What does this phrase mean: 'My wife gives me sound advice, 99% sound 1% advice'?
It's a play on words.‘Sound’ can mean good, solid, based on good sense as in ‘sound advice’.It can also mean ‘noise with no sense’, as in Shakespeare's “Full of sound and fury, signifying nothing”.By splitting the meaning of ‘sound’ from ‘advice’ and using its second meaning, the writer first implies that his wife gives him good advice but then contradicts this, saying she is very noisy and gives little advice.It's amazing how humour can become totally boring when you start to analyse it!
What is your advice for an aspiring movie critic?
Be objective rather than subjective when reviewing movies, would be the first piece of advice I would start with.Other pieces of advice include:Say what you liked about the film,Say what you disliked about the film (without an bias),Recommend how the filmmaker can better improve in future stories (since the film has already been made and set in stone),Comment on:production value,acting,direction,story,characters,the elements in the story, andThe world of the story (including the believe ability of said world and the characters)Your overall impressions of the movie or film being shown.When it comes to the direction and the acting aspect of the story, including the story itself, keep in mind that there can be any combination of things that will cause the film to receive a lower grade or rating from critics. These include, but not limited to:The acting can be good, but the direction and or the story can suck,The direction can be good or great, but the acting and or the story can suck,Both the acting and the direction can suck, but the story can be great,The acting and the direction can be good or great, but the story can be mediocre.There may be other factors, but I’ve listed a few that are a major ones to look out for.And, never, ever demean a filmmaker or form a baised opinion of that filmmaker just by the films made, because that filmmaker may have a viewpoint that you may not be considering.Finally, understand how filmmaking works and the filmmaker’s world. Learn the axiom: show, don’t tell.
How do you respond to destructive criticism without sounding weak or defensive?
I teach workshops that can get pretty edgy at times. Sometimes I will encounter a participant’s defenses that can show up as criticism. When I get this type of criticism, my usual response is “Thank you.” I try to respond with no “edge” in my voice so it will not be apparent that I either agree or disagree with the criticism. If the critic persists, I will say, “Let’s take this off line” and I then continue teaching.If the criticism is in a one-on-one situation and they are giving me their opinions, I may get curious and ask them to “tell me more”. If they have a clear edge to their voice, I will say, “It appears to me that you have considerable energy about this topic. Have I somehow gotten under your skin or triggered one of your defenses?”Ultimately, when someone criticizes me, I want to look deeply for some possible truth to what they are saying. If I cannot find something for me to look at, I will let it slide off me.As for appearing weak or defensive, they are two different things. If I get defensive, then I have been triggered and I need to look at that. I never worry about appearing weak because what others think of me is none of my business.
Why do women today feel that they are above criticism?
Seems like women today want to dish out criticism and tell everyone else how to live their lives... yet.. you BETTER NOT tell THEM. It always blows my mind how some women can be so preachy... then refuse to take advice from others. They will complain that people don't take their advice.. THEN get angry when someone tries to give them advice. They will talk badly about men right in front of men.. THEN get angry when a man talks badly about women. There are a lot of women who are not like that, but I feel like far too many women ARE.
How do you give criticism to a highly-sensitive friend? Whenever they ask for my advice, they ask me to "go easy on them" which to me sounds like they don't want all my honesty. I’m a polite but also blunt person and they can't seem to take the heat.
Hi there! I'm autistic, and I struggle with similar social situations to what you've described here. I've come up with a pretty fool-proof way to deal with this situation.On one hand, they may be making a joke because you're known for your brutal honesty, and you may proceed as normal.On the other, you may be misreading a request for reassurance as a request for a critique.It can be difficult to tell what exactly they are asking for, so clarify what they want before proceeding. You don't want to hurt your friend after all!That's what it boils down to: don't ask us anonymous randos of the internet about what is going on in the heads of people you know. We literally cannot know the answer. You should ask the people you know about their own thoughts. They, after all, are the only ones who can possibly answer truthfully.
I have been advised to get over my fears and try to sell some of my art, which I nitpick and always find faults in. Do you think this is sound advice?
Yes. Most artist find it hard to take the p,Inge. Fear of rejection is the main reason. You have to be willing to put yourself out there and hope for the best. Of others are encouraging you then it is a pretty good bet your work is good. We are our own worst critics so do let you be the reason you don't try. Listen to the ones who aren't invested. Once you sell your first piece you will feel on top of the world. But one thing I learned is that people love to look at the originals but do t want to pay for them. So they will ask if you have any prints. Be prepared. It means they like your work but don't want to spend that much. That ok a sale is a sale.