Bloggers in Residence?

It does seem a bit superfluous!

Just imagine a blogger is the OFFICIAL blogger for a company, may it be an arts or a sports organization! What could one expect from an official blogger? Well, naturally a most positive view!

After all one's livelihood (so to speak) may be on the line if one would NOT 'mouth' the party line!

So - do you chers readers,  follow such blogs?

Or comment on them?

Do you truly believe negative comments will be accepted and posted?

IMO, official blogs by company insiders are really not worth the effort.

One probably ought to read them simply as another official notification.
Just sort of one more press release.

An independent blogger will, one hopes,
freely express his/her personal opinion,
may it be pro or con!
Of course, such may not be to every one's ''cup o' tea"
or referring to ;-) hockey fans 'not my beer'.

On the other hand, at least when it comes to art critics, 

I find they really do not critique much, any more.

They stick - safely - to describing the action and story line of an opera or play.

Most avoid critiquing the singers/actors.

If they actually say something, their remarks are couched in 'safe' generalities.

And when it comes to 'art writ large' - that is another ball game altogether.

I guess they do not want to be called 'prudes' or 'old fashioned' - so they write glowingly about art that IMHO is junk! 

What does one call art made of excrement?
Or blood?

Or butterfly wings pulled off to make a collage?

Or filming, in time lapse, the deterioration of a rotting hare?

Yes, indeed.. some NEW artists of the UK are pioneers in this new kind of 'art'.
And I did have a gander,  but a very brief one - a few months back at the MFAH.
And did NOT then write abou t it.. just disgusted with it, I was.!

So go ahead, call me an old foggy prude!

When I post about operas heard, art seen, I too am guilty of not being detailed at times.

I rely only on an untrained ear which has and, most likely, will land me in deep waters some times. 
As my excuse, I do have a deep love and appreciation for music/opera which I wish to share.
And  have an equally untrained eye for the visual arts..

but I have my feelings and opinions..
 in a "'I like what I like" -  "I did it my way" kinda way!

I mourn the acerbic/satiric critics of the past, such as Porter and others.
Who dared to be outspoken even if negative. And some were VERY negative.

Some were trained as musicians, singers or actors actually, and so their opinions did count!

But then, IMO, they just described what they saw or heard that one night when they were in the audience. Of course, it may have been a bad 'hairday' for the artist being reviewed. 

And all is, after all, the personal/subjective opinion of the reviewer or blogger!

'Freedom of speech' is or ought to be just that-freedom of speech.

              

 Basta, that is just one the things that has been bugging me recently!

And so, with Mireille Mathieu  I beg you, chers readers, to forgive my whims and came back reading the posts!