When Critics and Communities Clash: The Battle for Narratives

Whose opinion matters most when you consider watching something worth your time? Someone experienced in evaluating forms of entertainment through a corporate lens, or an everyday individual casually viewing to have a good time? Narratives are subjective, but to each their own seems like a cop out answer. In reality, the critics and higher-ups in the executive world control the media, giving them most of the power to display what’s trending, reviews, and their personalized top-rated content. That being said, the people’s voice is larger in number, delivers more authenticity, and relates more to the public. Let’s pretend you’re looking to see a movie. One particular trailer catches your eye, but you need further convincing. Two groups of people give you two very different opinions. The first group is famous YouTube movie critics you’re subscribed to. They all formulated similar thoughts, saying the pacing was off, the story was all over the place, and the main character was over the top. The second group is comprised of your friends and the latest gossip around the neighborhood. Their consensus is that it’s a slow burn that leads to an exuberant flame with a story even better with a second watch, a flawed main character with relatable charm, and an original message that could be easily missed. – Who’d speak more to your own bias?

Professionally Critical

Critics tend to be seen as stuck-up snobs who are out of touch with what the average viewer wants to see. Their feedback is a task for their job completion, and they could more than likely hold back their own personal thoughts on the content for the sake of their business. It’s less authentic for critics because it’s their job to have a well-prepared and thought-out description of the content. Their own preferences play a role in what they say, but it’s stiffened to look professional. That being said, they’re trained to see and understand things most viewers wouldn’t think twice about looking for. Some would argue that they also have higher standards compared to the audience, who are presumably fine with mediocre movies as long as they make the time pass. It all depends on the type of critic and audience we’re talking about.

Is there a Critic in the Audience?

Casual viewers tend to be seen as simpleton who won’t analyze the levels of effort and work put into TV and movies. Their task is to sit back and try to enjoy the content they paid for. They have no obligation to deliberate on the many undertones that they just witnessed and are not experienced in giving reviews for others to see. However, some bare complex conversations regarding the substance afterwards, and have the potential to see things even critics wouldn’t notice. At the end of the day, their opinion matters most to the producers trying to sell the content because they are the customers, but do other customers prefer their narrative over the critics?

Exclusive Opinions

Another element that comes into play for both sides of the aisle on the topic of who controls the narrative is diversity. On review sites, you may notice that both critics and the community don’t always have the best representation. This can make the narrative extremely biased, and certain forms of entertainment will be less appreciated or over-appreciated, even though that may not be the case when asked on a larger scale of individuals. Contribution from different types of people and perspectives can create a narrative that appeals to multiple groups rather than just a few. Different opinions from critics, community, men, women, children, black, white, brown, and all other backgrounds create an intriguing space for endless creativity. When critics and community of all different backgrounds come together, magic happens.