Blawg

100 for today. I briefly discussed my short idea with Hope (it's including her, if all goes well). And watched the Big Shave and laughed my ass off afterward.


So, important things today:


I hate the school. That's all I have to say about that.


I was really too upset to read, so I right now I'm listening to a 'Hammer Conversation' at UCLA between Henry Rollins and Amanda Palmer.

They talked about a bagillion things that made me really depressed about being a critic and made me reflect on myself a bit:

-That critics are people who couldn't make art, so decided to work for the artists and critique their work, and how there would always be the slightest tinge of resentment toward them. It just shakes me down to the core. I know this is what I'll be good at and what I have a natural 'oomph' to do (along with liking to do it), but this heart-wrenching feeling that makes me want to sob and scream comes up. Remember when you talked about bad artists, and how they were like...the most depressing people in the world to think about?

-Also, about how most artists 'don't care' about what you say. Doesn't that make the whole field just...obsolete? I mean, what are we trying to prove if the artists don't listen to what we have to say? I, personally, would only have something to say to the artist as I consider them the most gifted and lucky creatures on the Earth. Giving the public a reason to praise me because I did so well in college and paid attentnion in the smart people classes is not what I'm into.

Henry Rollins calls most (who only have 'an attitude and a keyboard') "ants at the picnic." They could not do, so they write about those WHO do. That depresses the absolute shit out of me. They remind me of English teachers. My God, I hope I won't be an English teacher. Hopefully I'll be in the A-pile when the critique police judge whose work is completely gratuitous and unessasary, and whose actually has meaning and depth. Amanda was saying how she felt bad becasue she knows that the people in the office or the people critiquing her work (some of them, anyway) hate her because she's doing what they wanted to do.

But she also said that hopefully if the person knows what they're doing and is a big enough fan, I guess, they'l l be just as passionate writing about an amazing piece of music or record as they would be talking about a horrible record or song (they were talking about music critics, obviously). "If you can write well enough, you've probably 'out-arted' most of the musicians you've been talking about." :-)

"Writing about music is like dancing about architecture." Lawls.


By the way, when you're in the actual field of critique, like...as a job, do the rules you mentioned apply to the person pursuing that career? I know the thing about being mean just to be mean, but...I just want to know. Is there a difference between critiquing your peers and critiquing those who you don't know?


Also, this has absolutely zero to do with criticism, but they talked about the dumbness about people blogging. But also, about how like really dumb housewives with no exciting lives blogging about how they went to Olive Garden and saw their friend from Middle School there. But how housewives with no lives can express how they went to Olive Garden ans saw their friend from Middle School and showcase a writing talent. And how that was special...and how those people should be the majority of people doing that. Besides Britney, Katy Perry, and Mario Lopez. Because those are the people that really matter.


Peace