In this wondrous age of communication into which we have entered, the critic has become as susceptible to criticism as the artist. In light of this expansion of intelligent discussion to the masses, I—your gentle critic—will enter into the rich historical tradition of responding to one’s critics. The following comments, compiled from Reddit, Facebook, and the comment section of The Harvard Crimson, are thematically organized, all in response to my two-star review of “DAMN.”—widely thought of as two stars too few (from my perspective, half a star too low). Some are presented without comment, for their merit stands on their own. Others are presented with editorial comments in brackets. I can only hope that these comments form a historical document—a lesson to anyone stricken with the scourge of independent thought: don’t have it.

On Love:

Tupac Shakur: “wow i fully hate you and your opinions”

On Intelligence:

-OmnipotentPotato-: “I think this guy may just be stupid”

J-Dot-Dot: “This dude is a moron.”

On Insecurity:

fuckwhoyouknow: “Damn how'd this reviewer get into Harvard”

[Sometimes I wonder the same.]

A_CC: “Money”

redlumxof: “Affirmative Action”

On Racial Stereotypes:

oprahsworstnightmare: “there is like a 300% chance this was written by a white dude”

subverted: “The dude is actually black (somali?). lol”

[I occasionally forget how important Kendrick Lamar is to the black community. And, without attempting to rewrite a review but simply to explain myself in a less contentious environment, I have always loved Lamar as an artist. I thought at the time that it was not too much to ask that those beacons of artistic genius in the black community live up to the full realization of their potential each time they rap, sculpt, dance, or write. Perhaps I did not live up to my potential with those critical words. Is it too much to notice the same in another?]