Quotes by Critic | Beyond Motive 3/30

top of page

Quotes by Critic

"You know, a left-winger, the barrier to success if you're on the left in commercial radio is a mile and a half higher than it is if you're on the right."

"You know, a left-winger, the barrier to success if you're on the left in commercial radio is a mile and a half higher than it is if you're on the right."

Robert McChesney, American Critic

33

"There is nothing more demoralizing than a small but adequate income."

"There is nothing more demoralizing than a small but adequate income."

Edmund Wilson, American Critic

Income, Nothing

33

"The first mistake of art is to assume that it's serious."

"The first mistake of art is to assume that it's serious."

Lester Bangs, American Critic

Art, Mistake, First

33

"The use of criticism, in periodical writing, is to sift, not to stamp a work."

"The use of criticism, in periodical writing, is to sift, not to stamp a work."

Margaret Fuller, American Critic

Work, Criticism, Writing

33

"Erotica is simply high-class pornography; better produced, better conceived, better executed, better packaged, designed for a better class of consumer."

"Erotica is simply high-class pornography; better produced, better conceived, better executed, better packaged, designed for a better class of consumer."

Andrea Dworkin, American Critic

Erotica, Class, Pornography

33

"For the will and not the gift makes the giver."

"For the will and not the gift makes the giver."

Gotthold Ephraim Lessing, German Critic

33

"Discourse is fleeting, but junk mail is forever."

"Discourse is fleeting, but junk mail is forever."

Joe Bob Briggs, American Critic

Communication, Mail

33

"If you give an audience a chance they will do half your acting for you."

"If you give an audience a chance they will do half your acting for you."

William Hazlitt, English Critic

Acting, Chance, Will

33

"When a thing ceases to be a subject of controversy, it ceases to be a subject of interest."

"When a thing ceases to be a subject of controversy, it ceases to be a subject of interest."

William Hazlitt, English Critic

Interest, Controversy

33

"I now know all the people worth knowing in America, and I find no intellect comparable to my own."

"I now know all the people worth knowing in America, and I find no intellect comparable to my own."

Margaret Fuller, American Critic

People, America, Intellect, Now

32

"A house is no home unless it contain food and fire for the mind as well as for the body."

"A house is no home unless it contain food and fire for the mind as well as for the body."

Margaret Fuller, American Critic

Food, Home, Body, Fire

32

"Art is a private thing, the artist makes it for himself; a comprehensible work is the product of a journalist. We need works that are strong, straight, precise, and forever beyond understanding."

"Art is a private thing, the artist makes it for himself; a comprehensible work is the product of a journalist. We need works that are strong, straight, precise, and forever beyond understanding."

Kenneth Tynan, English Critic

Art, Work, Artist, Understanding

32

"It seems that it is madder never to abandon one's self than often to be infatuated; better to be wounded, a captive and a slave, than always to walk in armor."

"It seems that it is madder never to abandon one's self than often to be infatuated; better to be wounded, a captive and a slave, than always to walk in armor."

Margaret Fuller, American Critic

32

"Science is always discovering odd scraps of magical wisdom and making a tremendous fuss about its cleverness."

"Science is always discovering odd scraps of magical wisdom and making a tremendous fuss about its cleverness."

Aleister Crowley, English Critic

Science, Wisdom, Cleverness

32

"White women and black men have it both ways. They can act as oppressor or be oppressed. Black men may be victimized by racism, but sexism allows them to act as exploiters and oppressors of women. White women may be victimized by sexism, but racism enables them to act as exploiters and oppressors of black people. Both groups have led liberation movements that favor their interests and support the continued oppression of other groups. Black male sexism has undermined struggles to eradicate racism just as white female racism undermines feminist struggle. As long as these two groups or any group defines liberation as gaining social equality with ruling class white men, they have a vested interest in the continued exploitation and oppression of others."

"White women and black men have it both ways. They can act as oppressor or be oppressed. Black men may be victimized by racism, but sexism allows them to act as exploiters and oppressors of women. White women may be victimized by sexism, but racism enables them to act as exploiters and oppressors of black people. Both groups have led liberation movements that favor their interests and support the continued oppression of other groups. Black male sexism has undermined struggles to eradicate racism just as white female racism undermines feminist struggle. As long as these two groups or any group defines liberation as gaining social equality with ruling class white men, they have a vested interest in the continued exploitation and oppression of others."

bell hooks, American Critic

Social, Racism, Oppression, Equality, Power

32

"We may affirm, then, that the main drift of the later Renaissance was away from a humanism that favored a free expansion toward a humanism that was in the highest degree disciplinary and selective."

