Everyone has an opinion and some get paid to share it with others. Sometimes an honest appraisal is appreciated and other times, not so much. In many ways the critique’s severity needs to be tempered with the recipient’s own skin thickness. That being said, I think there’s great value in constructive criticism provided that the goal is to offer pointers from an experienced point-of-view with the best interests of those being judged in mind. I’ve always found the role of critic to be a difficult one because I always fear hurting one’s feelings in the process of offering my opinion.
I marvel at the confidence of Food Critic Jeffrey Steingarten, frequent judge of Food Network’s Iron Chef America. In the spirit of Simon Cowell he is quick to offer his opinion in a sort of blunt eloquence that borders on bourgeois snobbery. His assessments come off sounding harsh at times, but his praise is equally poetic. Mr. Steingarten’s finesse certainly elevates the well-delivered critique to its own art form, though largely diplomatic and almost all political.