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Culture Theatre

Why being a critic can ruin your life

Theres a moment in the new Netflix movie Velvet Buzzsaw where the jaded and pretentious art critic, played with furious contempt by Jake Gyllenhaal, attends the funeral of an art world frenemy and begins bitching about the ugly casket.

Its meant to be satire, but the point is clear: critics are so used to being critical in their work that they cant turn it off even during their non-work hours.

I can relate. Call it an occupational hazard. Even when Im not at a play or film screening, my mind is often stuck in reviewer mode.

Um, wheres the crema? I wonder after receiving a badly pulled double espresso. In meetings, I long for colleagues to get to their points quickly and efficiently. Ive rolled my eyes at passing cars blaring obnoxious music from open windows.

Im so opinionated that a NOW colleague once asked me to hashtag certain tweets #GlennsGripes.

You could argue that sites like Yelp and Rotten Tomatoes have turned everyone into a critic. Hell, were even asked to rate our Uber drivers, as they rate us. Many social media platforms are simply conduits for airing grievances.

But theres something about being paid for your thoughts that gives a critics opinion added weight. After the excitement of a plays opening night, with its standing ovation and flurry of positive tweets and selfies, the critics judgment, rendered a day or two after, is often the final word. Google searches will bring it up if its positive, it may get blurbed in advertisements.

But theres a danger to always having the last word. For one thing, life doesnt work that way. Unless your last name is Trump, relationships among family members, friends or lovers are about reciprocity and sharing.

Over the years, Ive had to force myself to turn off my inner critic. When my niece, now a very talented singer/songwriter, was doing community theatre as a preteen, I took my seat and cheered at the end with everyone else but as a proud uncle, not a critic.

Watching the occasional concert, movie or show in which a friend has had a hand and which Ive naturally recused myself from reviewing Ive always found something encouraging and honest to say.

During dates, I know enough not to blurt out any veiled criticism (So how old is your Grindr picture, anyway? or Wow, your favourite movie is Love Actually!), even if, afterwards, I might text a friend that it was a 2N date.

Whenever people find out what I do for a living, they assume Im looking for things to criticize. But critics dont generally become critics to tear things down. Its the opposite, in fact. I imagine we do this crazy thing because, at one impressionable moment in our lives, we saw something beautiful or moving or original, and we needed to find a way to express what we felt.

Even after being on the job for years, we want to tell others, to share with them this extraordinary feeling so that we can, together, reflect on what it is like to be alive.

Not every show, or movie, or date, or conversation, or streetcar ride, or cup of coffee, will be extraordinary. But thats life. And I’m getting used to that.

@glennsumi

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