Hold the reviews

I find music and movie reviews are so absolutely pointless. There, I said it. And no, before you start drawing conclusions, I am not referring to any particular writer or any particular entity. Furthermore, I fully understand there is a place for these types of articles in our society.

But keep all of those reviews away from me.

“Art is subjective.” That phrase is widely known but easily forgotten in light of heated debates between what rating a certain movie or album should have received. When one of our favorite projects comes under fire by critics and peers alike, we are quick to forget how personal art is to each and every one of us and are insistent as to why our particular taste in films and music is the “right” one and why others should adopt our taste.

Music and movies are very much a subjective experience. It’s why you openly acknowledge a “guilty pleasure” movie — admitting that just because a certain project doesn’t meet “objective” standards, it doesn’t mean that project doesn’t meet your own subjective standards.

A quick search on Google for a comprehensive list of the best guilty pleasure movies proved to be a lesson in futility for a simple reason: For as many curators of these lists there are, there will be just as many different lists — that is, no two lists could ever really be the same. This is because the experience of enjoying these pieces of art will always be different between two different people.

Now, I understand why there is a place for reviews in today’s society. If one enjoys a particular movie or album and another piece of art that follows more or less the same formula and it receives a good score, then one would feel naturally inclined — and rightfully so — to check it out based on a trusted recommendation.

But let me figure out what I want to like. I have no interest in what you deem to be worthy of my attention and consumption. Sometimes, I like the Billboard Top 100 songs. Sometimes, I like a movie that has an IMDb score of three out of 10. What matters to me is how that piece of art resonates with me. Similarly, if I ever write a review about a project and you don’t agree with what I say, then by all means disregard whatever I say — if you enjoyed it, then that’s all that should matter.