The term criticism has a bad reputation, so much so that high school teachers everywhere remind students about “constructive criticism” before any mutual evaluation occurs in the classroom. However, the phrase constructive criticism is, or should be, redundant. Criticism is not synonymous with insult, though it is unfortunately easy to conflate the two (especially in the vicious setting of public school). If criticism stops being constructive then it is no longer criticism. Though uncomfortable, criticism reveals potential, helping to further society’s progress as a result.

Cultural criticism takes on the vastness of art and literature created throughout society and tries to evaluate it. Though it may hurt to be criticized, it is necessary in regards to the notion that if everything is equally good, than nothing is. Tony Bennett offers his interpretation of the definition of “cultural criticism or cultural critique, in which works of culture serve as the occasion for the identification of the failings and shortcomings of society” (Bennett, 65). This may seem like a pessimistic take, but I think it is safe to say that this world is far from utopian. A more optimistic definition comes from Dwight Garner, who thinks cultural criticism “means talking about ideas, aesthetics and morality as if these things matter (and they do). It’s at base an act of love” (Garner, A Critic’s Case for Critics Who Are Actually Critical). On the surface these definitions seem very different; Bennett emphasizes a need to police society’s failures while Garner’s more warm and fuzzy definition describes appreciating cultural products. These perspectives are just two sides to the same coin, and they might be even more indistinguishable than that.

Artists create works in the context of society, even if they do not intend to; therefore, comparison to other works is unavoidable. Critique and comparison go hand in hand; if something is identified as good then there must be something bad that makes it good. Everything contains this relative nature, which cyclically creates a need for criticism. Bennett describes the process as an “identification,” which requires some sort of evaluation of a work. Once a work is observed, studied and analyzed, then it can be identified as part of the “failings and shortcomings of society” (Bennett, 65). Or not. Though people perceive critics to have a universal loathing, some of their qualifications of works are favorable. These complimentary moments most obviously align with Garner’s definition that cultural criticism is an “act of love,” though negative reviews can be just as, if not more, thoughtful than a raving one. Observing something closely and with intention (which is necessary for true criticism) validates a work of art. Any carefully constructed review proves that the piece under scrutiny matters and is worth the attention it gets. Furthermore, it is easier and safer to agree with and compliment someone or something than to challenge it. That’s not to say critics can’t like things, but critical reviews are necessary, particular now, to escape potentially masturbatory circles of thought where everyone is complimented and ideas go unchallenged.

The internet makes it very easy to voice opinions, and though critiques are opinions, they surpass surface-level internet posts in their depth, contemplation, and substance. It’s also easy to isolate oneself as a creator online, surrounded by people with similar tastes, and get stuck in a feedback loop of compliments. Compliments are useful for stamina and confidence, but artists cannot sustain themselves without critique because critique enables improvement. In this sense, criticism is truly an “act of love” as Garner describes. Critics scour work for meaning, therefore proving that the cultural product they evaluate really matters, which is the highest compliment a work of art can get.

 

Sources

Bennett, Tony. “Culture.” Ed. Meaghan Morris. New Keywords: A Revised Vocabulary of Culture and Society. Ed. Tony Bennett and Lawrence Grossberg. Malden, MA: Blackwell, 2005. 63-69. Print.

Garner, Dwight. “A Critic’s Case for Critics Who Are Actually Critical.” The New York Times. The New York Times, 18 Aug. 2012. Web. 27 Sept. 2016.

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The pen is mightier than the sword