Sunday, August 23, 2009

The critic's automatic headline

I'd like to see a moratorium on headlines using the juxtaposed-adjective technique.

For example, this headline is currently on Slate's homepage:
"Inglourious Basterds Is Brilliant and Reprehensible"
They're all too easy to write: just choose one positive adjective and one negative adjective. A third adjective (positive or negative) is optional.

Critics can also use this technique in their reviews if they want to write brilliant and reprehensible and lazy prose.

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