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The Reviewer Reviewer http://www.thereviewerreviewer.com Reviewing the reviews. The fifth estate. posterous.com Wed, 20 Apr 2011 23:08:00 -0700 A Review of a Review of Parisian Frank's Plastic Rose Cabaret http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheReviewerReviewer/~3/5n1Yd2EYF6c/a-review-of-a-review-of-parisian-franks-plast http://www.thereviewerreviewer.com/a-review-of-a-review-of-parisian-franks-plast <p> <p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><strong><a href="http://www.heraldsun.com.au/entertainment/special-reports/review-parisian-franks-plastic-rose-cabaret/story-fn89fat8-1226041120757">This</a></strong> review runs for three lines and awards the performer one star. It claims the performer is not part of the extraordinary talent pool of the festival and suggests that readers of the widely circulated newspaper <em>The Herald Sun</em> “don’t bother with this one”. By way of analysis of the performer’s work, the reviewer imitates the performer (“Parweeee-sian Fwank”) and jokes about the unlikely possibility that “wedging Ws into as many words as possible is the new funny”. </span></p> <p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></p> <p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">And that’s the end of the review. We don’t know what the show aimed to do. We don’t know what it was supposed to be about. We know the reviewer didn’t like it and we know it annoyed her sufficiently to elicit schoolyard sarcasm and mimicry and to tell people not to bother turning up on the basis of these remarks alone. This demonstrates a great deal of disrespect for the performer and to comedy performance generally – imagine if a Melbourne International Arts Festival show was mocked and dismissed out of hand in three lines without analysis – but the greatest disservice here is perhaps to the reader. We read reviews in order to get a sense of a show, whether we would enjoy it, and whether it was successful in what it was attempting to do. This review gives another sense entirely: that lazy reviews written on the back of napkins are the new clever. No stars.</span></p> </p> <p><a href="http://www.thereviewerreviewer.com/a-review-of-a-review-of-parisian-franks-plast">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://www.thereviewerreviewer.com/a-review-of-a-review-of-parisian-franks-plast#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TheReviewerReviewer/~4/5n1Yd2EYF6c" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/501938/photo.jpg http://posterous.com/users/5emiVTUWAigV Reviewer Reviewer thereviewerreviewer Reviewer Reviewer http://www.thereviewerreviewer.com/a-review-of-a-review-of-parisian-franks-plast Tue, 19 Apr 2011 23:53:00 -0700 A Review of a Review of Jen Brister's Show http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheReviewerReviewer/~3/jVuDCea-kks/a-review-of-a-review-of-jen-bristers-show http://www.thereviewerreviewer.com/a-review-of-a-review-of-jen-bristers-show <p> <p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><strong><a href="http://www.heraldsun.com.au/entertainment/special-reports/review-jen-brister-is-britishish/story-fn89fat8-1226042113937">This</a></strong> review of Jen Brister’s show [review since edited, original text below] claims that “very few female comedians can pull off funny funny”. </span></p> <p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></p> <p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">“Funny”, according to the dictionary, means amusing. So does “funny”. </span></p> <p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></p> <p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">“Funny funny”, one presumes, means amusing twice. Perhaps there should be a notification on the comedy festival’s website to specify for the sell-out audiences attending Tig Notaro, Maria Bamford and Geraldine Quinn’s shows, for example, exactly which one night during the festival is going to be the funny one.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></p> <p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">This linguistic device has been used again later in the review to describe where the audience is “from from”. Is the reviewer writing a lullaby?</span></p> <p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></p> <p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Of course, the reviewer probably means “just plain funny on an objective level that exists above the level of female comedy”. Not only is this patently untrue, deeply ignorant and sexist, but it’s a generalisation that entirely explodes the reviewer’s integrity as an analytical writer. We are told it is surprising that the act is humorous (why?) and that very few women comedians are funny funny (what does that mean? According to whom? What women? Are there statistics? Pie charts?). While these questions remain unanswered, considerable space is dedicated to the performer herself: we know about her race, her gender, her sexuality, her outlandish behaviour, the colour of her skin, and the fact that she is a Londoner. This preoccupation with the appearance of a woman being reviewed for her comedy is particularly interesting in the context of the above generalisations and misapprehensions.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></p> <p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">If I were to judge this review on the basis not of its content but its presentation – and if I were then to extend that judgement to an entire class of persons about whose work I knew not a great deal – I might conclude that very few reviewers can “write write”. No stars.