When everyone’s scared to offend, mediocrity wins. Here’s why we need the haters back—the ones who made us better, not bitter.
Where are the haters? It’s a question I often ask myself whenever I see another fashion designer rip off something Alexander McQueen did decades ago and present it as their own. And it’s not just fashion; I find myself asking the same thing every time I watch a movie that feels like it was written by a teenager barely passing their screenwriting class. Where are the people who call out mediocrity? Where are the critics?
Back in the day, being a critic used to be a full-time job, where brave souls wrote scathing reviews of a Broadway show or poked fun at a designer who used an ugly color combination for a collection. There used to be recognizable voices of authority that audiences listened to. Recently, those commanding voices seem to be silent; the critics are suddenly gone.
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Where Have All The Critics, Or Haters, Gone?
There was a time when critics were seen as superhuman. They could crown a masterpiece or destroy a career with one well-crafted sentence. These people didn’t just have opinions: they had vocabulary, standards, and enough venom in their words to keep people on their toes. They were cultural referees, gatekeepers of good taste, and the unsung heroes who made everyone try a little harder (okay, maybe a lot harder).
Now, it feels like they’ve vanished, a species wiped out by the age of content. The movie critic has been replaced by a TikToker ranking films based on “vibes.” The fashion columnist has given way to affiliate creators swimming in piles of samples. The food writer? Outnumbered by mukbang creators reviewing burgers with ketchup still on their lips. Everyone’s an expert now, which ironically means no one can be trusted to provide expertise.
But the bitter truth is this: the critics didn’t leave—we accidentally fired them. We’ve traded critique for comfort, substance for serotonin, and reality for euphemism. The need for validation has become an unquenchable thirst, one that leaves little room for evaluation. “Don’t be negative” became the new rule of engagement, heavily anchored by toxic positivism. We’re all so terrified of being labeled as haters, we’ve forgotten the difference between meanness and honesty.
And yes, there are people out for blood. Some critiques come laced with vitriol or hidden agendas; but real criticism isn’t cruelty, it’s care. It’s the art of holding culture to a higher standard, of saying, “You can do better,” even when it stings. Yet today, we prefer applause to analysis, and the loudest voices are the least discerning ones. We’ve silenced the critics because they remind us that taste requires effort—and effort, unfortunately, doesn’t trend.
The Age Of Algorithms And Approval
If critics are dead, then social media is the principal suspect. Algorithms thrive on pleasure, not provocation. They reward what’s liked, not what’s true. Why read a 1000-word review when a 15-second reel can tell you something “slaps” or “flops”? Why trust someone with expertise when relatability brings better engagement?
We’ve built a culture that values vibes over vocabulary. Influencers don’t critique, they curate. It’s safer to post “this is everything!” than to admit it’s actually…nothing. Even the bravest voices have learned to cushion their opinions with emojis, just in case the comments section turns feral.
And brands? They’ve adapted well to this new landscape. With fewer critical voices, marketing moves more seamlessly. The PR-approved caption has taken the place of the critic’s review: every product becomes “a must-have,” every collection “a statement.” In this environment, language often serves promotion more than perspective, blurring the line between genuine appreciation and marketing speak.
But something’s missing. When everything is “amazing,” nothing actually is. The absence of critique doesn’t preserve feelings, it dulls culture. Without those sharp, discerning voices, art and fashion become echo chambers of mutual flattery. Real growth requires friction, and we’ve sanded down every edge in exchange for likes.
Critics weren’t perfect, but they made us think. They reminded us that taste is a muscle, not a hashtag. So maybe it’s time we bring them back—not to tear things down, but to make things matter again. Because in a world obsessed with being liked, criticism (done right) might just be the last act of authenticity.
