Pop Criticism for 2020 and Beyond
How did I get Started with Criticism?
We started a school newspaper when I was in the sixth grade. My assignments were to write about music and pop culture. These were my first experiences with the idea and applied concepts of criticism primarily for art and music, and eventually so many other mediums. The other students enjoyed my articles. They really appreciated the articles that were about the current musicians in pop music. I remember making articles on Britney Spears and the Backstreet Boys, and everyone I saw during lunch told me how much they liked my work.
At the time, hip-hop/rap music, which typically featured artists from New York, California and their surrounding areas, was becoming more of a southern based sound from places like Atlanta, Memphis, and New Orleans. Two of the emerging companies that made southern rap were No Limit Records and Cash Money Records. I wrote a comparative analysis between the two record labels and all the students who liked rap, who read the article gave me a lot of high-fives and handshakes. It was my first challenging piece of criticism because I liked both companies and their music, and did not want to print something negative or arbitrarily decide which company was the better label. I put a lot of energy into that article and it was noticed by the school principal.
The principal asked me if I was writing on my own or were my parents helping me out. I told her it was just me. She looked at me in my eyes and told me I have a gift and that I should continue to work at it and share it with the world. That moment changed things for me. I will forever appreciate her for the good advice. I also started to become interested in studying writing and criticism as I got older, and ultimately double-majored in English and Theatre at Saint Louis University (SLU).
Why did I double major?
English was my primary major going into undergrad. However, I picked up the Theatre major because I knew it would constantly give me new perspectives on creativity as every show that we put on was different. The other reason is that I enjoy dramatic literature, I think it’s a lot of fun to write one-act plays and scripts for short films. I took every class offered on those subjects at both SLU and Washington University. It felt good to understand criticism as well as performance and dramatic literature.
Is the Art of Criticism Dead?
Some people think criticism is an ancient art and it has little importance in today’s society. I could not disagree more. I know there are very talented people in college right now studying and working on their craft in the same ways that I did. I know they are creating pieces of criticism; therefore, the art is not dead. In my opinion, we do not see criticism of any of the arts on TV. It’s easier to go over to YouTube or find interesting pieces through Google search. Now that everything is digital, the challenge is to take all that work that you put into getting your degree(s) and making an online presence. For some people that is using a free blogging platform like Medium or Tumblr. For others it could mean starting a personal or commercial website or digital news agency. Some writers amplify their visibility by applying all of those approaches. In my opinion, these processes lead to what I refer to as “pop criticism”.
What is my Approach to Pop Criticism?
I follow various different templates depending on what I am writing about (art, music, film, etc.). I plug in my own commentary which accounts for the criticism part. I never say anything bad about an artist or his or her creation. I try to explain the composition of the art and what it represents and how it ties to our society. What makes it “pop” is that it is contemporary criticism that is shared through channels that change our society and how we connect with criticism through social media, search engines and various websites and apps.
Does Technology Fit In?
Technology is a pop cultural phenomenon. It is constantly changing the ways in which people experience art, especially those relating to film and television. Computers, cameras, smartphones, editing software, visual design, 3-D printing and other innovations like the internet of things (IOT) have a direct impact on the ways in which we experience art. As a current Cybersecurity student, I will be discovering ways in which to present certain technologies of influence to the world of pop criticism.