The Lexicographer's Rules

"Was rock criticism ever influential? I have my doubts. I know it reaches people who care about music and who want more variety, depth, honesty, independence or crankiness than they get from other sources of information about music. (It also reaches some very touchy musicians.) But popular music too rarely informs broader culture journalism. Most of my fellow newspaper writers would probably agree that in newsrooms, rock critics are seen as dealing with mere 'entertainment' and 'kid stuff'Ņeven when an Eminem album is a more complex cultural artifact than most movies, TV or fiction. And pundits who wouldn't dream of not knowing about The Sopranos cheerfully flaunt their ignorance of gangsta rap, which has far greater cultural repercussions."

—Rock Critics. Steven Ward interviews Jon Pareles, music critic for the New York Times.'

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