I wouldn’t call what I write on this blog professional reviews by any means. In fact, they’re nowhere close. I would say they are closer to the rambling opinions of a guy who just likes to be entertained. I also happen to enjoy reading reviews and recaps of other things.
Sometimes I read a review because I just want a good laugh or to be entertained. Other times I want an honest opinion of something before I go into it. But that can cause some problems for me. You see, I’m a fickle review reader.
One of the worst feelings in the world is to watch a movie or a show after reading a review and wondering “Would I have liked this better if I hadn’t read the review?” It’s a serious question for me, because at times I’m easily swayed by other’s opinions. I avoid thinking things through, because it just takes too much work. Or it seems like something I would agree with anyway. But perhaps the review says something negative, and suddenly, whether I like it or not, there has been a bad image painted in my head. It’s stuck in there and some part of what I’m watching, reading, or playing will feel ruined because of that experience.
What makes it worse is if it happens when I’m reading reviews for affirmation. For example, let’s say I grab a new game for my Wii or PC and I’m absolutely loving it. I want to see what other people think, partially because I’m interested, but if I’m honest it’s mostly because I want other people to affirm my purchase, telling me I made a good choice. And somewhere in that reading and research it happens. Someone points out something they didn’t like. I probably didn’t notice it before, but suddenly because they pointed it out and didn’t like, it’s glaring. It’s like a giant pimple on an otherwise immaculate face. (OK, that was a gross simile.)
That is so frustrating. Because when I think about it, my ultimate goal with the game or the TV show or the movie is to be entertained. Being forced to think about tough issues can be a great part of that, but at the end, I just want to know that it’s been a worthwhile experience, and when it’s ruined by even one negative point in an otherwise positive review, it bothers me. There are a couple of things to consider.
First, I probably shouldn’t let it get to me. I made a decision, and I should be happy with it. There is nothing I can do about it now. Second, I could always stop reading reviews. But that would be disappointing, because for every negative point that might ruin the experience, there are probably ten great points that I would not have noticed were it not for the review.
