My friend claims I am too critical of pop culture. He says I overthink it, and that mindless fluff does not need to be overthought. I have always disagreed with him about this, and it has led to some interesting conversations. Most recently, we had a discussion about the possible negative messages in Meghan Trainor’s doo-wop ditty “All About that Bass.” I thought it put a value on female body acceptance by filtering it through the male gaze, while he found it inane to analyze a pop song whose chorus is “I’m all about that bass/’bout that bass/no treble.”
All of my classes and activities have imparted me with several cultural theories through which to analyze movies, TV, music and more, enabling me to talk about culture in new ways. Serving as a writer and reviewer for the Chronicle has also helped me parse out the style through which I critique pop culture. In short, college has made me more learned and articulate about things that interest me than I was before. And isn’t that the goal?
Yet my friend accuses me of pretension, which, to an extent, I cannot justifiably deny. Whose right is it to tell the masses what is good or bad for cultural consumption? We, as critics, take it upon ourselves to “educate the masses” about the cream of the current culture and attempt to assert ourselves as tastemakers. This has been a practice as long as print media has existed, but what relevancy does it have in today’s society?
Pop culture itself deserves to be talked about. It is one of the few things that links every person on the planet; though each society retains its own unique customs and traditions, they are blended in to the mélange that is global pop culture. It can serve as a unifying force for people of various backgrounds—just think of how many “Thriller” tribute videos there are on YouTube, from Minneapolis third graders to Filipino prisoners. Think about how many international musicians or actors are popular in the United States. We would not know famous artists such as Marion Cotillard or Ed Sheeran as household names if we just limited ourselves to local or national culture without immersing ourselves in the cultures of other nations and communities.
Pop culture transcends boundaries because so many enjoy it, whether it is music or theater, film or television. To say it is not worth talking about is to overlook its importance on a global scale. We are all passively participating in consuming or contributing to pop culture.
Then there are those of us who truly have a passion for pop culture. The role of a critic is, at its essence, an occupation for someone who loves culture and, more importantly, loves talking about culture. One could argue that people do not need cultural critics—what good is telling someone what to listen to or what to watch? Let people form their own opinions! But they would be wrong.
A critic is important as a guide for the way we think about pop culture. Any good critic never just says, “This movie is good,” or “This song hurts my ears and is terrible.” A good critic rationalizes his or her opinion by providing a solid set of reasons for why an item of culture is lacking and tries to influence his or her audience into understanding the reasoning behind his or her opinion. Some of our greatest philosophical theories have emerged from cultural criticism as responses to other theorists and dramatists. This is a storied tradition that any person can be a part of.
What many critics need to remember to do to remain relevant and maintain his or her respectability is to never forget to speak like a real person. The late, great film critic Roger Ebert once wrote, “I was instructed long ago by a wise editor, 'If you understand something, you can explain it so that almost anyone can understand it. If you don't, you won't be able to understand your own explanation.' That is why 90% of academic film theory is b******t. Jargon is the last refuge of the scoundrel.”
The critic easily ensnares himself or herself in the trap of pretension when he or she forgets who the audience is. An audience reads a review as a piece of entertainment in and of itself, and to alienate it with jargon would undermine the critic’s point. Critics must also remember to never be overtly malicious to the cultural subject in question, as excessively nasty reviews put down creators rather than giving them an incentive to improve themselves and, by extension, pop culture at large.
A good critic explains his or her rationale in a way that makes the audience think along the same lines. A good critic provides a lens through which to view a film. A good critic aims to build up pop culture rather than break it down. With all of these things in mind, a critic can help improve culture as a whole and remain integral to the creative process.
I firmly believe that cultural criticism is as important today as it ever was, and that it, as a concept, continues to be a worthwhile endeavor. Culture is an integral part of the global fabric of society, and to ignore it or stop talking about it would limit our worldview and make us lose perspective on our fellow humans.
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