing an opinion that may be the only “right” one.  I feel strongly that the critic has a duty to the public to be wise and thorough in their review of information before voicing a particular stance as their interpretations may influence one person or many people in a way that they may not have anticipated.  They also have the responsibility to be able to support their ideas in presentation, voice, and to also have answers for those who will ask the inevitable multitude of questions.  A critic has the power to influence the people, and being given this power by the people, they should be mindful of their power to create, destroy, or dispute any ideology they are attempting to represent or refute.

Porn As We Know It

     As we were assigned our artifact selection, a million different ideas ran through my mind, but the one that I was not able to escape was one Professor Herndon brought to the attention of the class…pornography.  Not pornography as we may typically see it-on cable, under our brother’s mattresses, on billboards, Jesse James’ and Tiger Woods’ ladies on the side.  No, not that kind of pornography….rather, the other graphic images that we, as a global culture, have come to accept and even desire.  The kind of intrusion upon such private moments that it makes me nauseous to think about that kind of unwelcome violation.  We have all seen it on the shelf at the grocery store as we wait in the endless checkout line while the guy in front of us argues about some coupon with the grocery clerk….you know what I am talking about “HOW SHE LOST 15 LBS IN 15 DAYS,”  “BRANGELINA ON THE ROCKS,” “SURI AT THE PARK-ARE THEY GETTING DIVORCED,” “ANOTHER ONE OF TIGER’S LOVERS COMES OUT OF THE WOOD-WORK.”  Yep, the good old fashioned gossip column that snowballed into front page headlines that grew into websites, billboards, covers of almost every magazine possible, and even entire shows dedicated to these “celebutant” good for nothings famous for the sake of being famous. 

            The other porn that I am talking about, another one of our guilty pleasures, is the kind that we all want to deny being entertained by.  It’s the kind of sick, perverted, mindlessly twisted enjoyment that some get from witnessing someone else’s strife and struggle.  Perhaps the images of people running from falling buildings covered in soot and ash-unrecognizable to anyone who knew them before the planes hit those buildings that day ring a bell, or maybe the images of helpless Americans sitting on a halfway collapsed roof, awaiting help that never came as the deceitful waters devoured everything that they once called their own, including their pride and sense of self—maybe that rings a bell??  I am talking about the graphic images that we as a culture have become obsessed with, can’t pull ourselves away from, and can’t get enough of…. the kind of images that creep into the experiences of people enduring the most hellacious amounts of pain imaginable all for the media’s disgusting attempts at reeling in viewers.  Does it work?  You bet it does, and it does with a consistency so sharp that you would think reporters are just waiting around tapping their pencils with their fingers crossed wishing that they could will a disaster of some sort to happen on their watch, or even better, that they are the first ones to arrive to crack the story. 

            Pornography is still defined, according to Merriam Webster, as “printed or visual material containing the explicit description or display of sexual organs or activity, intended to stimulate erotic rather than aesthetic or emotional feelings.”  How-might you ask-does this apply to the images I have presented?  We all stop and watch these train wrecks, whether it be a celebrity’s latest break up or drug habit or if it’s an oil leak that won’t quit or a hurricane that won’t back down…we all watch, but for what reason?  Perhaps it is because we have some convoluted craving for others’ hurt because it means that it isn’t happening to us.  Maybe for some of us, we do become somehow aroused by the thought of hell on Earth, as long as it doesn’t request our involvement…maybe even more so if it does.  Either way, this idea has always been intriguing to me, although I too have gotten sucked into this alternate reality of headlines and “breaking news.”  I want to see where I can take these ideas and how much I can uncover to this very real and very legal form of perversion.  I am going to take the “zoomed out” version of these ideas, and place emphasis on the issues that press at me the most.  I want to highlight the tragedy our culture faces as we obsess with pain that doesn’t belong to us.