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></p> <p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><strong><span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">TEXT OF ORIGINAL ARTICLE:</span></strong></p> <p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><strong><span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></strong></p> <p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><strong><span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">JEN Brister is one crazy half Spanish, half British lesbian. And I say that in the most endearing way possible. <br />Very few female comedians can pull off funny funny, but Jen Brister’s outlandish on-stage behaviour and somewhat unsophisticated delivery make for, surprisingly, quite a humorous act.<br />The browner-than-most-Brits Brister is from South London, which is apparently a far from sufficient answer to explaining her olive skin. However, before you ask where she is, you know, from from; the answer will still be South London. And if you have the gumption to ask where is from from from, brace yourself for a anatomical image.<br />It’s always fun and games with accents until someone makes a sex joke. Or at least, that’s how it went at Jen’s childhood birthday parties.<br />Having a mother with a Spanish accent as strong as the day she arrived is fine – until she offers the kids at the party some coke. Coca Cola, that is. If you’ve ever talked to a Mediterranean European, you’ll know "coke" isn’t part of their vocabulary. I lie. It is, only they were never taught an "e" on the end of a word makes the vowel say its name.<br />Don’t worry, the show isn’t just gutter jokes. Brister also covers Julia Gillard’s terrible accent, accepts responsibility on behalf of the British for the Stolen Generation, explains why she hates pornography and how the general public don’t understand lesbian sex.<br />She also throws in, just for good measure, a visual demonstration of why the British Empire collapsed.<br />Squirm in your seat worthy at times, but overall – a jolly good </span></strong></p> </p> <p><a href="http://www.thereviewerreviewer.com/a-review-of-a-review-of-jen-bristers-show">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://www.thereviewerreviewer.com/a-review-of-a-review-of-jen-bristers-show#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TheReviewerReviewer/~4/jVuDCea-kks" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/501938/photo.jpg http://posterous.com/users/5emiVTUWAigV Reviewer Reviewer thereviewerreviewer Reviewer Reviewer http://www.thereviewerreviewer.com/a-review-of-a-review-of-jen-bristers-show Mon, 11 Apr 2011 01:18:00 -0700 A Review of a Review of Eddie Ifft's show http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheReviewerReviewer/~3/o6cQjD3P7Jw/a-review-of-a-review-of-eddie-iffts-show http://www.thereviewerreviewer.com/a-review-of-a-review-of-eddie-iffts-show <p> <p> <p style="margin-bottom: 11.0pt; line-height: 17.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">This year's reviews of Melbourne International Comedy Festival shows have generally been of a much higher standard than usual.</span></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 11.0pt; line-height: 17.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><strong><a href="http://www.theage.com.au/entertainment/comedy/what-women-dont-want-to-hear-20110405-1czw4.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: windowtext;">This</span></a></strong> review of Eddie Ifft's show, however, is made up almost entirely of cheese-based metaphors. There doesn't appear to be a reason for this. The show isn't about cheese and the comedian's name isn't Gouda or Halloumi or Cheddar, so it seems the only reason the reviewer invokes cheese metaphors is so that she can refer to the show as 'putrid', to the content of the show as 'tainted', to the comedian as 'colossally rotten', and - somewhat bizarrely - so that she can threaten to notify the cheese police about a suspicious 'import'.</span></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 11.0pt; line-height: 17.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">There is some analysis of the show's politics and of Ifft's ability to make his audience laugh buried between the allusions, but the furious rotten cheese theme is so central to the critical narrative that one would be forgiven for writing off this review as too angry, too obsessed with its own mode of delivery, and not interested enough in teasing out the concerns the reviewer had with the actual show. </span></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 11.0pt; line-height: 17.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">I'm also taking off one star for "unleavened by the milk of human kindness". As a general rule, when even cheese metaphors are drifting off topic and encroaching on the milk metaphor genre I fear we are in danger of losing focus altogether.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">Two stars.