Tag Archives: Criticism

The Imaginary Forest: Cultural Learnings in 2010

The Imaginary Forest: A Cultural New Year January 1st, 2011 Starting a blog is a lot like playing pretend. Just as you have to pretend that you’re in the middle of an imaginary, magical forest fighting some unknown evil, your … Continue reading

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“It’s Not Fantasy, it’s @HBO”: Going Inside HBO’s Game of Thrones

“It’s Not Fantasy, it’s @HBO”: Game of Thrones December 5th, 2010 Tonight is the night that most people will be writing about Boardwalk Empire, which ends its first season on HBO, and The Walking Dead, which ends its first season … Continue reading

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Cultural Conferencing: “The New Criticism?” at Flow 2010

“The New Criticism?” at Flow 2010 September 30th, 2010 I am currently awaiting the arrival of a late night bus which shall take me to Chicago and to a plane which will deliver me to Austin, Texas (my first time … Continue reading

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Transitions: Covering The Office for The A.V. Club

Transitions: Covering The Office for The A.V. Club September 21st, 2010 As a freelance critic with an emphasis on the “free,” my goal is to write about what interests me: while I am, admittedly, in the midst of transitioning back … Continue reading

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Label Lamentation: The Growing Misuse of “Recap” in Television Criticism Semantics

If I could change one element of modern television criticism, it would be the notion that recap and review are synonyms. To clarify, I have no issue with recaps or the people who write them: there is a place within … Continue reading

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Mad Men the Morning After: Critics Unpack “The Suitcase”

Critics Unpack “The Suitcase” September 6th, 2010 It’s pretty much consistent across the board: last night’s Mad Men, “The Suitcase,” was a season and even series highlight. As Todd VanDerWerff put it in his must-read review at The A.V. Club, … Continue reading

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Why I Write About the Emmys

Why I Write About the Emmys August 27th, 2010 On her Twitter feed, the illustrious Maureen Ryan (soon to be of AOL TV) posted the following: This would likely be a common sentiment amongst TV critics: they write about the … Continue reading

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Misdirected Scorn: Why 18 to Life Deserves Parole

Misdirected Scorn: Why 18 to Life Deserves Parole August 3rd, 2010 I am not surprised to learn that critics, as a whole, are not jumping on the bandwagon for 18 to Life, the Canadian comedy which was recently purchased by … Continue reading

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Mad Men the Morning After: “Christmas Comes…” for Critics

Mad Men the Morning After: “Christmas Comes…” for Critics August 2nd, 2010 When it comes to critical reviews of AMC’s Mad Men, each week is more about understanding the nuances of the episode than ripping it apart. And this week, … Continue reading

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A Phantom Menace: Weiner’s Mad Men Spoiler War Misses Target

A Phantom Menace: Weiner’s Mad Men Spoiler War Misses Target July 27th, 2010 Last week, I wrote at length about how Matthew Weiner’s concerns regarding spoilers speaks to the awkward place of pre-air reviews, which are forced to avoid spoilers, … Continue reading

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