#criticizing criticism

[skyloftsword]

How to criticize something vs how NOT to criticize something

Yes, the Zelda fanbase has done it again, for the 100th time or something. They have decided that a game is objectively bad and that anyone who enjoys it is just "coping". The normalization of pushing something subjective as objective fact has been detrimental to discussing games online. It's astonishing how people continue to behave like little kids over stuff that really shouldn't matter that much. Discussions nowadays are better off with just talking with your friend groups, because having a different opinion will get you lashed out at. You NEED to agree with Youtuber #299999 otherwise nobody likes you. This type of stuff is horrible in general, however it makes it so hard to be a Zelda fan especially (even going so far as to being hypocritical like saying TotK fans are the toxic ones despite BotW fans literally DDOSing a reviewer's site and sending them threats).

Anyways, here's what I feel like good criticisms are:

"I personally feel like this game has a couple of issues with it, so I didn't like it that much".

"I would have preferred it if they handled it like this instead." *gives a well thought example of how they would have handled said thing*

"I think this person at this point of their video expresses how I feel better than I could." *links a video*

"I think this could've been better executed, but I respect your opinion."

Good criticisms try to be respectful and constructive. They provide examples of how they would have done something differently or didn't like an aspect of a piece of media. There are also no insults or pushing opinions as fact involved. There's respect for others involved with this as well, acknowledging that people have different tastes and whatnot. Of course, you can word your criticisms differently if you feel mine are too formal or think they're not critical enough. Just be sure to not be too aggressive or hateful.

How NOT to criticize something:

"If you like this game, you're a horrible person."

"How the hell could anyone prefer X 2 over X 1???????"

"Watch this video and you'll realize that you're wrong and I'm right!!!!!!!"

"THIS IS SO MUCH WORSE THAN THE PREVIOUS GAME!!!!!!!" *lists zero reasons as to why*

"FIRE THE DIRECTOR AND PRODUCER OF THIS SLOP!!!!!!!! WORST THING EVER!!!!!"

"YOU'RE *insert insult here* FOR ENJOYING THIS GARBAGE!!!!"

*Insert spongebob eating mediocrity food bowl here*

"There's too much positivity here!" *insert random negativity for no reason*

These are examples of how you criticize the wrong way. As you can tell, it pushes subjectivity out the window and resorts to insults and harassment. The lack of reasoning to back up these arguments also doesn't help at all. How would the people behind the piece of media know how to improve next time? Not to mention, people often just drop negativity or criticisms in the replies of people who just want to talk positively about said media in peace. "There's a time and place for everything, but not now." - Professor Oak.

[ecco-station]

I’m sorry guys, I love some of the su criticism, but some of it just goes far out into the realm of ridiculousness. Some of ya’ll have amazing points. Some of ya’ll are reaching really far. If you want people to take you seriously, you need to be able to have a civil debate about your criticism, and it needs to hold up in a debate. Otherwise you’re just spouting hot air.

[elisabethdonnelly-blog]

Even though [Miranda] July is often lumped in with directors like Wes Anderson, Jonze or Baumbach, the face of independent film — really, the face of film — remains distinctly male. Her work is highly personal, delving into the emotional, inner life — in other words, it’s girl stuff. Criticism of July often carries a whiff of sexism. “Precious,” “light,” and “twee” all describe conventionally feminine qualities, and all have been tossed July’s way as insults.

I could unpack this quote from the New York Times Magazine piece on Miranda July all day long. It's in the right ballpark, but tonally imprecise, I find. For example: Wes Anderson and Noah Baumbach get called "twee" all the time. They should be. Anderson has the most twee, precious art direction in the world, and it doesn't always suit his films. Is twee necessarily gendered? Isn't it more of a "hipster" term? Lets talk about this! I do think that as a director she's been... not included in an "auteur" conversation - and here is where the innate dismissiveness of "precious" and "light" matter - partially because of gender, and also partially because she's so artistically omnivorous. When you think of Miranda July, do you think of her strictly as a film director? Or a writer? Or an artist, performance and otherwise? I think that complicates the critical view on her as well. It's there in the piece but this particular quote is just imprecise. Sometimes I wish the words twee and hipster could be retired, since they're increasingly meaningless.