If you’re a fan of JK Rowling, Jack Vettriano or Manchester United, you’re probably not surprised by the denigration they receive from critics. There is a whole host of cultural artefacts that seem to be universally popular yet despised by critics. Is it just gatekeeping or do the critics have a point?

In this week’s podcast, we discuss criticism. We speak about the role of the critic, James Wood, Matthew Arnold, Richard Feynman, status-seeking, thrifting, gatekeepers and wargaming. Finally, we share examples of art and media where we are undecided on whether it is good or bad.

A few things we mentioned in this podcast:

- Upset by Einaudi?
- Twilight vampires? Bah! Fangs ain't what they used to be…
- The Premium Mediocre Life of Maya Millennial
- Unpopular Opinions
- Geeks, MOPs, and sociopaths in subculture evolution

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