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A critic is a professional who communicates an assessment and an opinion of various forms of creative works such as art, literature, music, cinema, theater, fashion, architecture and food. Critical judgments, whether derived from critical thinking or not, weigh up a range of factors, including an assessment of the extent to which the item under review achieves its purpose and its creator's intention and a knowledge of its context. They may also include a positive or negative personal response. Cultural critic Clement Greenberg wrote that a good critic excels through "insights into the evidence … and by … loyalty to the relevant"; poet and critic T.S. Eliot wrote "a critic must have a very highly developed sense of fact".[1] Other characteristics of a good critic are articulateness, preferably having the ability to use language with a high level of appeal and skill. Sympathy, sensitivity and insight are important too. Form, style and medium are all considered by the critic. In architecture and food criticism, the item's function, value and cost may be added components.
Formally, the word is applied to persons who are publicly accepted and, to a significant degree, followed because of the quality of their assessments or their reputation. Unlike other individuals who may editorialize on subjects via web sites or letters written to publications, professional critics are paid to produce their assessment and opinions for print, radio, magazine, television, or Internet companies. Persons who give opinions on current events, public affairs, sports, media, and historical events are often referred to as "pundits" instead of "critics."
Critics are themselves subject to competing critics, since the final critical judgment always entails some subjectivity. An established critic can play a powerful role as a public arbiter of taste or opinion. Also, critics or coordinated group of critics, may award symbols of recognition.
Rothko's dilemma was that he wanted to employ the vocabulary of symbolism – the palpitating indeterminate space, the excruciatingly refined colour, the obsession with nuance, the presence of Mallarmé's "negated object" – to render the patriarchal despair and elevation of the Old Testament. Criticism doesn't get sharper, or more sensitive, or more deeply sympathetic to the object, than that.
Derivation
The word "critic" comes from Greek κριτικός (kritikós) 'able to discern',[3] which is a Greek derivation of the word κριτής (krités), meaning a person who offers reasoned judgment or analysis, value judgment, interpretation or observation.[4]
History
Early English meaning of criticism was based mainly on the criticism of literature and it was the 17th century that more general form of criticism began.[5] In the 20th century with feminism came critics who identified themselves as Feminist critics. Feminist critics based their criticism from a feminist point of view.[6] Daniel Mendelsohn described the equation of criticism for critics as Knowledge + taste = meaningful judgment.[7] Critics can criticize art, music, movies, books. ballet, play, video games, government or government policies.[8][9][10] Critics of government and government policies risk imprisonment or death for their criticism.[11][12][13][14] Some critics like Roger Ebert achieve iconic status in pop culture and become well regarded.[15][16][17]
Online critics
Several websites have developed specifically for the purpose of compiling or publishing original critical reviews. Examples include BlogCritics Magazine, Rotten Tomatoes, and Yelp. According to A. O. Scott, chief film critic for The New York Times, everyone on the Internet is a critic.[18]
Responses to critics
People whose work is the subject of criticism have a full range of responses to it. For example, they may be appreciative, offended, distressed, encouraged, amused or nonplussed.
We do not object to criticism; and we do not expect that the critic will read the book before writing a notice of it. We do not even expect the reviewer of the book will say that he has not read it. No we have no anticipations of anything unusual in this age of criticism.
— Satirical comment about potential criticism by Mark Twain and Charles Dudley Warner in their Preface to the American Edition of their co-authored novel The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today.[19]
See also
- Analysis
- Art criticism
- Art historian
- Censorship
- Complaint
- Connoisseur
- Constructive criticism
- Critical philosophy
- Critical theory
- Critical thinking
- Critical vocabulary
- Critique
- Cultural critic
- Film criticism
- Food critic
- Frankfurt School of social theory
- Literary criticism
- Music journalism
- Review
- Social criticism
- Textual criticism
- Theatre criticism
- Wine critic
References
- ^ Greenberg, Clement (1961). "T.S. Eliot: A Book Review". Art and Culture – Critical Essays. Boston: Beacon Press. p. 239.
- ^ Craven, Peter (December 16, 2015). "The Spectacle of Skill review: The genius of Robert Hughes as critic and writer". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved December 21, 2015.
- ^ Greek-English Lexicon, at Perseus, Kritikos, Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott.
- ^ Greek-English Lexicon, at Perseus, Krites, Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott.
- ^ Reviews, Cram101 Textbook (November 4, 2015). Communication Matters: Communication, Communication. Cram101 Textbook Reviews. ISBN 9781490296135.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Dolan, Jill (October 24, 2012). The Feminist Spectator as Critic. University of Michigan Press. ISBN 0472035193.
- ^ Mendelsohn, Daniel (August 28, 2012). "A Critic's Manifesto". The New Yorker. ISSN 0028-792X. Retrieved March 27, 2016.
- ^ Spiegelman, Willard. "Everyone's a Critic". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved March 27, 2016.
- ^ "Beijing Critic Says Family Detained in China in Internet Crackdown". VOA. Retrieved March 27, 2016.
- ^ Klepek, Patrick. "Angered Game Developer Sues Critic Jim Sterling For $10 Million". Kotaku. Retrieved March 27, 2016.
- ^ "HRW Calls for Release of Thai Government Critic". VOA. Retrieved March 27, 2016.
- ^ "Zambian opposition leader arrested for 'defaming' President Lungu". africanews.channel. Retrieved March 27, 2016.
- ^ Shah, Saeed; Nauman, Qasim. "Pakistanis Throng Funeral of Man Hanged for Killing Critic of Blasphemy Laws". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved March 27, 2016.
- ^ "Thousands march in Moscow to honor slain Kremlin critic Nemtsov". Reuters. February 28, 2016. Retrieved March 27, 2016.
- ^ Rothman, Lily. "Roger Ebert Statue Unveiled Outside Illinois Theater". TIME.com. Retrieved March 27, 2016.
- ^ "Man Arrested for Overdue Tom Green Rental From 2002". NBC News. Retrieved March 27, 2016.
- ^ Child, Ben (April 25, 2014). "Statue commemorating thumbs-up film critic Roger Ebert unveiled". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved March 27, 2016.
- ^ Scott, A. O. (January 30, 2016). "Everybody's a Critic. And That's How It Should Be". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved March 27, 2016.
- ^ Mark Twain and Charles Dudley Warner (1903). "Preface to the American edition". The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today. Chatto & Windus. p. ix.