After reading several very catty comments on personal style blogs like "What I Wore" (a terrific blog, by the way!), I started thinking about the role of criticism in fashion and the value of those opinions. Does every opinion matter? Can opinions carry factual statements with them? Can we qualify certain opinions above others? And does criticism add value to the canon of fashion, meaning does certain criticism cause us to look at fashion or art in a new way?
When I worked in the Senate, one of my colleagues (and friends) caused me to think about the word "opinion" more in-depth. If a person made a comment to describe the sky as "cloudy" or "light blue," this colleague would counter that that was merely an opinion, not to be considered as empirical or factual. Pronounce a word a certain (correct) way? Just an opinion. Use an adjective to describe a person or action? Again, just an opinion. One of our senior staffers even joked that if Jesus Christ Himself were to appear before this person, he would argue with Him. At first I was frustrated by this annoying behavior. How can we rely on the dictionary and apply those words to real-world concepts and ideas if every use of that word is not factual? How can we understand the word "beautiful" if we cannot apply it to its dictionary counterpart? The frustration slowly evaporated into utter curiosity and fascination. This was a dilemma for Noam Chomsky! Maybe the famed linguist could explain to us Senate folks how to properly use words without having them downcast as mere opinions.
Then I started to wonder if certain opinions meant more than others. Say, for instance, that a fourteen-year old declares that Shakespeare was a hack. Will this opinion cause us to reevaluate the literary canon and Shakespeare's role in it? Well, no, of course not. How about if respected book critic Michael Dirda reviews a book and declares that it is mediocre? Is this an opinion that matters? It certainly carries more weight than most opinions, that's for sure. But, are his statements factual?
So, how does all of this relate to fashion? Well, since everyone is a fashion critic these days, are there certain criticisms that should be valued above others and can we take those opinions as facts? Should Jessica Quirk (the blogger behind the popular site "What I Wore") be offended when a commenter dismisses her outfit? Should the fashion commentary of bloggers like Tavi or BryanBoy carry any weight or hold relevance with the more seasoned criticism of Cathy Horyn or Lisa Armstrong? Does it matter if someone who knows very little about fashion describes the recent Prada collection as "hideous?" What if that person is Cathy Horyn? Does that opinion matter then? When are opinions more than just opinions- when are they facts? And, when do these opinions or criticisms cause us to look at fashion, art, dance, theater, performance, or anything that can be evaluated in a new light?
And, finally, who will be the next visionary to challenge the way we understand and interpret modern fashion?
What are your thoughts on the roles and relevance of opinions and criticism in fashion and the arts? Which ones do you value and which ones do you hold as factual?
When it comes to the arts, I tend to take criticism more seriously if the person himself has some actual knowledge/experience in the art being performed. That is, I'll take ballet criticism from someone who used to be a professional dancer a lot more seriously than someone who is attending their first ballet. This is also true with movies, and novels, and theater! If someone is critiquing a singer, I really only give it credence if the person *is* a singer, or has a musical background, or understands how singing is supposed to be done.
ReplyDeleteObviously, there is some criticism that's just obvious--if a dancer falls, or if colors clash horrifically in a piece of clothing, or if the orchestra is very off the beat. But other than the very obvious gaffes, I tend to only read criticism from someone who knows what they're talking about.
Insightful as always, Emily! Thank you.
ReplyDeleteI think what I find so bewildering is the abundance of negative criticism, especially on the personal style platforms. If personal style is subjective, how do we qualify certain looks above others? Of course, there are many looks which are downright objectionable (i.e. lacking in taste, inappropriate, etc.), but that would fall under the "obvious criticism" category, I think.