Ann Powers wrote a fine essay on the music critic trend of "poptimism" titled "Pop music critics embrace the mainstream." (L.A. Times). But she failed to mention that a potential reason daily music critics like the St. Petersburg Times' Sean Daly are covering cheap reality TV like American Idol (Powers does, too, but more likely by choice, see below) is because they are no longer in a position to tell populist/desperate editors "no." Arts critics are being laid off at even a faster clip than reporters. In fact, there's not a single music critic job opening at a daily newspaper in the entire nation. I know critics rank right alongside lawyers in the receiving of sympathy department, but it's grim folks.
Let me give you a first-person example. My title was "features writer/music critic" during my four years at the McClatchy-owned Bradenton Herald. About 18 months ago, I left for the greener pastures of CL, and to avoid covering American Idol, something I was asked to do and refused. I would have left regardless, I've had my eye on this CL gig for years, but the American Idol debate — I was offended it was even being mentioned as something the music critic should cover — sealed the deal. The full-time position at the Herald has since been eliminated like so many other "critics" gigs in Florida. Truth be told, if I was at The Herald today, in this job climate, and asked to cover American Idol, my response would quite possibly be different.
Now, a celebrated vet like Powers writes books with the likes of Tori Amos and probably has the fuck you money and job prospects to shoot down anything she deems beneath her. But most daily music critics are likely thinking twice before telling the boss to shove it when told to advance/review, say, the New Kids on the Block reunion tour. We already kinda sorta know where Daly stands on this one. Would his contempt be more pronounced even two years ago? Is poptimism the result of critics feeling the pressure to pander to a shrinking audience? And retain one of the scarcest jobs in America? On some level, at least, this has to be a factor.
This article appears in Jul 23-29, 2008.