</span></p> </p> </p> <p><a href="http://www.thereviewerreviewer.com/a-review-of-a-review-of-eddie-iffts-show">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://www.thereviewerreviewer.com/a-review-of-a-review-of-eddie-iffts-show#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TheReviewerReviewer/~4/o6cQjD3P7Jw" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/501938/photo.jpg http://posterous.com/users/5emiVTUWAigV Reviewer Reviewer thereviewerreviewer Reviewer Reviewer http://www.thereviewerreviewer.com/a-review-of-a-review-of-eddie-iffts-show Wed, 30 Mar 2011 14:23:00 -0700 A List of Top Ten Possible Conclusions to be Drawn from The Age's Top Ten List of Festival Shows http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheReviewerReviewer/~3/VY7NxrXR8m0/a-list-of-top-ten-possible-conclusions-to-be http://www.thereviewerreviewer.com/a-list-of-top-ten-possible-conclusions-to-be <p> <p> <p><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">This is a list of Top Ten Possible Conclusions To Be Drawn From <strong><a href="http://www.theage.com.au/entertainment/blogs/last-laugh/top-10-shows-to-see-at-this-years-comedy-festival-20110328-1cd4a.html">This List</a></strong> of Top Ten Hits at the 2011 Melbourne International Comedy Festival:</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">1. This is a comprehensive list of the ten hit shows in the upcoming Melbourne International Comedy Festival. </span></p> <p><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">2. This is a list of the reviewer's favourite acts from previous festivals. </span></p> <p><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">3. There are no women in the world.  </span></p> <p><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">4. There are, but this reviewer has never seen any of them perform. </span></p> <p><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">5. He has, but he didn't like them enough to put them in the top ten list of hits of the upcoming festival.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">6. Maria Bamford, Tig Notaro, Claudia O'Doherty, Kitty Flanagan and Fiona O'Loughlin are not appearing at the festival.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">7. The comedy festival hasn't happened yet so women’s shows cannot be assessed anyway.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">8. In which case…</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">9. This list is a list of what one reviewer <em>thinks </em>might be a hit in something that doesn't exist yet.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">10. These top ten lists really are excellent aren't they.</span></p> </p> </p> <p><a href="http://www.thereviewerreviewer.com/a-list-of-top-ten-possible-conclusions-to-be">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://www.thereviewerreviewer.com/a-list-of-top-ten-possible-conclusions-to-be#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TheReviewerReviewer/~4/VY7NxrXR8m0" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/501938/photo.jpg http://posterous.com/users/5emiVTUWAigV Reviewer Reviewer thereviewerreviewer Reviewer Reviewer http://www.thereviewerreviewer.com/a-list-of-top-ten-possible-conclusions-to-be Tue, 29 Mar 2011 05:13:00 -0700 A Review of a Review of Weird Al Yankovic http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheReviewerReviewer/~3/9EipJHtihWg/47716885 http://www.thereviewerreviewer.com/47716885 <p> <p style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">In <strong><a href="http://www.theage.com.au/entertainment/comedy/weird-al-yankovic-20110325-1c9d8.html"><span style="color: windowtext;">this</span></a></strong> review of Weird Al Yankovic’s show at the Palais in St Kilda, the reviewer accuses the performer of operating at a fourth-grade level. In the previous sentence the performer is referred to as retarded. In a review of his work. In a newspaper.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></p> <p style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">It is then suggested that the word ‘retarded’ <em>would </em>be a fitting description of Yankovic <em>if </em>the playground connotations of the word didn’t exist. They do. That is why the word was used in the first place. They especially do in an article that begins with playground metaphors and in a sentence designed to be an insult. </span></p> <p style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></p> <p style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">The review goes on to say that nobody in the adoring crowd failed to notice that Weird Al and his perfunctory session musicians were devoid of genius. This of course begs the question: if nobody failed to notice how ordinary it was, what was the adoring crowd adoring? Was it the lack of genius of which they were so fond?</span></p> <p style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></p> <p style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Very unclear. A bit retarded*. No stars.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></p> <p style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">*no actual meaning intended.