In our first week of the Media studio ‘Everyone’s A Critic’, the class brainstormed what we thought it means to be a critic within our contemporary society. We discussed how the role of the critic has changed due to media transformations, which consequently have shifted the onus from designated ‘professional’ to individual.

Commenting on our own likes and dislikes surrounding the media industry and some examples of media itself (tv, radio, film etc), each member of the class started to form their own assessment piece of critique. As the Wednesday tutorial focused how criticism and critical writing uses a larger degree of creativity in contrast to academic writing, the emphasis on creating our own style and tone was magnified. Although this emphasis was initially quite daunting as it pushes a writer to form their own personality, as oppose to argument, I think the exercise will be beneficial for my writing in general.

I choose to critique the recent Netflix feature film, To The Bone, as its demographic of a teen audience makes it a perfect example of a pop-culture text, as well as the commercial platform demonstrating popular beliefs regarding mental illness and its portrayal. In the class exercise, Pat edited my piece, which was highly beneficial as his exterior perspective formed an objective criticism I would have not been able to produce on my own work. Further, the exercise was great as it allowed for my work to be critique without the formalities and wait period of a teacher and student process. It capitalised on the intelligence of my peers, whilst simultaneously providing me an opportunity to hear thoughtful ideas and criticism I would have not been able to hear previously. Listening to the criticism of someone from my own generation, who has grown up with a different aspect of the pop-culture which surrounded both our lives, allowed me to view my piece and perspective differently, but also, through the same kind of lens.