"We may affirm, then, that the main drift of the later Renaissance was away from a humanism that favored a free expansion toward a humanism that was in the highest degree disciplinary and selective."

Irving Babbitt, American Critic

Humanity, Humanism, May

32

"No I don't think it was a myth at all, anymore than what the recession that the whole country was experiencing was a myth, which obviously seems like it's going to get worse and worse."

"No I don't think it was a myth at all, anymore than what the recession that the whole country was experiencing was a myth, which obviously seems like it's going to get worse and worse."

Lester Bangs, American Critic

Nation, Country, Myth

32

"A grave blockhead should always go about with a lively one - they show one another off to the best advantage."

"A grave blockhead should always go about with a lively one - they show one another off to the best advantage."

William Hazlitt, English Critic

Personality, Grave

32

"The criteria, for me, is movie star. It's Hollywood. Not Somalia."

"The criteria, for me, is movie star. It's Hollywood. Not Somalia."

Steven Cojocaru, Canadian Critic

32

"The only vice that cannot be forgiven is hypocrisy. The repentance of a hypocrite is itself hypocrisy."

"The only vice that cannot be forgiven is hypocrisy. The repentance of a hypocrite is itself hypocrisy."

William Hazlitt, English Critic

Forgiveness, Hypocrisy, Repentance, Vice

32

"We read deeply for varied reasons, most of them familiar: that we cannot know enough people profoundly enough; that we need to know ourselves better; that we require knowledge, not just of self and others, but of the way things are."

"We read deeply for varied reasons, most of them familiar: that we cannot know enough people profoundly enough; that we need to know ourselves better; that we require knowledge, not just of self and others, but of the way things are."

Harold Bloom, American Critic

People, Knowledge, Self

32

"Taste is more to do with manners than appearances. Taste is both myth and reality; it is not a style."

"Taste is more to do with manners than appearances. Taste is both myth and reality; it is not a style."

Stephen Bayley, British Critic

Manners, Myth, Reality, Style

32

"If a liberal News channel were launched it would fall flat on its face."

"If a liberal News channel were launched it would fall flat on its face."

Paul Weyrich, American Critic

32

"I believe that the responsibility of the winemaker is to take that fruit and get it into the bottle as the most natural and purest expression of that vineyard, of the grape varietal or blend, and of the vintage."

"I believe that the responsibility of the winemaker is to take that fruit and get it into the bottle as the most natural and purest expression of that vineyard, of the grape varietal or blend, and of the vintage."

Robert M. Parker, Jr., American Critic

Expression, Responsibility

32

"To get others to come into our ways of thinking, we must go over to theirs; and it is necessary to follow, in order to lead."

"To get others to come into our ways of thinking, we must go over to theirs; and it is necessary to follow, in order to lead."

William Hazlitt, English Critic

Adaptation, Order, Thinking

32

"I'll name names, you know I won't hold back."

"I'll name names, you know I won't hold back."

Steven Cojocaru, Canadian Critic

31

"We need to hear the excuses men make to themselves for their worthlessness."

"We need to hear the excuses men make to themselves for their worthlessness."

Margaret Fuller, American Critic

Man, Men, Excuses

31

"One can drink too much, but one never drinks enough."

"One can drink too much, but one never drinks enough."

Gotthold Ephraim Lessing, German Critic

Alcohol, Drinks

31

"America is a land where men govern, but women rule."

"America is a land where men govern, but women rule."

John Mason Brown, American Critic

Man, Men, Women, America, Land

31

"Dandyism is a variety of genius."

"Dandyism is a variety of genius."

William Hazlitt, English Critic

Genius, Variety

31

"When we only name the problem, when we state complaint without a constructive focus or resolution, we take hope away. In this way critique can become merely an expression of profound cynicism, which then works to sustain dominator culture."

"When we only name the problem, when we state complaint without a constructive focus or resolution, we take hope away. In this way critique can become merely an expression of profound cynicism, which then works to sustain dominator culture."

bell hooks, American Critic

Culture, Critique, Cynicism, Hope

31

"He will never have true friends who is afraid of making enemies."

"He will never have true friends who is afraid of making enemies."