</span></p> <p> </p> </p> <p><a href="http://www.thereviewerreviewer.com/47716885">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://www.thereviewerreviewer.com/47716885#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TheReviewerReviewer/~4/9EipJHtihWg" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/501938/photo.jpg http://posterous.com/users/5emiVTUWAigV Reviewer Reviewer thereviewerreviewer Reviewer Reviewer http://www.thereviewerreviewer.com/47716885 Sun, 10 Oct 2010 22:58:13 -0700 A Review of a Review of The Hayloft Project http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheReviewerReviewer/~3/829nhaX19DY/a-review-of-a-review-of-the-hayloft-project http://www.thereviewerreviewer.com/a-review-of-a-review-of-the-hayloft-project <p> <div style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; border-collapse: collapse;"><a href="http://pigsarms.com.au/2010/09/19/atomou-walks-out-on-a-thyestes/" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(17, 65, 112);">This</a> review of The Hayloft Project's <i>Thyestes</i> describes how unnamed critics deliberately withheld information about the play from their readers and that, had they not, people (including the reviewer) would not have attended. The reviewer himself left the show after twenty minutes. This rather diminishes his own critique about incomplete reviews, especially since he continues to analyse the show based on what his friend told him in the foyer. <p /><div>The net effect of <i>Thyestes</i> on the reviewer was that it made him so angry he read<i> The Age</i> from cover to cover. For this alone, I'm awarding this review two stars.</div></div> </p> <p><a href="http://www.thereviewerreviewer.com/a-review-of-a-review-of-the-hayloft-project">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://www.thereviewerreviewer.com/a-review-of-a-review-of-the-hayloft-project#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TheReviewerReviewer/~4/829nhaX19DY" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/501938/photo.jpg http://posterous.com/users/5emiVTUWAigV Reviewer Reviewer thereviewerreviewer Reviewer Reviewer http://www.thereviewerreviewer.com/a-review-of-a-review-of-the-hayloft-project Sun, 03 Oct 2010 22:15:40 -0700 A review of a review of a circus show http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheReviewerReviewer/~3/KyDLejP_8EE/a-review-of-a-review-of-a-circus-show http://www.thereviewerreviewer.com/a-review-of-a-review-of-a-circus-show <p> <div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <a href="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/thereviewerreviewer/hzOnqv1S3XTdOqCSzsLjLsTw40HJUx5VaXnpd86ZXC3GszdbyIWkQXKIkvBc/Review.jpg.scaled.1000.jpg"><img alt="Review" height="667" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/thereviewerreviewer/4Jm6rBOAVkLall1qCZ53P2sqZueqBbRwk0ssXxDOKLJtLWQqzFP95TJZN3Wa/Review.jpg.scaled.500.jpg" width="500" /></a> </div> <p>This review in today's <i>Age</i> is of a circus show. I know this because the word CIRCUS is written just above the one and a half stars the reviewer has awarded to the show. The show is performed by Skye Gellmann and Naomi Francis. I know this because their names are written beneath the one and a half stars the reviewer has awarded to the show. <p /> The review itself tells us that the performers hyperventilate and break things. For some reason this engenders a response in the reviewer that touches on cling-film, pupae, colonoscopies, panic, Stan Brakhage, pretentious cinema, and Nepalese toilets. <p /> In other words, one thing is clear: the reviewer did not enjoy the show. Nothing about the rest of the review, except maybe the font, is clear, constructive, informative, or helpful. No stars.<p /></p> </p> <p><a href="http://www.thereviewerreviewer.com/a-review-of-a-review-of-a-circus-show">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://www.thereviewerreviewer.com/a-review-of-a-review-of-a-circus-show#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TheReviewerReviewer/~4/KyDLejP_8EE" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/501938/photo.jpg http://posterous.com/users/5emiVTUWAigV Reviewer Reviewer thereviewerreviewer Reviewer Reviewer http://www.thereviewerreviewer.com/a-review-of-a-review-of-a-circus-show Mon, 03 May 2010 22:37:42 -0700 A review of the reviews of The Logies http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheReviewerReviewer/~3/lXVa28elIN8/a-review-of-the-reviews-of-the-logies http://www.thereviewerreviewer.com/a-review-of-the-reviews-of-the-logies <p> <p><span>Australian TV awards show <i>The Logies</i> was hosted this year by television performer Bert Newton. Consensus in the press is that he did very well, <i>The Daily Telegraph</i> reviewing his performance as follows: "<a href="http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/less-viewers-but-everyone-still-loves-bert-20100503-u2xp.html">Less viewers but everyone still loves Bert</a>". Unfortunately for The <i>Daily Telegraph</i>, unless the viewers in question comprise a single entity (not an entirely ludicrous suggestion. The Logies broadcast was out-rated by a cooking program) this is an embarrassing grammatical error. </span></p> <p><i><span> <span style="font-style: normal;"><i><span>The Herald Sun</span></i><span> reviewed Newton's performance as short, sharp, smart and dangerous, although the reviewer seemed surprised that Newton hadn't mentioned his son's treatment in a rehab clinic in his opening monologue (honestly. <a href="http://www.heraldsun.com.au/entertainment/bert-newton-shines-as-host-of-logies/story-fn4sol8z-1225861323689">I promise I'm not kidding</a>). A few of Bert's choice lines are then printed. He "took aim at disgraced footballer Brendan Fevola and former Victorian police chief Christine Nixon" for example. </span></span></span></i></p> <p><span>This morning there has been a large fuss in the same newspapers wherein this very skill - comedians taking pot-shots at easy targets regardless of whether it hurts their feelings - is receiving stern disapproval. 'NASTY LOGIE TWEETS', 'COMEDIAN WIL ANDERSON WAS AT IT AGAIN', 'CATHERINE DEVENY'S CONTROVERSIAL LOGIES NIGHT TWITTER REMARKS' they say. A <i>TV Week</i> spokeswoman is <a href="http://www.heraldsun.com.au/entertainment/wil-anderson-under-fire-after-x-rated-twitter-spray-during-logies/story-fn4sol8z-1225861776122">quoted</a> saying, "In this time of modern technology we ask people to respect the event and the evening".