entertainment critics

 Some thoughts on the lame criticisms surrounding the entertainment industry


1) Music writer Rick Moody writes extremely negative shallow comments about Taylor Swift, because she (gasp, omg, ring the alarms...........noooooooooooooooooooooooooh!) makes music he doesn't like. Moody thinks music he doesn't like is the downfall of civilization.

http://www.salon.com/2013/02/09/i_dared_criticize_taylor_swift/


and now Rick Moody is SHOCKED that people are standing up to his rudeness! Yep, bullies like Moody can't stand it when stand up to them

Still, I was not prepared for the assault that lay in wait for me when I published this piece, and on this basis (lack of preparation for the assault), we can only say that I am hopelessly naive. I suppose my thinking was that The Rumpus, where I publish this work, is pretty intellectual and bookish — and when it is more than intellectual, it is usually engaged with matters of sex and politics, and so its audience is literary and pretty progressive, and they are not going to mind a little carping about Taylor Swift. Apparently, I either underestimated the diversity of The Rumpus’ audience or I was hopelessly unaware how many Swiftians use Google Alerts to keep up on matters pertaining to their muse. Because although there was a day or two when people commented about Los Lobos, things on the comments page pretty quickly turned into a trench war about me and Taylor Swift.

And now, here is MY response to Rick Moody!

Hey Rick Moody,

I used to be like you. I used to make extremely negative and insulting comments about musicians who make songs that I didn't like!

THAT WAS IN MIDDLE SCHOOL!

THAT WAS 2 DECADES AGO!

I have since became a real adult!

I'm assuming you're either my age (32) or older.

Either, it is truly sad & pathetic that an adult like Rick Moody is still so immature that he would write extremely mean-spirited comments about a musicians whose only sin is (gasp, omg..........noooooooooooo!) making songs he doesn't like!

Rick Moody, there are worse things in the world than someone making music you dont like!

But being the over-privilleged person like Rick Moody is, he probably will never understand that!

Maybe learning more about real suffering in the world (no... hearing music you dont like DOES NOT COUNT as real suffering) will give Rick Moody some real perspective in life!

2) Within the last few months, there has been controversy over the HBO show "Girls" because  like the former NBC sitcom "Friends", it has mostly European-American cast in a diverse city like New York! 


SO WHAT?


There wasn't much diversity in movies like "Boyz N the Hood", "Friday", "Menace to Society" or "Baby Boy" even though ALL of those movies took place in one of the most diverse cities in the world --- Los Angeles!

In fact, those movies just focused on an ethnic group that is only about 12% of LA's population! 

Dont get me wrong, I got nothing against John Singleton, Ice Cube or the Hughes brothers for making such classic films!

They all wanted to share with us what African-American life was like in Los Angeles!

And the makers of "Girls" and "Friends" wanted to share with us what European-American life was like in New York!

Makers of films and movie are NOT obligated to showcase every diverse group out there! They're NOT obligated to appeal to every diverse demographic out there!

You dont like those shows, then don't watch!

Or better yet, MAKE YOUR OWN SHOW!

After all, in this day and age, there's reality shows focusing on so many groups, even  groups like the Korean-Americans and Iranian-Americans have their own reality show!

If reality shows aren't your thing (they are sure not mine), you can just make your own documentary or whatever else!