There is a fine line between being a critic and simply stating your opinion. I’ve learned this semester that merely feeling a certain way about something does not constitute a review, but rather that criticism is an art of its own. Balancing a review with critiques, commentary, and context is a delicate act. 

 

A few times in this class I would consume a new piece of content, really enjoy it, and think: “I have to review this!” But just because you liked something doesn’t mean it’ll be easy to review. I’d find myself sitting down to write and having trouble choosing an angle. I learned that framing a piece of entertainment through the lens of “I liked this” doesn’t always cut it. 

 

If I’ve learned to avoid anything, it’s sweeping declarations or overly strong opinions. Just because you really enjoyed something doesn’t mean it’ll be for everyone, and you shouldn’t be offended if someone’s tastes differ from yours. However, make an argument for what you like. A review in some ways is an opinion piece — a research paper with context and bias. Don’t just tell readers something is good, tell them why it’s so great, what makes it unique, how it made you feel. Avoid being pretentious, but approaching entertainment with an educated background of pop culture adds context to your review, and critics should use that to their advantage. 

 

Writing critical reviews is oftentimes relatively difficult, or at least it can be challenging to get the ball rolling. It’s important to keep things concise,  but to also elaborate enough that whatever you’re saying entices people. I feel much more confident in my critical reviewing abilities, and I hope I can shape my career using these skills. 

I think one of the most powerful things we hold is our opinion. This semester I learned a great deal about my own opinion, its power and the role of being a critic. A critic is held to a higher regard. People seek their advice, their experience and of course their opinion. But to be honest, if I’m going to read a review, I’ll probably read the review posted by the critic most like me, and that is a problem.

  

The power a critic holds is greater than I thought. They have the power to unify people through their opinions. If critics who look and think and act like me read, listen to and observe life from the lense of someone vastly different, imagine the bonds that could be made. If critics step outside of their comfort zone and diversify their palettes, their readers and viewers would hand-in-hand be doing the same. The voice of a critic is sought out by the public, and the public could be drastically changed if the critic spoke out on what was hard instead of sharing a predictable opinion. 

    

For example, in my own experience, I tend to write about things that were comfortable. It was easier to say what I wanted, because it was everything I was already thinking. However, I recently started to pick up books and read about music by people who come from different worlds and cultures than myself. Not only did I gain an understanding of those other people, but I feel that I have challenged my own thoughts and ways, and grown to be a fuller, more diverse critic myself. Because the voice of a critic holds so much power, I think their role should be to reach out and bring other worlds into their own.

I have a huge respect for people who stand up for their own opinions. There are always those people who see a movie or eat a meal and think it’s wonderful only to hear that their friends hate it, so they quickly change their opinion to match the majority. I think that’s ridiculous. A person should never be ashamed to believe what they believe. I love passionate people with passionate opinions who aren’t afraid to share. I’d never much thought about critics and the reviews they write, but this semester taught me that not only can I find people who are passionate about their opinions, I too can be one of those critics. 

 

One of my goals as a critic is to unapologetically share how I’m feeling. Although, it’s not always as dramatic as it sounds. Most of the time I agree that movies are good and music is great and books should be read. Sometimes, though, I get to be unapologetic. It’s important as a critic to share about the play that was terrible or the meal that caused food poisoning. I might be saving someone some money on a play they shouldn’t see or saving someone from a miserable night from a meal they shouldn’t eat. As far as I know, the people who read reviews aren’t reading them for no reason. They’re looking for advice, commentary or insight. That’s where I come in.

 

Beyond that, it’s important to not be afraid of holding an opinion that might differ from the obvious majority. There’s probably a whole congregation of people who agree with that opinion but feel minimized or buried by the mainstream. As a critic, I speak for those people and I shed light on what might not be so popular. It’s so important to broadcast diverse opinions and I do my best to be a part of that.

A critic’s opinion to their audience should be delivered in a way that’s like a pediatrician talking to a child’s mother: It should be completely honest. It should address every facet of information about the situation at hand. It should be a conversation the audience can understand. And it should be a strong and confident delivery.

 

Initially, I thought the role of a critic was to criticize everything wrong with a movie, dish, book, film, etc. Now, after walking in the footsteps of a critic for the last 15 weeks, I understand that’s off-base. I think the role of a critic is to be the eyes, ears, taste buds and voice of every ethnicity, age, gender, and race who has the potential to experience whatever the critic is observing. Yet, it’s important that the critic lets their personal opinion run the review on top of their factual reporting and audience considerations. 

 

I believe a critic should start a conversation, yet it’s more important that they balance that idea with letting their own thoughts run the show. For instance, I can address the sketchy location or lack of parking at a restaurant to inform my audience, however, if I personally enjoyed the food despite these observations, I have a responsibility to say so for those who just care about the tastiness of the food.

 

Being the eyes and ears for everyone is a considerate thing to do as a critic, but speaking your truth is the essence of delivering that strong, confident, opinion everyone wants to hear. Keep your eyes on your own paper. You can’t be witty, honest or sincere if you’re stating how everyone around you is feeling about what you’re observing more than what you actually think about that specific thing. 

 

So once again, it’s like being a pediatrician: first, consider your audiences, report the facts, the issues and dilemmas. But never forget to voice your personal diagnosis and your treatment plan, AKA--that valuable, one-of-a-kind opinion.