Judge Art by Its Aims

Critical evaluation should start from the simple question: does this work succeed at what it is trying to do, for the audience it intends? Applying that success‑standard across genres (comedies, prestige dramas, genre fiction) reduces snobbery and produces more precise public conversation about culture. — Adopting an aims‑based standard could depolarize cultural debates and make criticism more useful for public judgment, policy about arts funding, and media literacy.