William Hazlitt, English Critic

Friendship, Enemies, Friends, Will

31

"The war imbued my tin soldiers with quite a new interest. It was impossible to have boxes enough of them."

"The war imbued my tin soldiers with quite a new interest. It was impossible to have boxes enough of them."

Georg Brandes, Danish Critic

War, Interest, Soldiers

31

"Old friendships are like meats served up repeatedly, cold, comfortless, and distasteful. The stomach turns against them."

"Old friendships are like meats served up repeatedly, cold, comfortless, and distasteful. The stomach turns against them."

William Hazlitt, English Critic

31

"In the past, children learned their values at home, reinforced by organizations such as the Boy Scouts and, of course, their church or synagogue, but in all too many families that is no longer the case."

"In the past, children learned their values at home, reinforced by organizations such as the Boy Scouts and, of course, their church or synagogue, but in all too many families that is no longer the case."

Paul Weyrich, American Critic

Home, Values, Church, Children

31

"In the arts, the critic is the only independent source of information. The rest is advertising."

"In the arts, the critic is the only independent source of information. The rest is advertising."

Pauline Kael, American Critic

Advertising, Information, Rest

31

"I don't think Bush was legitimately elected President."

"I don't think Bush was legitimately elected President."

Roger Ebert, American Critic

31

"The amateur is very rare in French literature - as rare as he is common in our own."

"The amateur is very rare in French literature - as rare as he is common in our own."

Lytton Strachey, English Critic

31

"All disgust is originally disgust at touching."

"All disgust is originally disgust at touching."

Walter Benjamin, German Critic

30

"The common erotic project of destroying women makes it possible for men to unite into a brotherhood; this project is the only firm and trustworthy groundwork for cooperation among males and all male bonding is based on it."

"The common erotic project of destroying women makes it possible for men to unite into a brotherhood; this project is the only firm and trustworthy groundwork for cooperation among males and all male bonding is based on it."

Andrea Dworkin, American Critic

Man, Men, Women, Brotherhood, Cooperation

30

"Hard work makes easy reading or, at least, easier reading."

"Hard work makes easy reading or, at least, easier reading."

M. H. Abrams, American Critic

Reading, Work, Hardwork

30

"We worked on solving the problem of voice communications in a noisy military environment. We established military codes that are highly audible and invented selection tests for personnel who had a superior ability to recognize sound in a noisy background."

"We worked on solving the problem of voice communications in a noisy military environment. We established military codes that are highly audible and invented selection tests for personnel who had a superior ability to recognize sound in a noisy background."

M. H. Abrams, American Critic

Ability, Environment, Military, Sound

30

"The critical method which denies literary modernity would appear - and even, in certain respects, would be - the most modern of critical movements."

"The critical method which denies literary modernity would appear - and even, in certain respects, would be - the most modern of critical movements."

Paul de Man, Belgian Critic

Modernity, Literary

30

"Our struggle for liberation has significance only if it takes place within a feminist movement that has as its fundamental goal the liberation of all people."

"Our struggle for liberation has significance only if it takes place within a feminist movement that has as its fundamental goal the liberation of all people."

bell hooks, American Critic

Activism, Liberation, Feminism, Equality, Movement

30

"Falsehood is invariably the child of fear in one form or another."

"Falsehood is invariably the child of fear in one form or another."

Aleister Crowley, English Critic

Fear, Falsehood

30

"On the whole, the world was friendly. It chiefly depended on whether one were good or not."

"On the whole, the world was friendly. It chiefly depended on whether one were good or not."

Georg Brandes, Danish Critic

30

"No one ever approaches perfection except by stealth, and unknown to themselves."

"No one ever approaches perfection except by stealth, and unknown to themselves."

William Hazlitt, English Critic

30

"Today a reader, tomorrow a leader."

"Today a reader, tomorrow a leader."

Margaret Fuller, American Critic

Leadership, Leader, Today, Tomorrow

29

"Boredom is the dream bird that hatches the egg of experience. A rustling in the leaves drives him away."

"Boredom is the dream bird that hatches the egg of experience. A rustling in the leaves drives him away."

Walter Benjamin, German Critic

Experience, Dream, Boredom

29

"Since men are not equals in white supremacist, capitalist, patriarchal class structure, which men do women want to be equal to?"

"Since men are not equals in white supremacist, capitalist, patriarchal class structure, which men do women want to be equal to?"

bell hooks, American Critic

Feminism, Equality, Class, Race

29

bottom of page