I always think of Churchill's 'You have enemies? Good. That means you've stood up for something, sometime in your life.' when I hear this comment. Critics also

I always think of Churchill's 'You have enemies? Good. That means you've stood up for something, sometime in your life.' when I hear this comment. Critics also take a risk by staking out their opinion, which they know is fallible, subjective, and liable to attack. They take the risk because they value discussion and learning over the protection of their and the artist's egoes. It is a form of courage that should be praised, "man in the arena" notwithstanding. Moreover, in many industries (if not all), if the critics stay silent, only the PR firms are sounding, which sucks for the consumer who becomes drowned in noise and unable to engage with the art.