Reykjavík Grapevine - 10.08.2007, Side 3

04_RVK_GV_1_007_LETTERS
Now we all know that “the opinion of the columnists
don’t” reflect the opinion of the Reykjavik grapevine”
is a little legal disclaimer trick to get you out of moral
defamation lawsuits. But it seems that any time col-
umnists’ articles are criticized you use this as your only
comeback, it’s not boring to do that, it’s just lame. Of
course the columnists opinions are not yours, but who
picked the columnists? Shouldn’t you take some kind of
responsibility for the views you choose to espouse in your
newspaper, if not in a strictly legal sense, at least let’s
be honest with the readers. And if your only comeback
is still going to be that little old line, why don’t you let
the columnists reply?
Best,
Sara Gauthier Campbell
Dear Sara Gauthier Campbell,
You seem to be referring to last issue’s “Sour Grapes”,
where a couple of gripes against our columnists were
answered by quoting that boring old clause. Now, as
a rule, responding to criticism is lame (see below) – es-
pecially when it concerns something so subjective as
opinions on music or advertising. So, we won’t. That
said, our columnists are more than capable of defend-
ing themselves and are alloted an 800 word free reign
per issue to arrange however they fancy. Be it analyzing
music scenes, criticizing advertising or – God forbid
– responding to critics.
HM
Hello
My name is Isla Williams and I am journalist based in
Manchester, England. I write features for women’s maga-
zines and I am currently writing an article on expats from
Britain who have settled on a new life abroad. For my
latest feature I am looking for a woman under 45 with
or without children or a couple who have set up home
away from Britain. The subject of my article would get
paid and the feature would include a couple of pictures
of their new life away from Britain and one of their old
life back here in Blighty!
If anyone out there is interested, could they please
email me on IslaWilliams@aol.com
Regards
Dear Women-or-couples-under-45-with-or-without-chil-
dren-who-have-set-up-home-away-from-Britain,
Here’s your chance to make some quid, quick. Be sure
to mail 10% to the usual address.
HM
Dear Grapevine,
Due to your issue last month with the cover about
exporting Icelandic music, I really have to criticize your
critics…
A critic is someone who analysis something and re-
turned a valued judgment on the item. There are various
forms of criticism, both positive and negative, but most
importantly it should impartial an unbiased otherwise it
doesn’t have any relevance.
Recently, I only seem to read negative criticism in
the press, from people who obviously have their specific
tastes and judges everything else according to those. On
top of that, those critics are competing so hard with one
another to stuff as many witty and negative comments
to tarnish the item in question in the most original ways,
that it’s hard to find anything positive in the review.
I noticed this when I read that previous issue of
Grapevine last month. There was page with each album
review worse then the next. When you finally brushed
a trash from the critics words, there was little left about
the album itself and you know nothing about it except
it was bad and not worth listening to. The irony is that
these were all Icelandic albums and you had on the
cover of this issue a headline about exporting Icelandic
music.
There on that page was blatantly obvious the critics
were in a self masturbation contest with each other to
see who could ridicule or put down an album the most.
It felt like reading an online chatroom log between spotty
14 year old teens, where the only way for themselves
to look cool, is to say something bad about someone
else: “This album is like yo’ momma. Loud whine that
no-one want to listen to”.
The most ““positive”” (needed en extra pair of
“quotation marks” there) bit of criticism on the page
was on the line of on critic being surprised that a bands
debut album did actually manage not to stink so bad.
He quickly adds though that this means the only way
for the band from here is down. So he’s already labeled
the next album as a flop and is probably right now in
the thesaurus looking for synonyms for the word “di-
saster”.
Since these reviews in Grapevine, I’ve noticed more
and more of this type of criticism.
Thanks to the web culture, anyone who can pound
aimlessly on a keyboard is a certified critic. Then of
course only the juice criticisms are chosen since they
make more amusing reading material. Who wants to
read how much I enjoyed listening to an album when
stories of seizures due to bad musical performances get
much more attention.
Excuse me if I’m starting to sound like your critics. I
see a similar style with me, but I don’t expect everybody
to listen to me by publishing this so everyone can see
that I am right.
What happened to all the good critics that had
some sense between their ears due to knowledge, age
or occupation in the field of the item being criticized?
These days, it feels like finicky eaters which only
eat hotdogs, are forcing themselves into all the fine
restaurants, just to spit out reindeer carpaccio because
it’s too raw. It’s obvious the venom on their tongues has
already destroyed all their sense of taste.
The word “criticism” does not imply the need to be
negative. People just feel that way, because either you
criticize something or you praise it. And since the page
said album criticism, the writers were better not trying
to stray into the praise area.
But criticism in naturally both. I hope the Grapevine
staff re-reads their reviews from that aforementioned
issue and see what I mean.
Hopefully I can see some reviews that have some
reference I can follow in the coming issues
Best regards,
Ragnar Eythorsson
Dear Ragnar,
Have you considered that the albums in question might’ve
just sucked a lot?Not saying they did, but who knows?
A lot of crap is released these days.
In any case, how come you never write us positive
letters, praising us? We have as many feelings in our
tender hearts as any rock band out there. And we cer-
tainly don’t try and sell ‘em to you for 1.899 ISK.
HM
Sour Grapes
Say your piece, voice your opinion, send your letters to letters@grapevine.is.
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