</span></p> <p><span>Reviewers are entitled to think that unfunny personal attacks are snide and self-aggrandizing but if they're congratulating Bert for doing this for four hours, they have a logic problem. Those reviewers critiquing tweets had better be the ones critiquing network TV like <i>The Footy Show</i>, <i>Hey Hey It's</i> <i>Saturday</i> and Bert Newton's kick-em-while-they're-down <i>Logies </i>jokes for taking the same approach. Otherwise, it might seem less like a critique and more like an attempt to start a food fight in a school canteen.</span></p> <p><span>No stars, Logies reviewers. No stars.</span></p> </p> <p><a href="http://www.thereviewerreviewer.com/a-review-of-the-reviews-of-the-logies">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://www.thereviewerreviewer.com/a-review-of-the-reviews-of-the-logies#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TheReviewerReviewer/~4/lXVa28elIN8" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/501938/photo.jpg http://posterous.com/users/5emiVTUWAigV Reviewer Reviewer thereviewerreviewer Reviewer Reviewer http://www.thereviewerreviewer.com/a-review-of-the-reviews-of-the-logies Wed, 28 Apr 2010 23:27:00 -0700 A Review of a Review of Moby Dick http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheReviewerReviewer/~3/TAmLQ7ykANY/a-review-of-a-review-of-moby-dick http://www.thereviewerreviewer.com/a-review-of-a-review-of-moby-dick <p> <p><span><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/stage/2010/apr/26/moby-dick-review">This</a> review of Moby Dick is an excellent example of two major trends in contemporary reviewing.</span></p> <p><span>1. If a review begins with a description of the hilarious/profound/life-changingly enjoyable time the audience was having on the evening the reviewer attended, chances are the reviewer didn't like it.</span></p> <p><span> 2. Wherever possible, at whatever cost to the integrity of the finer points of the reviewer's critique, puns on the show's title or central themes or indeed anything at all should be deployed more often than, say, verbs.</span></p> <p><span> To ensure a positive review then, it's generally a good idea to make sure the title of your show brings to mind a metaphor of some kind that reflects positively on the production (no mention of sinking ships or being lost at sea for example) and that your audience - whatever else they might do - for heaven's sake not enjoy themselves. 3 stars.</span></p> </p> <p><a href="http://www.thereviewerreviewer.com/a-review-of-a-review-of-moby-dick">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://www.thereviewerreviewer.com/a-review-of-a-review-of-moby-dick#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TheReviewerReviewer/~4/TAmLQ7ykANY" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/501938/photo.jpg http://posterous.com/users/5emiVTUWAigV Reviewer Reviewer thereviewerreviewer Reviewer Reviewer http://www.thereviewerreviewer.com/a-review-of-a-review-of-moby-dick Sun, 18 Apr 2010 18:52:57 -0700 A Review of Richard Wilkins's Review of Kick Ass http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheReviewerReviewer/~3/3cq9RtOesW8/a-review-of-richard-wilkinss-review-of-kick-a http://www.thereviewerreviewer.com/a-review-of-richard-wilkinss-review-of-kick-a <p> <p><span>In <a href="http://news.ninemsn.com.au/entertainment/1037038/richard-wilkins-slams-controversial-film-kick-ass">his televised review</a> of the film Kick Ass, Richard Wilkins describes the film as “inappropriate”, “wrong” and “so wrong”. These three clearly distinct and well-reasoned objections seem to be based on the film's imagined influence on ‘youngsters’. His central concerns are the violence and the use of "extreme" language. Wilkins describes the violence as follows: "I just think it desensitises the whole guns and kids and stuff like that". Extreme language that has the potential to negatively influence young people's ability to communicate in the real world: indeed. 1 star.</span></p> </p> <p><a href="http://www.thereviewerreviewer.com/a-review-of-richard-wilkinss-review-of-kick-a">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://www.thereviewerreviewer.com/a-review-of-richard-wilkinss-review-of-kick-a#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TheReviewerReviewer/~4/3cq9RtOesW8" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/501938/photo.jpg http://posterous.com/users/5emiVTUWAigV Reviewer Reviewer thereviewerreviewer Reviewer Reviewer http://www.thereviewerreviewer.com/a-review-of-richard-wilkinss-review-of-kick-a Fri, 16 Apr 2010 21:03:04 -0700 A Review of A Review of Josh Thomas's Show http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheReviewerReviewer/~3/2vkA0TFY3uk/a-review-of-a-review-of-josh-thomass-show http://www.thereviewerreviewer.com/a-review-of-a-review-of-josh-thomass-show <p> <p><span><a href="http://www.thegroggysquirrel.com/reviews/2010/03/21/2010-micf/josh-thomas---surprise/">This review</a> of Josh Thomas says that the reviewer has "been cheering on our baby faced, funnier than his years, Josh Thomas" since he first appeared in RAW comedy. His years, which don't seem to have been reviewed as yet, have obviously got some work to do. But to simply be dismissed like this, discarded by association, doesn't seem fair. How funny, precisely, have Josh Thomas's years been? I think we should be told. Were some more risible than others?