Monday, January 24, 2011

Exasperation.

The following blog entry has nothing to do with amusement parks, but it has everything to do with blogs.

So I'm a blogger. Over the past year (I began blogging in January, 2010), I've learned that the title is, at times, equally respected and reviled. Now, I couldn't get why someone would have an issue with a blogger, but then I read a blog yesterday that made me want to throw a shoe through my terminal.

I refuse to mention the blog by name, but it's a theatre-related blog, wherein the blogger reviews plays. No problem there; I've read a number of such blogs where, while I may not agree with said review, I do respect the blogger for their voice, for their passion and for the apparent skill they bring to their chosen forum. But yesterday changed my perceptions.

I did a Google search for a review for a show at a local theatre. One lone review came up and it was from a blogger. A blogger who had absolutely no command of the English language, or any other language for that matter (Note: if there was an attempt to create a new language, THAT would've elicited a soupcon of respect from me. But no.) This person had no grasp of grammar, couldn't spell (attention all bloggers: there IS a spell check. Please use it. I'm a notoriously poor typist, so Mr. Spell Check is like a little Speedy AlkaSeltzer friend, always at the ready to get me out of scrapes), and couldn't even form sentences properly. I mean, this person's sentence structure was pretty much like a Jackson Pollack painting. If Pollack was high on mescaline.

Yet a Google search lead me to this blog. So this person's opinions are, in some hysterically painful way, held with some sort of significance. This thought made my brain hurt.

Oh, in case you were wondering, this person's critical writing skills were basically non-existent as well. If you're going to write a review, please don't have it come off as a bitchy, drunken tirade. Saying someone's wig was just horrible does not add up to true, objective, thoughtful, well-considered critique.

So okay then. I'm off my soapbox. Give bloggers their due, but if they have the grammatical and spelling skills of an empty box of Tic Tacs, please reconsider giving them your respect.

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