Content

So this is a site about criticism? What sort of things do you review?

Correct. The Critical Condition is a site for awesome pop culture reviews. We believe everyone can enjoy discussing entertainment.

Our entries are divided into four basic categories: Movies, Music, Television, and Media. In any given week, we cover up-to-the-minute events and classic work that deserves another look.

Monday through Thursday, we also feature reviews in specialized categories found only on The Critical Condition. Those categories are Trailer Scaler, Crank That Hit!, Ad-Tastic, and Flashback! Descriptions of each are on the About page.

And… what is a “Media?”

“Media” is our catchall category for subjects we cover infrequently, such as advertising, theater, or video games.

Some posts are tagged as “exclusives.” What does that mean?

It means a guest writer wrote the piece exclusively for The Critical Condition, or that the piece features a celebrity speaking exclusively to our staff.

What is the “Byline” category about?

Our staffers frequently write for other publications, and we like to point out their bylines whenever they appear.

I hate to ask this, but… why criticism? Aren’t critics just bitter jerks who wish they could be artists?

We get that a lot, but really… no. The critics around here didn’t choose this work because they failed at something else. For them—and especially for Mark—criticism is a first choice. In fact, we value critical writing as its very own art form, which is why we’re trained in it. For more info on why we love criticism (and really aren’t that bitter) see the About page.

Submissions and Guest Writing

I see you work with guest writers. How can I get published here?

If you are a published writer and would like to write an essay for The Critical Condition, we would love to hear from you. Please send us an e-mail that tells us who you are, where you write, and what you’d like to cover for us.

If it seems like you and your idea are a good fit for our site, we’ll be happy to let you write in any voice you choose and at any length between 300 and 1,000 words. At the moment, we cannot pay you for your contribution.

But wait… I’m not a published writer. What do I do?

The best thing to do is participate in the site via the comments section on each post. Comments are an invaluable part of the site, and we welcome your contribution.

I am a publicist, and I would love for my client to be featured in one of your celebrity-focused features. How can I get my client involved?

Just shoot as an e-mail. We’ll be happy to discuss possibilities with you.

I am a publicist, filmmaker, indie rocker, or other artist, and I want The Critical Condition to review my work. How can I make that happen?

Send us an e-mail letting us know about your work (or your client’s.) If our staff is intrigued, we will get back to you ASAP. If you don’t hear from us in two or three weeks, feel free to follow up by e-mail.

I followed up, but you didn’t write back. I should just e-mail you again and again and again, right?

No. Please don’t do that. One follow-up e-mail is enough.

Our small staff covers a wide range of subjects. As much as we’d like to, we cannot review everything, so if you don’t hear from us after your first follow-up e-mail, it means we can’t fit your project into our editorial calendar. It’s not a personal snub, we promise.

Staff

Who is on the staff of The Critical Condition?

Our full-time critic is Mark Blankenship, and we have a rotating series of guest contributors. The good people at Art Meets Commerce oversee our design, ad sales, and marketing.

And just who is this “Mark Blankenship?”

Mark Blankenship is a Brooklyn-based arts critic and journalist who has frequently contributed to The New York Times and Variety. His work has appeared in a host of other nationally recognized publications, and he received his M.F.A. in Dramaturgy and Dramatic Criticism from the Yale School of Drama.

In middle school, Mark spent a lot of his free time listening to pop music. He still knows every word to songs by Keedy, Tara Kemp, Londonbeat, and Rythm (sic) Syndicate, and if you can name those artists’ hits, then he will feel far less alone in this cold, cold world.

For more info about Mark, please visit his bio page. If you Google his name, skip the entries about lawyers, real estate brokers, and composers of Baptist hymns. Those are different Mark Blankenships.

And what of Art Meets Commerce? What of that?!?!

Art Meets Commerce is a full-service new media solutions firm specializing in the arts and entertainment field. Their services include website design, comprehensive content management and the development of interactive online marketing campaigns. Art Meets Commerce provides dynamic design services, expertise in the latest web technologies, thoughtful, literate copywriting and fresh, creative campaigns to help your business achieve its full online potential.

Advertising

How can I advertise with the critical condition?

Please e-mail us at mark@thecriticalcondition.com

Posting Comments

I’m excited to post comments about the reviews and features on this site!

That’s not really a question, but it’s cool. We’re excited to have you.

It’s okay if I post two-word comments, right? Or if I just write “first post?” Or if I use ALL CAPS, or all lowrecase letters, or if I don’t worry about spelling and punctuation?

Um… no. None of those things are okay. We at The Critical Condition want our posts to be filled with actual discourse. We are ONLY looking for comments that have something thoughtful to say. Half a phrase doesn’t cut it. And while we’re not going to jump on you for misspelling something or misplacing a comma, we’ll appreciate it if you proofread your writing before hitting “reply.”

And just so you know, if you post a two-word comment, it will be deleted. If you comment in all capital letters, your impolite shouting will be removed from the site.

Wait… deleted? You’ll delete my comments? What about free speech?!?

“Free speech” does not mean “free of standards.” We will never take down an opinion that we disagree with, but we will not waste our time (or our readers’ time) with pointless shenanigans.

Ah… so if you accept all opinions, does that mean I can write a post explaining why you or a fellow reader is a jerk? Or why I hate people of a particular minority or religious group?

No, it doesn’t. Name-calling and intolerance are not the same as thinking. In fact, they are the opposite of thinking, and any post that contains blatantly insulting or hateful language will be deleted. If you think your post has been removed unfairly, feel free to e-mail us with your grievance. We’re willing to hear any reasonable response. However, we think most people know the difference between making an argument and just being obnoxious.

Will you boot me for using bad language?

Hell no! Sometimes, you have to curse to make your point.