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Michael Rance's avatar

I love this because it justifies my cranky behavior -- but also I genuinely believe in what you say about being a hater. You're right that it comes from a place of expecting more and wanting people to reach their artistic and aesthetic potential. I'm finding myself being driven a bit mad rn on this platform, because I'm a natural hater and the algorithm keeps feeding me wildly celebrated pieces and lit criticism that is just... not good? And it isn't even just aesthetically bad (though they are that too); the pieces are really lazy in thought, kind of cruel, written from a place of perpetual aggrievement. My impulse is to put these pieces on blast and be a loud and vocal critic of them, but also that's precisely what these writers want: they want engagement, they want dumb internet feuds that will drive traffic. Also, they're trying to occupy my brain and attention.

I'm trying to be a bit more disciplined with my Haterdom. And maybe sometimes being a hater is just depriving a bad thing of attention. It's been said before by others, but I think it is often more brutal to simply ignore a bad piece of art. Like, these pieces that I'm reading are so awful that they don't deserve oxygen, they don't deserve my attention. I could spend my whole life pointing out bad writing on Substack (and elsewhere!). I'm trying to be a more productive and self-aware hater, lol.

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Sumeet Shah's avatar

This feels like the secret rules to enter the Player Haters Ball tbqh

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