Michael Azerrad
Michael Azerrad is a music journalist and author that has interviewed some of the most important figures in independent music. I found this man's work initially by reading his book Our Band Could Be Your Life. This book follows the path of some of the bands of the beginnings of the rise of independent music (not to prominence but out of obscurity) through their meager beginnings to their relative acclaim. He covers any subject with respect and enthusiasm. Also, his "Overheard:" series on his blog is pretty entertaining.
Manohla Dargis: Review of The Social Network
While her reviews are not overly filled with personality, Manohla Dargis is an effective, "to the point," movie critic. She is concise and relays facts, and though I usually prefer reviews with a bit more presence, there are times when you just want a quick and thorough look at a film to decide whether or not it is worth your time, rather than sift through someones opinions to try to decide whether or not you will agree. Her reviews are very much a product of the New York Times.
Jon Stewart on Crossfire
I'm not sure if this is what we are looking for here, but it would be hard to deny that Jon Stewart is one of the most important media critics of our day. He utilizes satire and sarcasm to make points about our system of media that would sometimes otherwise go unchecked. People criticize his liberal bias, but if liberals are the ones in the wrong he will almost undoubtedly call them out on it. The conservatives are simply an easier target. His critiques are rooted in comedy, yet his intelligent analysis makes his program on comedy central a legitimate venue for criticism of one of our most prominent sources of media: News media.
I agree that sometimes you just want a quick look at whether or not you'll like a show or movie instead of a complete scene by scene rundown. Although Dargis' reviews don't have a lot of personality, that might be better in some cases. Like you said, sometimes you just want to read something that's to the point and not sift through a humorous or overly long evaluation. Dargis' posts might be a little too long for my tastes, but I did get a good idea of if I'd like The Social Network or not! I might have to add her to my reading list.
ReplyDeleteI read the review of Social Network by Dargis and thought it was kind of funny. I almost imagine her being like Aubrey Plaza, very stoic and blunt. I think that's why she is successful, because her style is so short and to the point. I agree with why you chose to look over her stuff, because too many reviews are biased and spend too much time on what the author's opinion is, rather than what the material is. As for Jon Stewart, everything about his satire is great. I don't really know if he necessarily counts as a media critic, but when his show features elements of media criticism, it's spot on and witty. If Jon Stewart ran for president, I'd vote for him.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed The Social Network. It was a very interesting film.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with you, that a quick and to the point review is best. When I'm at Redbox, or browsing through Netflix, sometimes I like to read reviews of the movies, and I'd prefer to be able to get a very quick idea of whether I'd be interested in the movie.
I also agree with Lena as I thought that Dargis' post was a little too long for my taste.