Saturday, December 12, 2015

Here is my review

 
You read this stuff before going to a movie trying to evaluate if the cost of the popcorn will be worth the entertainment value of attending a performance.
The same for books or music or many other art forms that are reviewed by people who may or may not have enough background knowledge in the field to assess the quality of the presentation to form an opinion.
My likes or dislikes may differ from a reviewer. My opinion of the person doing the reviews also varies.
Many years ago, there was a guy I knew and worked with who had some fabulous musical appreciation, but it was based on classical music. He was assigned to become a rock reviewer.
Reviews being subjective can’t take in all reader’s desires to understand the author’s innermost feelings and thoughts upon writing the piece. Also for a musical presentation or a Broadway show there is a one-time viewing and then a hastily written review. A symphony concert has an entirely different audience and presentation than a rock concert though I must assume bassoon players have groupies too.
Not all reviews are totally subjective. Reports on refrigerators and guitars and cars and hotels may be very objective because there is a base you can measure, but you can’t do the same with emotions.
Reviews are one person’s opinion of a one-time event. The same band or orchestra or performing artist can be view on different occasions by the same critic and seen in very different ways.
Good or bad, what we read is slanted by one person who may have just found out they had cancer or been kicked out of their apartment or has a bad hair day. An educated informative review can become critical.
Now to prove my point, how would you review a friend?
Just like your taste in a type of music or an author or even a fashion style has changed through the years, what about your friends.
Friends are those folks you feel comfortable with for whatever reason and enjoy their company. We try to keep in touch with friends by mail or phone conversations but we all grow apart. Some friends are lost and new friends are made. Some are just ‘work’ friends and some are just ‘play’ friends. Friends show up when you need them and ask nothing in return.
I suggest you write a review of your friends. It may be very reveling and bring you closer together.

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