Yeah, so, Tom Shales of The Washington Post says that we need more TV critics. As a former TV critic, I agree … sort of. I think we need more TV critics, but we need less grumpy, old white male TV critics.
There, I said it.
I think TV critics are just as important as movie critics in giving us context and letting us know when a show is truly great. There are so many channels out there, great shows can get lost in the shuffle. I mean, look what TV critics did for a show like the brilliant “Arrested Development.”
But still, I think we need less grumpy, old white male TV critics.
Approximately 90 percent of TV critics are grumpy, old, white men whose opinions are completely irrelevant. They say “get off my lawn”-type things such as “American Idol is the death of television,” and they completely ignore the shows that are the most popular with viewers, which is why no one reads their columns, which is why they are deemed expendable by the higher-ups when it comes time to cut the budget … again.
So many TV critics write with such disdain for television shows. Bad idea! The people who would take the time to read a TV critic are people who love television. Also, TV critics forget that some people watch TV to be entertained and relax. Not every show can be “The Wire.” It would be too emotionally draining. I love “The Wire.” I think it’s one of the best shows ever created, but sometimes after a hard day at work, I want to come home, relax and watch “The Closer.” Not every show needs to be art. TV critics forget that. They forget their audience.
We had a TV critic in the Bay Area about 10 years ago who had the job for a million years. Basically, his reviews turned into “I don’t get it” and “Hey, this PBS documentary is swell.” It was no surprise when he “retired” and was replaced by someone else, who is now a grumpy, old, white male TV critic, who doesn’t like anything that’s not on HBO, Showtime or FX. He also writes a lot TV insider-influenced columns about network presidents getting fired, which the average reader just skips right over. Hell, I used to cover that stuff for a living and I skip over it. No one cares about that stuff! They just want to know when “Scrubs” is coming back.
What I’m trying to say is if TV critics are having a hard time holding on to their jobs, it’s because they made themselves irrelevant. Instead of going to the newspaper to find out what’s on, people go to TV-focused websites. Why? Because the content on those sites is written by people who love television.
11 Comments
July 1, 2009 at 1:58 pm
If we have more TV critics then how will we know which TV critic to read. We will need a TV critics critic. I nominate you, Sonia, because I know you would make a great TV critics critic (see above).
July 1, 2009 at 2:02 pm
Yeah, I’m great and telling other people how to express their opinions. HA!
July 1, 2009 at 2:39 pm
Here, here! Spot on and all that rot!
I remember when a certain grumpy white male TV critic was, somehow, writing stuff that was remarkably similar to stuff you had written just days before…
I would hire you in a second, Sonia, if I had some way to pay ya…
July 1, 2009 at 2:45 pm
That’s right, Greg! I haven’t thought about that in years! I was just a young lady writing a TV column. Surely no one would notice if he “borrowed” a few jokes.
And thank you for saying you would hire me. I know you would, because you did once before. HA!
July 2, 2009 at 11:12 am
And I never regretted it. Although you may have… I sent you out on some borderline stories…
Remember “Hey Kid! What’s Up with Your Pants?” or “Peeps: Fresh for Stale?”…
Ah, those halcyon days when newspapers were king…
July 1, 2009 at 6:25 pm
I’ve always been a big fan of Tim Goodman and his “cranky pants.” I don’t even have cable or watch most of the shows he writes about, I just like his writing, and if a show sounds good I put it on the my netflix queue.
However, I do agree that not everything needs to be Sopranos-caliber; it’s just not what most of us watch television for. Actually, to be honest, I didn’t even like the Sop… oops, it’s not socially acceptable to admit that yet, is it?
July 2, 2009 at 10:10 am
Well, I didn’t want to name names… lucky for us, Sara has no compunctions about that…
July 2, 2009 at 10:35 am
Sara is kinda proving my point. She doesn’t watch TV, and she likes Goodman’s column. Thank you, Sara!
July 2, 2009 at 6:07 pm
You know, as an old, white grumpy TV reviewer … I’M OFFENDED!
Ok, no I’m not.
I try to limit the “get off my lawn” line to once a week.
Wait is reviewing the same as critiquing?
bah, whatever, just get off my lawn, would ya?
July 3, 2009 at 10:37 am
You have a lawn, Master P? Lucky!
July 2, 2009 at 11:52 am
I loved “Hey, kid, what’s up with your pants?” That story is still relevant today, my friend. It’s timeless!