How The Internet Is Killing Off Arts Criticism, And What’s Replacing It

“In a world of hot takes, criticism is cold, slow and distant … and, once everyone can voice an opinion, their value is diminished. … Readers want to consume art, not consider it. They’ll take recommendations, sure – but reviews? Save your prose for Medium.” What the Web and social media have nurtured instead, writes Rowland Manthorpe, is fandom. “Fandoms do provide criticism, albeit of a different sort. For one thing, it’s more likely to be well-informed. … [Fans] also have a more creative relationship with the creator, so criticism takes the form of remixes, or fan fiction, or animation, or cosplay. The critic has been replaced by the co-creator.”