Professor Li Meijin's criticism of the TV series "Flowers" caused an uproar on the Internet. Professor Li was also subjected to online violence by many audience readers and had to delete his comments. But the matter is still not over, until late last night, Professor Li continued to post an apology on the Internet, and the author realized how powerful these cyberbullying are. I am also aware of how distorted the current world of literary criticism is.
Professor Li Meijin is one of the most famous professors of criminal psychology in China, and "Flowers" is one of the most popular TV series at present. When Professor Li criticized "Flowers" three times, the impact was so great that you can imagine it. However, this kind of influence is at most only an expansion of popularity in the entertainment industry, and it is not an academic "final word". But the confusion caused by cyberbullying to Professor Li himself is profound and long-lasting.
Professor Li's criticism of "Flowers" was 8 days ago. Immediately, she was cyberbullied by many netizens. 6 days ago, she posted two short comments in a row to explain and show weakness: "A drama is a drama, people are people, I respect Director Wong Kar-wai, he deserves to be respected." "I am determined to change in the future: first, I will never watch TV series again, and second, I will never comment on TV series or post any afterthoughts. Typical nothing to do. The lesson is profound" but the cyberbullying did not seem to be decreasing until last night, when she issued a formal apology.
Professor Li's apology is "introspective" and has three points. The main contents are: 1) I didn't see the original novel and didn't know the weight of the work; 2. I was a layman in the film and television drama evaluation industry, but "under the name of a so-called celebrity, I said things that lacked professional appreciation in an unfamiliar professional field, which made it difficult for everyone to accept"; 3. I criticized director Wong Kar-wai as a layman "ignorant and fearless, and "forgot the warning that interlacing lines is like separating mountains".
After reading Professor Li's apology, people feel panicked. A big professor in the field of psychology should be very strong in her heart, and even she can't withstand the pressure of cyberbullying, which shows how powerful the forces behind this are.
So, can't "Flowers" be criticized? Don't "celebrities" have the right to say what they feel after watching it?
Professor Li is indeed a celebrity, but when she watches a TV series, isn't she an audience? When 99 percent of the audience "likes" a work, can't 1 percent of the audience disagree? In this world, it is impossible for the greatest work to make all audiences feel "unified" and accept it as "unified", even if the work is called "The Constitution of Mankind", it does not have such authority. Why can't "Flowers" be criticized?
Some netizens said that those netizens who cyberbullied Professor Li were trying to win some traffic. This could be one reason.
But what is even more worrying is the current situation of literary and art criticism: we can only pat the horse and say that it is good, and we cannot "pick and choose" and say bad. In the long run, will it be possible for our level of literary and artistic creation to be raised? What is even more frightening than this is the emergence of this social atmosphere of criticizing the status quo: praising each other to their faces, and gritting their teeth and scolding others against the wind. On the surface, everyone is harmonious, but behind the scenes, there is resentment. Why can't they boldly say what they really think in their hearts, and why don't the criticized people have the courage to accept "if there is something to change, then if there is none, then to be encouraged"?
Is this normal, and can it be sustained?