Oh Dear

Oh dear. It seems I'm once again being set upon (as here) by the Dynamic Duo, this time for my comments in this post wherein I did nothing more than express mild though resigned dismay at Lisa Hirsch of Iron Tongue of Midnight specifically, and Marcus Maroney of Sounds Like New by hyperlinked association, going on a tear savaging New York Times music critic Bernard Holland; as I said, perhaps the only music critic worthy of the name still writing for the Times. Ms. Hirsch, along with Steve Hicken of Listen, is convinced that by my comments I was somehow defending Mr. Holland against her and Mr. Maroney's attacks. A music critic as experienced, eloquent, and deeply informed as Mr. Holland is hardly in need of defending by anyone, much less by me, and I would in fact never presume to offer such a defense. Ms. Hirsch, it would appear, is indulging in some wishful thinking in accusing me of defending Mr. Holland as in an update to her original post (linked above) she all but outright goads me to such a defense by her taunt, "ACD replies [in my post linked above], without actually discussing any specific points I make or any of Holland's reviews."

Well, I refuse to be goaded into a defense of Mr. Holland, and just between us chickens, for that Ms. Hirsch (and Mr. Maroney, as well, for that matter) ought to be grateful. I quite intentionally didn't address either Ms. Hirsch's or Mr. Maroney's specific points because it wasn’t my intention to defend Mr. Holland against the charges leveled against him. It was, as I've already pointed out, my intention merely to express my resigned dismay at the double-barreled attack, most especially as there exist on the Times arts staff music "critics" whose too-often displayed ignorance, Mickey Mouse / Roger Ebert style reviews, and bland, prole-comfy prose qualify them as so much more worthy and deserving targets even though I've no doubt the Times engaged them precisely for those latter two qualities in their work.

So, no defense of Mr. Holland by me, for to my way of thinking, none is needed. Would that we had in the mainstream press more music critics of his caliber.

I trust that on this matter I've this time made myself and my intention more clear.