Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Jordan Calhoun

@jordanmcalhoun.com

480 followers 82 following 330 posts

Editor in Chief, Lifehacker Author, "Piccolo Is Black: A Memoir of Race, Religion, and Pop Culture" I use storytelling to help make sense of the world

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Pinned

Jordan Calhoun @jordanmcalhoun.com · Jun 29

My world on this app is way too small! My skyline is like the same 5 people

If you like movies, TV, books, comics, anime, video games, writing, the NBA, the WNBA, or Broadway, I’d love to follow you!

Jordan Calhoun @jordanmcalhoun.com · 1d

My goal is to express my disagreement. You're welcome to say that I'm dishonestly approaching your point, if that's how you feel, but I'm being as honest with you as possible. I think part of your point, as I've understood it so far, is wrong and makes assumptions of a useful approach to criticism

Jordan Calhoun @jordanmcalhoun.com · 1d

If you want to say that “not for me” doesn’t add anything to the review, fair. Hard disagree, but fair. But to suggest it takes away from the review as false generosity is assuming intent, not to mention disregarding its value in setting context for knowing the writer better

Jordan Calhoun @jordanmcalhoun.com · 1d

lol Come on. “To me the other perspectives are always imagined” isn’t intellectually honest

Jordan Calhoun @jordanmcalhoun.com · 1d

What if other perspectives aren't imagined? Does it become fair game to address? Because there's value in, say, pointing out the popularity, history, and fandom of an IP when discussing my experience with it

What your saying now is a different tune than “'Not for me' is fake generosity"

Jordan Calhoun @jordanmcalhoun.com · 1d

Exactly! That’s been my point, which I feel is in disagreement with some of what I read from you and @jakesteinberg.substack.com. The notion seemed to be that the absence of a claim of “good” or “bad” means appeasement or a dearth of conviction. And that’s just untrue.

Jordan Calhoun @jordanmcalhoun.com · 1d

Taylor Swift's album isn't for me, but I still might have something valuable to say about it that has nothing to do with whether it's "good" or "bad." And that's okay.

Jordan Calhoun @jordanmcalhoun.com · 1d

That makes 100% sense to me. The part I would push back against is the assumption that avoiding a firm "good" or "bad" claim is in opposition to those qualities. You can share your taste and moral core while also acknowledging that a certain piece of art isn't for you. They're not mutually exclusive

Jordan Calhoun @jordanmcalhoun.com · 1d

But video games are different from most other art review cultures, I think. It's a lot rarer to find uniformity in opinion in, say, books, for example

Jordan Calhoun @jordanmcalhoun.com · 1d

See, so I agree with the sentiment here, but I think this might be a good example of why we're missing each other. This is speaking in response to a particular type of video game review culture—which is what you might be thinking about too, when you discuss reviews

Jordan Calhoun @jordanmcalhoun.com · 1d

We might be on the same page then. I'm not *entirely* sure, but I think we're there.

Jordan Calhoun @jordanmcalhoun.com · 1d

Craven move if you include mine and not invite me to disagree, for the record. I fear a preemptive apology is softer than the arguments you volleyed

(Can you tell the most offensive part of yours and @carolynmichelle.bsky.social’s argument is the suggestion that disagreement means cowardice?)

Jordan Calhoun @jordanmcalhoun.com · 1d

Taking off, unsure of wifi. Either way, dinner soon to discuss in person please, @carolynmichelle.bsky.social and @jakesteinberg.substack.com! Happy to prove that a writer who avoids binary judgement of art isn’t craven by disagreeing to your faces and hearing your thoughts!

Jordan Calhoun @jordanmcalhoun.com · 1d

It “can,” sure, I can agree with that. The assertion that it needs to signal fear though is a false one.

Jordan Calhoun @jordanmcalhoun.com · 1d

Right, and that’s my disagreement with you and @carolynmichelle.bsky.social’s assertion. You seem to suggest that a failure to call something good or bad is a failure of bravery or conviction, but that’s not true. The interrogation doesn’t require it—and is often more effective without it

Jordan Calhoun @jordanmcalhoun.com · 1d

We might be talking about different things. It sounds like you’re reacting to a specific type of gaming criticism that I might agree is useless or cowardly, but I disagree with your conclusion when/if broadly applied

Jordan Calhoun @jordanmcalhoun.com · 1d

That’s exactly my point: Interrogating why it has or hasn’t reached me is the valuable part. Arguably the *most* valuable part. Far more valuable than saying it’s good or bad. And it’s not craven to explore than without the binary assertion

Jordan Calhoun @jordanmcalhoun.com · 1d

I’ve written about this before. www.theatlantic.com/newsletters/...

Movies Don’t Need Reviews. They Need Something Else.

Reviews are about the writer as much as the art itself.

www.theatlantic.com

Jordan Calhoun @jordanmcalhoun.com · 1d

One of my questions for people who hold this opinion is, what is the value of reducing art to “good” or “bad”? Because I would argue you learn more about the writer’s perspective—and thus their interaction with the art in question—through more personal insight of their open subjectivities

Jordan Calhoun @jordanmcalhoun.com · 1d

I’ve gone down the rabbit hole of these posts and my biggest problem is the false equivalency of “honesty” and choosing some binary verdict. Also the suggestion that avoiding such a verdict is soft or milquetoast or cowardice

Jordan Calhoun @jordanmcalhoun.com · 1d

I get the argument against “pulling punches” if it’s meant to shirk away from criticism or appease everyone. But calling everything “good” or “bad” is reductive, and its insistence is one of the deepest flaws to criticism

Jordan Calhoun @jordanmcalhoun.com · 1d

I don’t watch baseball. It’s not for me. To call it “bad” isn’t craven or pulling my punches; in this case, it’s simply an acknowledgement that I haven’t learned to value what others have. Same can apply to art

Jordan Calhoun @jordanmcalhoun.com · 1d

I don’t make often disagree with @carolynmichelle.bsky.social but if there’s wifi on this flight I might have the time for this one. For now, suffice to say that this take ain’t it (for me 😂)

Jake Steinberg @jakesteinberg.substack.com · 2d

“Not for me,” is fake generosity. You’re still calling it bad, but you know others feel differently and you fear being wrong.

Criticism always holds a specific worldview, but this phrase submits to the dominant taste. It's a plea to be tolerated among an imagined higher authority you are upholding.

Carolyn Petit @carolynmichelle.bsky.social · 2d

respectfully: no. develop your own taste, absolutely, but own it. it's fine to think that popular thing is bad. it's fine to not have an opinion too, but i see statements like this one all the time and i just want to push back a bit: there's nothing wrong with having the courage of your convictions.

Jordan Calhoun @jordanmcalhoun.com · 6d

Yeah I definitely get that. My plan is just to abandon my kids and responsibilities until spring, I warned them in advance

Jordan Calhoun @jordanmcalhoun.com · 6d

"Come on... it's been so long"

Jordan Calhoun @jordanmcalhoun.com · 6d

🔥🔥🔥