Being criticised isn’t much fun.
We’d all like to believe that we are wonderfully brilliant beings who never put a foot wrong. Whether it’s your mum saying that outfit doesn’t look quite right or strangers in comment sections telling you you’re a sh*t writer who should never be allowed to work again, also, you’re ugly, (thanks for that, Jeffrey!) it’s not a particularly enjoyable experience to have your lofty view of yourself torn down.
But criticism is not just important, it’s a vital part of everything you do – especially if you’re a mega celeb.
This week saw an influx of bad takes from famous people on the topic of critics, reviewers, and bloggers.
Following a negative review of her new album Cuz I Love You, Lizzo tweeted and deleted: ‘PEOPLE WHO ‘REVIEW’ ALBUMS AND DONT MAKE MUSIC THEMSELVES SHOULD BE UNEMPLOYED.’
Then, when her performance with Justin Bieber at Coachella was bashed, Ariana decided to be not angry, just disappointed, with bloggers at large, tweeting (and deleting):’People are so lost. one day everybody that works at all them blogs will realize how unfulfilled they are and purposeless what they’re doing is and hopefully shift their focus elsewhere. that’s gonna be a beautiful ass day for them! i can’t wait for them to feel lit inside.’
And then the final blogging bash to fill the trifecta. Angered by some light ribbing of her outfit, actress Olivia Munn went in on the Fug Girls of Go Fug Yourself, crafting an entire short essay (currently not deleted!) in which she calls the writers ‘nauseating’ and hypocritical.
Now, I’d be silly suggest that Lizzo, Ariana, Justin, and Olivia are in the wrong for criticising critics for their criticism of them. I’ve just said criticism is important.
But they do get some things wrong in their lashing out, and thus I must respond with, um, more criticism. Sorry, celebs.
People who review albums, films, and all other creative works should not be unemployed, because they do something quite crucial: they analyse things, assess them, and then share their views with the wider public.
Why is that an important thing? Because creative works can’t exist in a vacuum. They need to be listened and responded to.
This helps to promote said creative work, potentially convincing people to give it a chance when they wouldn’t have otherwise, and often allows for better understanding of it. Think about all the times a review has pointed out a hidden detail that gives a piece loads more depth, or some context that makes a song suddenly click into place.
Sometimes those reviews are going to be negative, and that’s important too.
Imagine if people were allowed to just spunk out whatever they liked without a hint of criticism. They’d go around believing that everything they do is glorious, and while that might be great for their self-esteem, their work would suffer as a result.
Criticism pushes you to rethink, adjust, and try again. You need to be told when something isn’t quite right so you improve – but also so you’re aware that no, you’re not a godlike being of perfection, you can in fact make mistakes and missteps.
When you’re mega famous and wealthy, you need to know you’re not perfect. A world without criticism would do to terrible things to a famous person’s ego – they’d be entirely out of touch with reality and able to wholeheartedly believe they are better than any other human in the world.
Yes, you can seethe when criticised. You don’t have to listen to all criticism and adjust yourself accordingly. It’s about assessing which criticism is worthwhile and which is nonsense coming from a place of unnecessary cruelty.
The genuinely cruel, unthinking reviews and blogs, sure, be annoyed at them. The ones that take aim at people’s bodies or who they are as people rather than the work they put out for public consumption are not okay.
But in the majority of cases, criticism is there to push for improvement, to make sure creativity isn’t a dictatorship but an ongoing discussion. Or it’s there to poke fun and remind us all not to take ourselves too seriously.
That’s the case for fashion. There’s a big difference between bashing a person’s outfit on the street to make them cringe and saying a celebrity’s clothing choices aren’t the best.
Celebrities have access to stylists, designer clothes, and red carpets just for the purpose of showing off their wardrobe. Pointing out the humour of their ridiculous dresses is punching up, never down, and it’s a way for us non-famous people to discuss fashion instead of feeling it is entirely inaccessible to us.
Taking some jokes about your outfit to heart isn’t the fault of the person making the jokes, but a reflection of celebs’ own self-worth.
You are not your clothes. You are not your one performance at Coachella. Your identity does not depend on one single person’s review of an otherwise celebrated album.
Just as I’m able to ignore my boyfriend if he says my lipstick looks weird (what does he know?), but can take in an editor’s suggestions on cutting down an article, celebrities have to be able to understand the difference between misplaced bashing and genuine criticism that could give them the nudge they need to a better place.
And, as is so often the case, they need to be mindful of their position of power.
A blogger or reviewer is rarely punching down. They’re assessing creative work, likely for far, far less money than the actual artist is making and with significantly less influence. It’s vital that they are able to be negative without being torn apart, because otherwise people with immense power and influence can get away with anything they like.
That’s fine if ‘anything they like’ is just a dodgy single or a crap outfit, but what if that morphs into a fashion line that drastically overcharges eager consumers, a tour that takes fans’ money but offers them little in return, or damaging views expressed without question.
Asking for a world free of criticism is expecting to have your power unchecked and able to run rampant, and that’s simply not a healthy way forward.
Celebs, I urge you: accept the decent criticism when it comes, listen to it, and judge for yourself if it’s worth changing as a result.
When the nonsensical stuff comes your way, have the strength to ignore it. Don’t declare that all reviews and blogs and negative opinions are thus evil and must be outlawed – that only makes you look like a mad emperor who wants control over all things. Not a good look.
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