This is a great argument. You debated it so thoroughly it feels like every topic was covered, at the same time you created space for going even further.
I feel like most of the time, when people go "let me enjoy things", they mean "don't make me think about what I enjoy". Also there are the ones who put effort in denying people joy, reducing a whole piece to a controversial point, as if enjoying any experience involbing the piece was the same as agreeing with or defending such point; which I don't think helps expanding art, or creating more socially apt art.
Thank you for elaborating this so well and for sharing it.
this is such a tremendous piece of writing and I'm grateful I found it through tiktok. The same day I was also served a tiktok of someone talking about how problematic licorice pizza was from reading the wikipedia article.
There's always such a joy to reading long form film criticism there's pieces I still think about that have transformed my experiences with movies like this one of Eyes Wide Shut (http://timkreider.com/introducing-sociology/) to a review I read of Suckerpunch on Letterboxd.
Loved your piece! I think it is so silly when people try to argue to "leave politics out of [insert piece of media they like]". Politics is in everything we consume and create, politics is molded by our points of view and vice versa. There is so much to be said regarding the ethics and politics of criticism.
And as you said, it is fine to passively enjoy media, but analytical criticism is a valid field of interest that deserves its proper place; it is a source of joy for me and reading think pieces, such as yours, helps broaden my view of the world as well as refine the lenses which I use to digest content.
This is such an incredibly written essay. As a University student that just moved into a media/ journalism degree, much of the essay validates my love for media critique and the fact (and sometimes the matter of concern) that I seem to not be able to consume any piece of media JUST for entertainment. My media consumption is simultaneous with critique. I would love to know your thoughts on Sontag's "Against Interpretation". Also massive love to you! Thankyou for writing this!
i have been reading through all of your writing recently! it’s refreshing how articulate and composed you are, i’m taking notes for my own writing lol! ways of seeing has been on my TBR list for months but this piece made me decide to read it next! aaaaah!
this is definitely one of my favorites of yours and something i haven’t been able to verbalize myself. i think it reflects a kind of blind content consumption (as you said) and our increasing inability to engage with longer form content (and as a byproduct, nuance within content) combined with decreasing attention spans. it really is work to interact with meaningful critique but it is so worth it to be able to understand things more wholly and apply my own thoughts to other things and make connections and think critically instead of just indiscernibly vacuuming up everything. i’m echoing another comment that it isn’t enjoyable for me to consume solely for entertainment, critique is part of the experience! thanks for writing! :)
Nicely written piece! I do disagree with the Hamilton critique in part, though - not because what you said was wrong, or that the idolization of the Founding Fathers didn't occur, but because the play is, rather, a tragedy which shows how political success and glory do not produce happiness if the individual is not content with themselves. We see both Hamilton - who succeeded politically - and Burr - who didn't - end in a tragic place. They both 'fail' at the more important thing, which is a contented life itself.
Great piece. This sort of thing needs to be said, repeatedly. Copy editor comment:I think when you described the men in the landscape painting as "prostrate" you meant "upright"?
This is a great argument. You debated it so thoroughly it feels like every topic was covered, at the same time you created space for going even further.
I feel like most of the time, when people go "let me enjoy things", they mean "don't make me think about what I enjoy". Also there are the ones who put effort in denying people joy, reducing a whole piece to a controversial point, as if enjoying any experience involbing the piece was the same as agreeing with or defending such point; which I don't think helps expanding art, or creating more socially apt art.
Thank you for elaborating this so well and for sharing it.
this is such a tremendous piece of writing and I'm grateful I found it through tiktok. The same day I was also served a tiktok of someone talking about how problematic licorice pizza was from reading the wikipedia article.
There's always such a joy to reading long form film criticism there's pieces I still think about that have transformed my experiences with movies like this one of Eyes Wide Shut (http://timkreider.com/introducing-sociology/) to a review I read of Suckerpunch on Letterboxd.
Thank you for spending the time to write this!
Loved your piece! I think it is so silly when people try to argue to "leave politics out of [insert piece of media they like]". Politics is in everything we consume and create, politics is molded by our points of view and vice versa. There is so much to be said regarding the ethics and politics of criticism.
And as you said, it is fine to passively enjoy media, but analytical criticism is a valid field of interest that deserves its proper place; it is a source of joy for me and reading think pieces, such as yours, helps broaden my view of the world as well as refine the lenses which I use to digest content.
Thank you for writing!
Wow, this was great. You hit the nail on the head and I was cackling when I checked the first source.
This is such an incredibly written essay. As a University student that just moved into a media/ journalism degree, much of the essay validates my love for media critique and the fact (and sometimes the matter of concern) that I seem to not be able to consume any piece of media JUST for entertainment. My media consumption is simultaneous with critique. I would love to know your thoughts on Sontag's "Against Interpretation". Also massive love to you! Thankyou for writing this!
i have been reading through all of your writing recently! it’s refreshing how articulate and composed you are, i’m taking notes for my own writing lol! ways of seeing has been on my TBR list for months but this piece made me decide to read it next! aaaaah!
this is definitely one of my favorites of yours and something i haven’t been able to verbalize myself. i think it reflects a kind of blind content consumption (as you said) and our increasing inability to engage with longer form content (and as a byproduct, nuance within content) combined with decreasing attention spans. it really is work to interact with meaningful critique but it is so worth it to be able to understand things more wholly and apply my own thoughts to other things and make connections and think critically instead of just indiscernibly vacuuming up everything. i’m echoing another comment that it isn’t enjoyable for me to consume solely for entertainment, critique is part of the experience! thanks for writing! :)
delightful to read :)
Nicely written piece! I do disagree with the Hamilton critique in part, though - not because what you said was wrong, or that the idolization of the Founding Fathers didn't occur, but because the play is, rather, a tragedy which shows how political success and glory do not produce happiness if the individual is not content with themselves. We see both Hamilton - who succeeded politically - and Burr - who didn't - end in a tragic place. They both 'fail' at the more important thing, which is a contented life itself.
Great piece. This sort of thing needs to be said, repeatedly. Copy editor comment:I think when you described the men in the landscape painting as "prostrate" you meant "upright"?