By A.P. Fuchs
Since the advent of the Internet, information has been everywhere. Like it was said in Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, people have chosen to use the Internet to bitch about movies and share pornography with one another. Though I’m sure we could go off on a hot topic about porn—pardon the pun—it’s the former statement I’d like to address: bitching about movies (or pick your medium—books, CDs, websites, whatever).
I want to talk about reviews. Very short and to the point.
Succinctly put: reviews are bad. Repeat after me, reviews-are-bad.
But only when you allow them to influence your judgment on what movie to see, what book to read or which CD to buy, or any other circumstance where the words of another will sway your decision and/or judgment yay or nay.
There’s two “sides” when it comes to a good or bad review and both are based on who did the review. One is based on the average person’s opinion (I know, we’re all special and all our opinions count, our mothers love us, etc.), and the other is when someone of influence says something positive or negative about a movie, book, CD or whatnot.
In my experience, when it comes to the former type of reviews, the ones done by the consumer, it was usually about movies and so many times I heard my friends say they won’t see such-and-such a movie because the reviews had been bad. What’s sad is they planned on seeing that movie when they first heard about it and even more so when they saw the trailer for it. But, uh-oh, Tom, Dick and Harry said the movie sucked so why you should bother seeing it, right?
As for the second kind, the reviews done by those with name power, I see it most when it comes to books. It’s the business I’m in after all, and I’ve heard from fellow readers that they won’t check out a certain book because Mr. Name gave it a thumbs down. Like the movie example above, they had originally planned on reading it. They were excited for the publication date, they couldn’t wait to head on down to the bookstore and hold that new, mint-conditioned book in their hands and for a moment, feel like the first person to ever read their favorite author’s latest tale.
What drives me nuts about all this is how one person’s desire to experience a form of entertainment can suddenly diminish because someone(s) had said something bad about a book or movie. It works the other way, too. Reviews for a film might be strong so now they want to see the movie even more or they want to read that new book even more because Mr. Name said it was a good one. And you have to admit, because I know it’s happened to you, while watching or reading that movie or book that has gotten the good review, the show or story is that much better. Same goes for the movies you heard something bad about. You walk into the theatre still wanting to see the film anyway but since the local paper gave the flick a bad review, you sit there with a pre-notion that the film is going to—even while it’s playing—be bad. You sit there trying to find the holes in the plot, point out the bad acting. Whatever.
Obviously, the answer for that special feeling you get when hearing that the movie you’ve been dying to see or book you’ve been itching to read is a good one, is from the reaffirmation by another that your choice to see or read it had been the right one. See, as humans, we tend to think like the “group” and right from when we go to elementary school straight through until the day we die, we still succumb to peer pressure. There are very few out there who do—or who are willing to—think for themselves and reach their own conclusions. It’s like we need approval to like or dislike something. Heaven forbid we make a choice on our own. In all honesty, who cares what Mr. Name says about a certain book, whether his/her opinion be a long winded review of praise or a simple blurb of negativity? Who the hell cares what the New York Times says about the latest Hollywood box office blockbuster or the current title topping the bestseller list? You don’t need someone else to tell you what you should or shouldn’t like. This goes for those with influence or the simple statement from a friend. By all means, their opinions are valued but it doesn’t make it gospel.
Take a chance and if something piques your interest, go check it out for yourself and don’t use reviews as a guide. Nine times out of ten they’re BS anyway. People love bitching and complaining more than they do stating what was right with something. Hell, look at this article. It’s nothing but a complaint about how reviews affect people. And if, by chance, your friends or Mr. Name were right about that book being a badly presented story or the movie stank, at least take comfort in knowing you found that information out for yourself firsthand.
Don’t take my words as truth. I won’t tell you to. Instead, I’ll let you decide for yourself.
Now go read that book you’ve always wanted to, check out that movie or listen to that CD. Hell, do all three.
Just do it because you want to, not because someone else said it would be a good or bad idea if you did or didn’t.