</span></p> <p><span>The reviewer's conclusion that Thomas's delivery is "gonna get real old real quick" because it's too cutesy brings to mind another comparison that involves a pot, the darkness of its hue, some name-calling, and a kettle. 2 stars.</span></p> </p> <p><a href="http://www.thereviewerreviewer.com/a-review-of-a-review-of-josh-thomass-show">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://www.thereviewerreviewer.com/a-review-of-a-review-of-josh-thomass-show#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TheReviewerReviewer/~4/2vkA0TFY3uk" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/501938/photo.jpg http://posterous.com/users/5emiVTUWAigV Reviewer Reviewer thereviewerreviewer Reviewer Reviewer http://www.thereviewerreviewer.com/a-review-of-a-review-of-josh-thomass-show Fri, 16 Apr 2010 00:49:18 -0700 A review of Jim Schembri's reviews of audiences who like the films he doesn't like http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheReviewerReviewer/~3/z33E7zQLgSk/a-review-of-jim-schembris-reviews-of-audience http://www.thereviewerreviewer.com/a-review-of-jim-schembris-reviews-of-audience <p> <p><span>Jim Schembri didn't like <a href="http://www.theage.com.au/news/film-reviews/made-of-honour/2008/05/01/1209235036336.html">Made of Honour</a>, didn't like <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/movies/the-last-song-20100402-rjqc.html">The Last Song</a> and didn't like <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/movies/the-girl-with-the-dragon-tattoo-20100324-qwog.html">The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo</a>. Fair enough, too. He offers some analysis of why. </span></p> <p><span>He then attempts to insult people not blessed with his insight. He suggests that "those who want a good sook" will like The Last Song, that "chick-flick droves" will flock to Made Of Honour, and that people who have enjoyed Stieg Larsson's books might "endure or even admire this limp, forgettable, murder mystery dirge from Sweden". I'm not sure I approve of Schembri's rather sulky generalisations, although of course there will be culturally incurious flat-faced asinine twerps amongst you who disagree. 3 stars.</span></p> </p> <p><a href="http://www.thereviewerreviewer.com/a-review-of-jim-schembris-reviews-of-audience">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://www.thereviewerreviewer.com/a-review-of-jim-schembris-reviews-of-audience#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TheReviewerReviewer/~4/z33E7zQLgSk" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/501938/photo.jpg http://posterous.com/users/5emiVTUWAigV Reviewer Reviewer thereviewerreviewer Reviewer Reviewer http://www.thereviewerreviewer.com/a-review-of-jim-schembris-reviews-of-audience Wed, 14 Apr 2010 16:46:43 -0700 A review of a review of lettuce http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheReviewerReviewer/~3/M6PyGS00uTI/a-review-of-a-review-of-lettuce http://www.thereviewerreviewer.com/a-review-of-a-review-of-lettuce <p> Mark Bittman's review of the vexed state of contemporary <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/restaurants-and-bars/turn-over-an-old-leaf-20100412-s35l.html" target="_blank">lettuce</a> is passionate but even-handed, historically accurate but cheerfully upbeat, and nothing if not forensically analytical. Bittman frames the mixed bag of lettuce (mesclun) in its sociopolitical, lexicographical and historical contexts, acknowledging its positive elements ("I'm aware there's sometimes a bit of radicchio thrown in") and confessing that "clearly lettuce had dimensions that I had not yet explored". Bittman's approach to his subject is always fair and, when skirting controversy, he acknowledges opposing perspectives. Even the most hardcore mesclun fan would admit this review looks to a bright future for lettuce enthusiasts. Five stars. </p> <p><a href="http://www.thereviewerreviewer.com/a-review-of-a-review-of-lettuce">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://www.thereviewerreviewer.com/a-review-of-a-review-of-lettuce#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TheReviewerReviewer/~4/M6PyGS00uTI" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/501938/photo.jpg http://posterous.com/users/5emiVTUWAigV Reviewer Reviewer thereviewerreviewer Reviewer Reviewer http://www.thereviewerreviewer.com/a-review-of-a-review-of-lettuce Mon, 12 Apr 2010 00:38:37 -0700 A Review of the First Paragraphs of Helen Razer's Reviews http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheReviewerReviewer/~3/j1QfEQy2iME/a-review-of-the-first-paragraphs-of-helen-raz http://www.thereviewerreviewer.com/a-review-of-the-first-paragraphs-of-helen-raz <p> <span style="font-family: Arial;">The first paragraph of <a href="http://www.theage.com.au/entertainment/comedy/lin-dong-fu-made-in-china-20100411-s0s1.html" target="_blank">Helen Razer's review</a> of Lin Dong Fu's show posits that "we" (humans? Australians? White Australians? Australians who haven't been to China? Australians who have never met a Chinese person? Australians with a similar sensibility to Helen Razer? Helen Razer?) regard China as a nation that thinks as one. The first paragraph of <a href="http://www.theage.com.au/entertainment/comedy/review/stage/sam-simmons-fail/20100412-s2qh.html" target="_blank">Helen Razer's review</a> of Sam Simmons's show posits that Helen Razer doesn't know what Sam Simmons is doing. The first paragraph of <a href="http://www.theage.com.au/entertainment/comedy/review/stage/jess-love-and-the-little-one-said/20100409-rw3u.html" target="_blank">Helen Razer's review</a> of And The Little One Said posits that the ellipsis is a lowly form of punctuation. Here's my question: are the first paragraphs of Helen Razer's reviews eventually going to constitute an actual autobiography? No stars, just wondering.