The Real Purpose of Reviewing

On a whim, I went to Matt Colville's channel. I expected D&D content, of course, but also found a video titled, "I think this will be a Short Video." I already vibed with this video on its own premise, one that I'm trying to be better about myself if we're being honest, but a line near the end really jumped out at me:

I think like half the movie reviews I've written, I wrote them because that was the only way I could figure out what I thought about the movie.

See, I have this funny internal struggle in that I don't think aggregate reviews are very helpful but I continue to contribute to them. If I wanted to give them less value, why am I contributing to them myself? And that quote up right there is why - sometimes it's the only way to figure out my feelings. Even if I'm not writing out a little blurb and am simply resorting to a certain number of stars, it gives me a moment to reflect and better understand how I feel after experiencing something,

Now, why do I care about knowing my feelings beyond having an internal identity? Well, one of my favorite YouTube videos ever is i am error's "The Secret to Good Taste. One of my main takeaways from this video has always been the idea that "Good Taste" is having an understanding on why you like or dislike the things you do. And as a result, I've wanted to make attempts to "improve" my own taste. I enjoy art, it makes sense that I should respect it.

Now, if you watched that video, which you should, you may have noticed something about my takeaway - It ignores the real message of the video. Sure, a part of the video is about how "good taste" isn't just "liking good stuff," but just thinking real hard about why you like things isn't actually how Evelynn suggests you improve your taste. Rather, you have to actually talk with, and listen to other people. Ironic that this has been one of my favorite videos ever since I first saw it, and I completely dismissed that part of its message.

Well, I'm not sure dismissed is the right word, it was simply forgotten. While I haven't been attributing the idea to this video, I have placed more importance on genuine opinions rather than algorithmic selections. This ranges from following curators on Steam, looking up bands I see people I follow for other media mention, to simply adding a video someone recommends into the Watch Later playlist. Heck, the reason I even clicked on Matt Colville's channel in the first place was because he's often mentioned by SupergeekMike, my real source of non-actual-play D&D videos.

And it feels great! Not everything that is recommended immediately gels with me (I understand my own music taste less than anyone reading this probably does). But it is at the least more interesting than putting on Spotify's "Daily Mix 2" for the third day in a row just because it has the most songs I already liked. Seeking out recommendations is certainly harder, especially if you don't already know or follow anyone who has similar taste to you, but it's the kind of intention that makes art and experiences more interesting. You not only get your personal experience with whatever was recommended, but you can become closer with a friend or let someone you follow know that you got a good time out of something they mentioned liking. And as you find recommendations that speak to you, you'll probably also find more people who make recommendations that line up with your own taste, and the process will only become easier.

And don't forget to do your part as well. Even the people with good recommendations need reminders to try different things on occasion. Having your own lists of movies, or books, or games that you like could lead someone to their new favorite. Even if you don't have all your thoughts neatly tied together when you do say you like something.