Leading on from the last post, it seemed logical to look at a good example of professional writing. Instead, though, I’d like to share an excellent example of critical writing…
This review, by Lindy West, of Sex And The City 2 (or SATC2) if you’re in to acronyms, is brilliant on a number of levels.
Written incisively, Lindy West peels back various layers of the main characters, whilst asking pointed questions of the film’s motives. She also does a sterling job of exposing, to total ridicule, the shallowness of the SATC franchise.
I would love to read the thoughts of Germaine Greer (a woman whose intellect I adore), on the death of feminism and the value of the ‘liberated women’ who use feminism as a means to sleep around and wrap themselves up in the motivation that being liberated means aspiring to buy designer clothes and shoes in any colour they choose, as portrayed in SATC2.
And yet I know that Professor Greer has far too much sense to even go and see this film.
I hope you don’t go and see it too.
The review doesn’t mention any: Exploding Helicopters, car chases, CGI monsters, space ships, laser weapon fire fights, sword fights or martial arts action. So I doubt I’ll go and see it.
I haven’t been to see it because I’ve grown bored of Sex and the City. Frankly if the only things you have to aspire to are spending £400 on a pair of shoes you can’t walk properly in and finding a man then you’ve mised the point of life. I have nothing in common with these women, none of whom would be seen dead wandering about the countryside in walking boots and a fleece with a scruffy, mud-covered mongrel and no make up on.
While I couldn’t care less about SATC, and I probably agree with Lindy’s general sentiment, her post is about as subtle an attack piece as descending from helicopters under cover of darkness to search a boat is. I.e. overkill. It’s just as well the writing is of a high quality, as it brings the tone just a peg below ‘smarmy’.