SLAQ | Page 34

Culture

21st Century (Nervous) Breakdown

"Our growing quality-determining influence and ways

to stay above it."

Nothing warms the soul greater than the arrival of anticipated treat. In our modern day, media-infiltrated lives, there are few thrills greater than a long-awaited season premiere of popular television show, the summer release of a film many years in the making, or the latest addition of a musician’s much beloved and acclaimed discography.

However, these simple joys can often be ruined by one, terse and blunt, avoidable yet irresistible, thing: the review.

We all, from time to time, find ourselves brimming with anticipation for a new movie, music album, or video game, only to have your excitement squashed by discovering a dreaded bad review. In that instant, something that we had been looking forward to for months becomes nothing more than a disappointment; an afterthought in the internal media library on nonfulfillment.

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But why do reviews matter so much?

In yonder years, the clout of review was much different. Though its power held slightly stronger in such mediums as Broadway theater and music, the review, and its ever-connected reviewer, didn’t have the power to make or break the success of something.

But, times have changed. Now, many of us, an estimated 60%, allow reviews to influence the viewing decisions we make, and use reviews before purchasing any tickets, changing any channel, or enjoying any tunes.

There may be many factors to this. Firstly, we live in a society of a greater overall sophistication and appreciation when it comes to the various media and forms of entertainment we enjoy. We strive for authenticity in everything we experience, and camp entertainment has become a thing of the past. With this growing trend comes greater knowledge in quality projects, and the distinction becomes greater as we separate them from the subpar ones.