</span> </p> <p><a href="http://www.thereviewerreviewer.com/a-review-of-the-first-paragraphs-of-helen-raz">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://www.thereviewerreviewer.com/a-review-of-the-first-paragraphs-of-helen-raz#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TheReviewerReviewer/~4/j1QfEQy2iME" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/501938/photo.jpg http://posterous.com/users/5emiVTUWAigV Reviewer Reviewer thereviewerreviewer Reviewer Reviewer http://www.thereviewerreviewer.com/a-review-of-the-first-paragraphs-of-helen-raz Sat, 10 Apr 2010 01:40:15 -0700 A Review of a Review of Frisky & Mannish's School of Pop http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheReviewerReviewer/~3/ZYvuA9E4ufs/a-review-of-a-review-of-frisky-and-mannishs-s http://www.thereviewerreviewer.com/a-review-of-a-review-of-frisky-and-mannishs-s <p> <p style="margin-bottom: 18.0pt; line-height: 18.0pt;"><span style="color: #1A1A1A;"><a href="http://www.thegroggysquirrel.com/reviews/2010/03/21/2010-micf/frisky-manishs-school-of-pop/">This</a> review of Frisky & Mannish's School of Pop attacks the show for not meeting that basic requirement of comedy: being funny. "This was not a comedy show", the reviewer says, describing it as "not vaguely funny", containing "no funny banter", saying "I only laughed 4 more times", and "I'm still wondering how this was funny". We are reminded later that "as I've said, these guys are no comedians". Critiquing something for not meeting the basic requirements of its own genre is entirely acceptable. For example: in addition to the liberal misuse of the comma in this review and the fact that the reviewer of a musical comedy show has never heard of many of the musical references, the review itself begins with the following sentence: "It's ironic that I try not to read the details of reviews for shows that I might consider seeing". No it isn't. No stars.</span></p> </p> <p><a href="http://www.thereviewerreviewer.com/a-review-of-a-review-of-frisky-and-mannishs-s">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://www.thereviewerreviewer.com/a-review-of-a-review-of-frisky-and-mannishs-s#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TheReviewerReviewer/~4/ZYvuA9E4ufs" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/501938/photo.jpg http://posterous.com/users/5emiVTUWAigV Reviewer Reviewer thereviewerreviewer Reviewer Reviewer http://www.thereviewerreviewer.com/a-review-of-a-review-of-frisky-and-mannishs-s Thu, 08 Apr 2010 22:25:23 -0700 A Review of Another Review of Fear of a Brown Planet http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheReviewerReviewer/~3/z71pdeG653E/a-review-of-another-review-of-fear-of-a-brown http://www.thereviewerreviewer.com/a-review-of-another-review-of-fear-of-a-brown <p> <p><span><a href="http://www.anewleaf.com.au/2010/04/04/fear-of-a-brown-planet-returns/">This</a> review of Fear of a Brown Planet Returns states that an obvious fact about humour concerning race is that it is aimed at multicultural audiences. The reviewer then claims it was not aimed at him. This implies one of two things: (1) the reviewer exists in a cultural vacuum (2) he sees 'multicultural' as a category that excludes white people, in which case he is confusing the word multicultural with the word ethnic. He then describes the humour in the show as dividing the audience into unhelpful segments based on race. Part of me wonders if this review is satirical. 1 star. Just in case.</span></p> </p> <p><a href="http://www.thereviewerreviewer.com/a-review-of-another-review-of-fear-of-a-brown">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://www.thereviewerreviewer.com/a-review-of-another-review-of-fear-of-a-brown#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TheReviewerReviewer/~4/z71pdeG653E" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/501938/photo.jpg http://posterous.com/users/5emiVTUWAigV Reviewer Reviewer thereviewerreviewer Reviewer Reviewer http://www.thereviewerreviewer.com/a-review-of-another-review-of-fear-of-a-brown Wed, 07 Apr 2010 16:21:57 -0700 A Review of a Review of Sarah Bennetto's Show http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheReviewerReviewer/~3/dAalykPwYfc/a-review-of-a-review-of-sarah-bennettos-show http://www.thereviewerreviewer.com/a-review-of-a-review-of-sarah-bennettos-show <p> <p style=""><span style="font-family: Helvetica; color: #3E0040;">Most of Helen Razer's <a href="http://www.theage.com.au/entertainment/comedy/sarah-bennetto-the-king--i-20100406-ronn.html"><span style="color: #0A305E;">review</span></a> of Sarah Bennetto's show is an analogy to do with comedians being like strippers. What this has to do with Sarah Bennetto's performance is this: it doesn't apply to her. To further demonstrate this point, we are given a list of things Sarah Bennetto does not do in her show. What does happen in Bennetto's show is unclear, although it is "nice", "refreshing", "self-deprecating" and "pleasant". Or it isn't. Razer finds that difficult to believe.