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1) Been pondering reviews lately, in part because they've lost their appeal. I find myself rarely agreeing with the reviewers, and often irritated with their critiques. In regards to television reviewers - I often feel as if the critic is pressuring the reader to share his/her tastes, with a bit of sanctimonious glee. Forgetting that it's really just their own personal tastes and opinions in which they are sharing and no one else's. Begging the question, why is Emily Nussbaum or Alan Sepinwall's or the wrongquestions (abigail nussbaum) opinions any more valid than mine or yours? Did they get a Ph'd in television arts? Or are they merely viewers expressing well, views? And to what degree is this relevant or necessary?
The same thing can be asked of various prestigious book reviewers. Or for that matter those folks who give out The Man Booker Prize, the Pulitizer Prize, and the National Book Award.
To what extent do we care? Probably not all that much. Ratings certainly don't follow critical assessments. The most critically acclaimed and lauded works are often the least popular. Which I've often found to be an interesting dichotomy. Bull and NCIS are at the top of the television ratings, yet none of the critics watch them. And both shows were summarily dismissed by critics. Instead, the critics adore series like Jane the Virgin, which few people watch. To be fair, television critics are paid to watch television and watch a lot of it, more than anyone else. It's their job. They are paid to watch television shows and critique them. Most people watch television to well unwind, relax, as a sort of sweet brain candy at the end of a difficult work day.
This is true of books as well. The majority of people who read for pleasure, want mindless fare. A thriller, a romance, cotton candy for the brain. They don't want a savory meal thick and juicy, that requires well, thought.
And of movies, most people at the end of the week -- want to lose themselves in a fun movie not a thought-provoking film. The one's who want the latter, probably haven't worked a 40 hour work week, with long commutes, and headache inducing problems, and difficult people. They are either on vacation, retired, or between gigs and need the intellectual stimulation.
So the television shows, films, and books critics applaud won't appeal to the individual who just wants to escape for a few hours. Which makes most reviews sort of unuseful.
But, for the handful of reviews that dig deeper than that -- that are in truth commentary, peeling back the layers, looking deeper, there is a point, I think. An appeal.
I don't know...I had a point, but my mind drifted. Tired from the daily exertions. Words feel stilted. As if I'm pulling them out of hard earth. Not even sure if I'm making sense. It's Wed, and I'm tired.
2. ) Instead of working on my story tonight, I watched Lucifier -- which turned out to be quite good towards the end. There was a lovely metaphor...that bears repeating and I'd forgotten. Lucifer Morningstar is the "light-bringer" or metaphorically, the bringer of truth, but also the lord of lies. He is the bringer of light and the lord of darkness. The Christian version of Yin/Yang. Or Order/Chaos, the two faced deity. It's hard to wrap one's mind around the idea that someone can be two opposing things at the same time. Good and evil. But you can. Both reside in everyone. Light and darkness. I rather liked that metaphor -- which Neil Gaiman plays with more than others. This episode did a nifty shout-out to Gaiman, with a reference to the children's novel Coraline, which is also about the idea of light/dark, yet used in a different context. How parents can be monsters in one world and loving in another. (Chloe reads Coraline to her daugher at the end of the episode.)
Another lovely bit? Lucifer yells out that no one knows what his father wants. They all assume they do. But he hasn't told them. It can be interpreted numerous ways.
Which I thought was a nice shout-out to our current times. We don't really know what the truth is. Facts can be interpreted in various ways. Information presented in various ways. It's hard to know the truth from the lies. Also, here's the thing, all lies are based on a semblance of truth. So how do you bring light into the situation, without also bringing in a bit of darkness? You don't. Each time you reveal a truth, you hurt someone. Or that truth is misinterpreted. Darkness comes in, through the cracks.
Like I said, lovely metaphor.
The same thing can be asked of various prestigious book reviewers. Or for that matter those folks who give out The Man Booker Prize, the Pulitizer Prize, and the National Book Award.
To what extent do we care? Probably not all that much. Ratings certainly don't follow critical assessments. The most critically acclaimed and lauded works are often the least popular. Which I've often found to be an interesting dichotomy. Bull and NCIS are at the top of the television ratings, yet none of the critics watch them. And both shows were summarily dismissed by critics. Instead, the critics adore series like Jane the Virgin, which few people watch. To be fair, television critics are paid to watch television and watch a lot of it, more than anyone else. It's their job. They are paid to watch television shows and critique them. Most people watch television to well unwind, relax, as a sort of sweet brain candy at the end of a difficult work day.
This is true of books as well. The majority of people who read for pleasure, want mindless fare. A thriller, a romance, cotton candy for the brain. They don't want a savory meal thick and juicy, that requires well, thought.
And of movies, most people at the end of the week -- want to lose themselves in a fun movie not a thought-provoking film. The one's who want the latter, probably haven't worked a 40 hour work week, with long commutes, and headache inducing problems, and difficult people. They are either on vacation, retired, or between gigs and need the intellectual stimulation.
So the television shows, films, and books critics applaud won't appeal to the individual who just wants to escape for a few hours. Which makes most reviews sort of unuseful.
But, for the handful of reviews that dig deeper than that -- that are in truth commentary, peeling back the layers, looking deeper, there is a point, I think. An appeal.
I don't know...I had a point, but my mind drifted. Tired from the daily exertions. Words feel stilted. As if I'm pulling them out of hard earth. Not even sure if I'm making sense. It's Wed, and I'm tired.
2. ) Instead of working on my story tonight, I watched Lucifier -- which turned out to be quite good towards the end. There was a lovely metaphor...that bears repeating and I'd forgotten. Lucifer Morningstar is the "light-bringer" or metaphorically, the bringer of truth, but also the lord of lies. He is the bringer of light and the lord of darkness. The Christian version of Yin/Yang. Or Order/Chaos, the two faced deity. It's hard to wrap one's mind around the idea that someone can be two opposing things at the same time. Good and evil. But you can. Both reside in everyone. Light and darkness. I rather liked that metaphor -- which Neil Gaiman plays with more than others. This episode did a nifty shout-out to Gaiman, with a reference to the children's novel Coraline, which is also about the idea of light/dark, yet used in a different context. How parents can be monsters in one world and loving in another. (Chloe reads Coraline to her daugher at the end of the episode.)
Another lovely bit? Lucifer yells out that no one knows what his father wants. They all assume they do. But he hasn't told them. It can be interpreted numerous ways.
Which I thought was a nice shout-out to our current times. We don't really know what the truth is. Facts can be interpreted in various ways. Information presented in various ways. It's hard to know the truth from the lies. Also, here's the thing, all lies are based on a semblance of truth. So how do you bring light into the situation, without also bringing in a bit of darkness? You don't. Each time you reveal a truth, you hurt someone. Or that truth is misinterpreted. Darkness comes in, through the cracks.
Like I said, lovely metaphor.