"Critics don't like to admit this, because it makes us seem as herdlike [sic] as civilian TV watchers, but sometimes we decide which shows to take seriously based on on where they air. Track records mean a lot, and certain channels (HBO, AMC, FX,… Showtime) do have a reputation for arty boldness…
Critics and viewers alike tend to assume works that are mainly interested in laughs, excitement, and beauty are inherently less substantive than shows that rip the scabs off life and leave you feeling wrung out or disturbed. That assumption partly explains why so few comedies have won the Oscar for Best Picture. It surely explains why Cary Grant, the most altogether enjoyable leading man in film history, never won an Academy Award for acting: He gave us pleasure no matter what the story and situation and made it look easy."
Matt Zoller Seitz
TV Reviewer for New York magazine
The Frustrated CFO Commentary:
Well, thank you, Mr. Seitz for admitting that "professional" critics (as in those who, for one or another reason, get paid for expressing their opinions in various media) are phonies working off of some preconceived standards instead of assessing the actual quality of the creations they are compensated to review. No wonder, the quality of their work is just as low as that of the majority of people.
And, what a snob: "as herdlike as civilian TV watchers!" Aren't you writing for those TV watchers? So, why are you insulting them? Or you write just for your own ego-massaging purposes? And what are you, may I ask, a military TV watcher?
And the funny part is you still got it all confused, Mr. Unintelligent Snob: The actual "herd" goes altogether for the Kardashians and the Real Housewives. If the narrow slew of snooty hipsters, unable to appreciate art and entertainment on their merit and, therefore, resort to selecting what they watch and consume based on the hype generated by the hipster-catering PR, is a "herd" for "critics" like you, I have no fucking clue, what you, people, are doing in popular media. Definitely not promoting the open-mindedness.
These, so-called, taste-makers are the reason, why the quality entertainment like (forgive me for the "old" references) My So-Called Life, Firefly, and, more recently, Prime Suspect get cancelled. These shows fall in the cracks between the preferences of the masses and the critically acclaimed (most of them, but not all, deservingly so) dramas.
I pride myself on approaching all arts with an open mind and without prejudice. And that includes the TV series. I don't care that The Good Wife airs on CBS and Grimm on NBC. They proved to be quality entertainment with unexpected layers, and I will continue watching them along with Game of Thrones, American Horror Story, and Homeland.
Hell, I even gave Breaking Bad a fair chance: diligently watched 5 first episodes of it – only to find out that the critics who go nuts about it apparently smoke the very meth that Walter White cooks.
The Frustrated CFO 