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: Helvetica; color: #3E0040;">I found a fact about Sarah Bennetto's show in this review of Sarah Bennetto's show: there is a story in it that has something to do with the royal family. 1 star.</span></p> </p> <p><a href="http://www.thereviewerreviewer.com/a-review-of-a-review-of-sarah-bennettos-show">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://www.thereviewerreviewer.com/a-review-of-a-review-of-sarah-bennettos-show#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TheReviewerReviewer/~4/dAalykPwYfc" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/501938/photo.jpg http://posterous.com/users/5emiVTUWAigV Reviewer Reviewer thereviewerreviewer Reviewer Reviewer http://www.thereviewerreviewer.com/a-review-of-a-review-of-sarah-bennettos-show Mon, 05 Apr 2010 23:11:44 -0700 A review of a review of Tom Gleeson's show http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheReviewerReviewer/~3/fI43UDru9CY/a-review-of-a-review-of-tom-gleesons-show http://www.thereviewerreviewer.com/a-review-of-a-review-of-tom-gleesons-show <p> <span style="font-family: Arial;"><a href="http://www.theage.com.au/entertainment/comedy/tom-gleeson-get-it-into-ya-20100406-rnzx.html"><span style="color: rgb(10, 48, 94);">This review</span></a></span><span style="font-family: Arial;"> awards Tom Gleeson's show four stars. They are four of the most begrudging stars in the universe. The reviewer delivers a series of back-handers and makes the following rather remarkable statement: "comedians on TV are always watered-down, less funny versions of themselves". Among the people who will be surprised to hear this we can safely include Chris Lilley, the Monty Python team, and the estates of Peter Cook and Tony Hancock. 4 Stars</span><span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: Arial;">.</span> </p> <p><a href="http://www.thereviewerreviewer.com/a-review-of-a-review-of-tom-gleesons-show">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://www.thereviewerreviewer.com/a-review-of-a-review-of-tom-gleesons-show#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TheReviewerReviewer/~4/fI43UDru9CY" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/501938/photo.jpg http://posterous.com/users/5emiVTUWAigV Reviewer Reviewer thereviewerreviewer Reviewer Reviewer http://www.thereviewerreviewer.com/a-review-of-a-review-of-tom-gleesons-show Sun, 04 Apr 2010 19:40:12 -0700 Comedy Review Review #4 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheReviewerReviewer/~3/ef16HgVpKGk/comedy-review-review-4 http://www.thereviewerreviewer.com/comedy-review-review-4 <p> <span style="color: rgb(66, 64, 55); font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; border-collapse: collapse; line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://www.australianstage.com.au/201003263325/reviews/micf-10/fear-of-a-brown-planet-returns.html" target="_blank" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; color: rgb(42, 93, 176); text-decoration: underline;">This</a> is a review about whether the two performers in <i style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px;">Fear of a Brown Planet</i> successfully negotiate the politics of racism in Australia in their show. The reviewer describes the performers as Indian. Neither of the performers is Indian. 1 star (for demonstrating the politics of racism in Australia beautifully).</span> </p> <p><a href="http://www.thereviewerreviewer.com/comedy-review-review-4">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://www.thereviewerreviewer.com/comedy-review-review-4#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TheReviewerReviewer/~4/ef16HgVpKGk" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/501938/photo.jpg http://posterous.com/users/5emiVTUWAigV Reviewer Reviewer thereviewerreviewer Reviewer Reviewer http://www.thereviewerreviewer.com/comedy-review-review-4 Thu, 01 Apr 2010 21:27:00 -0700 Review of a Book Review http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheReviewerReviewer/~3/4rCgDQGslvI/review-of-a-book-review http://www.thereviewerreviewer.com/review-of-a-book-review <p> <p><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; border-collapse: collapse;"> <div><a href="http://www.spaghettibookclub.org/review.php?review_id=7121" target="_blank" style="color: #114170;">This seven-year-old's review</a> of <em>10-Step Guide to Living With Your Monster</em> faithfully sets out the narrative questions central to the work, describing it on its own terms and using examples. The tone of the critic's subjective textual analysis is never superior. In fact, retrospectively erroneous preconceptions ("I thought it would be scary") are confessed and addressed in relation to the reader experience. The critic positions the work within a cultural context, admitting that although kids who don't like monsters may not enjoy Numeroff's oeuvre, there is evidence to suggest that this work may depart from the monster genre and that the friendliness of the monster may appeal to the non-monster demographic. Top of the range. 5 very enthusiastic stars.</div> <p /> </span></p> </p> <p><a href="http://www.thereviewerreviewer.com/review-of-a-book-review">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://www.thereviewerreviewer.com/review-of-a-book-review#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TheReviewerReviewer/~4/4rCgDQGslvI" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/501938/photo.jpg http://posterous.com/users/5emiVTUWAigV Reviewer Reviewer thereviewerreviewer Reviewer Reviewer http://www.thereviewerreviewer.com/review-of-a-book-review