Will Loynd

WP2

The Economic View of Film Critics

Economic papers can be difficult to understand due to academic writing prioritizing

precision and consciousness which can make the understanding of the article hard to discern for

those without specialized economic knowledge. Concepts and theories are usually being built

upon in economic articles assuming we already have a comprehensive knowledge of the

economic discipline. Those who don’t understand economics may struggle to comprehend the

meaning behind an economic article, but within the dense writing lies a discourse community

that helps us understand why decisions are made and how markets work.

As an economics major, I personally have struggled to understand certain concepts and

topics that are specific to the discourse community due to what feels like a language barrier. I

constantly need to research economic concepts to better understand what I am reading which is

why I picked an economic article for the genre translation to better help those who aren’t in the

economic discourse community understand important findings. The article I chose for the genre

translation is “The Influence of Expert Reviews on Consumer Demand for Experience Goods: A

Case Study of Movie Critics,” by Reinstein and Snyder, published in the Journal of Economics

& Management Strategy. Through meticulous analysis of critic reviews and box office returns,

the authors quantify the influence that specific critics have on audience attendance. Their

rigorous empirical approach provides a fascinating complement to poetry, more specifically,

Robert Frost's metaphors on society in his poem, “The Road Not Taken.”1 Frost is a poet from

the twentieth century who focused on realism to address topics that affected us all in a way that

was simplistic and artistic. This interplay between art and social science offers a rich source of

1 Robert Frost, et al. The Road Not Taken, 1.

insight into the measurable impact of subjective critical judgments. By bridging the gap between

specialized discourse communities and broader audiences, this exploration reveals how

seemingly small decisions, whether in film reviews or economic analyses, can ripple through our

lives, leaving us with permanent biases. In translating the economic article into a poem, the line

"That seemingly small decision, Has made all the difference, beyond compare"2 encapsulates

how the choice to embrace a particular movie review can profoundly shape one's perception and

ideals, echoing Frost's contemplation on the lasting impact of the roads we take in life.

Reinstein and Snyder's work exemplifies the conventions of academic writing. They

frame their research within the discourse community of economics, establishing a foundation of

existing literature to support their hypothesis. The authors employ a formal tone suitable for

scholarly publication, incorporating specialized terminology such as “experience goods” and

“consumer demand.”3 Their writing heavily relies on empirical evidence, including

comprehensive datasets of critic reviews and ticket sales. This rigorous quantitative methodology

aligns with the standards of academic research and is intended for other economists and analysts

to be able to understand the data. Reinstein and Snyder offer a vast amount of data into key

points that support their central claim about the impact of prominent critics on consumers. They

support these findings with detailed case studies of high-profile films such as Ishtar and Last

Action Hero, tracing the evolving impact of critics throughout the history of cinema. The poem I

made directly relates to their text by metaphorically capturing the diverging views of critics

through the lines "Two critics diverged in a review, / And sorry they could not agree." This

echoes Reinstein and Snyder's analysis of how differing critical receptions can significantly

influence consumer demand and box office performance. This quote conveys the weight of these

2 Frost, 1.
3 David A., Reinstein, and Christopher M. Snyder. The Influence of Expert Reviews on
Consumer Demand for Experience Goods: A Case Study of Movie Critics, 3.
seemingly small decisions, such as choosing which critic's verdict to trust, highlighting the

central argument that expert reviews can "make all the difference, beyond compare" in shaping

audience perceptions and desires.

In contrast, Frost's poem utilizes emotion and expressiveness to delve into the

complexities of decision making. The emotionally distant voice of economics is gone, replaced

by a contemplative first-person speaker pondering the existential angst of choice. Poetry often

uses metaphors to convey a deeper meaning about life. Frost's language is rich with metaphor

and allusion, with the central metaphor in the poem being the “two roads [that] diverged,” which

represents the choices we encounter in life. The language itself isn’t complex but very profound

in its existential themes. Simplicity seems to be another universal convention in poetry that is

followed by another poet named Edgar Allen Poe. Poe embraces simplicity in his poem “A

Dream Within a Dream.” The concise lines, “Is all that we see or seem, But a dream within a

dream,”4 convey profound existential themes. Poe grapples with the nature of existence,

questioning reality itself. Despite its brevity, the poem invites readers to ponder the fragility of

life and the elusive boundary between dreams and waking moments. In my poem I replicated this

idea of existentialism in the line, “So, I weighed their words, my compass true.” This connects to

existential themes about free will and the responsibility of choice. My poem focuses on how

even the smallest of choices in life can have a major impact on one's life. The shortness of poems

seems to be another convention used to make the messages of poems leave a lasting impression.

The trope of brevity in poetry is exemplified in Langston Hughes poem, “Mother to Son,”5 in

which he encapsulates a lifetime of perseverance and the struggle against racism within a few

lines. The poem’s emotional depth resonates with readers, highlighting the human capacity for

4 Edgar Allan Poe, A Dream Within a Dream, 1.

5 Langston Hughes, The Collected Poems of Langston Hughes, ed. Arnold Rampersad and David
E. Roessel, 1.
endurance and hope. These conventions serve to connect with the reader on an emotional level,

offering a reflection of the human condition that is both accessible and profound. They allow

poets to craft verses that are not only aesthetically pleasing but also rich in meaning, inviting

readers to explore the complexities of existence and the universal truths that bind us all.

Integrating these diverse genres posed an engaging challenge. I made sure the poem

retained the use of metaphor to encapsulate the main message of the article. An example of this

is in my poem when I wrote, “the two critics diverged” metaphorically representing the two

differing opinions of a film. I also made sure to keep an emotional resonance with the reader

because economics can be quite boring and can feel very linear. This is why I tried to focus my

poetry on the tension between the contrasting reviews and how that can affect your own

decisions and viewpoint. I also wanted to make sure the rhythm and sentence structure of my

poem felt engaging which in turn enhances the reader experience. The use of words that rhyme

and keep a similar structure throughout my poem helps keep traditional poetic conventions alive

in my work. The main concerns I had to keep in mind when making my translation was the

ability to understand and apply the concept of a discourse community. In the article,

“Understanding Discourse Communities,” Dan Melzer explains how discourse communities

refer to a “group of people who share similar characteristics.”6 Through understanding how

different discourse communities operate and influence writing, I was able to better tailor my

translation to suit the needs and preferences from an economic community to poetry. After

reading the article, “Making Choices in Writing,” Michael Szalay talks about word selection is

very important for the tone and meaning of an essay. Szalay writes, “there are thousands of

options for phrasing the same idea,”7 which stuck with me because while I was writing my poem,

6 Dan, Melzer. Understanding Discourse Communities, 2.

7 Michael, Szalay. Making Choices in Writing, 3.

I kept playing around with the words to make the poem sound better and follow the genre

conventions. Similar to how one bad review can influence the perception of a viewer, I focused

on how different words can affect the meaning behind poems. The incorporation of carefully

chosen words in my poem such as describing words as “arrows” convey a deeper subliminal

meaning movie critics have on our subconscious. Through understanding small decisions in

writing such as changing words around or finding synonyms, I am able to change the meaning of

my writing to be more powerful and hopefully have a longer impact on the reader. A convention

I broke was the change of the subject matter from a universal, personal truth to a subject matter.

Although I used economics as my main subject for my poem which seems to break conventional

poetry traditions, I made sure to translate the data from the economic article to focus on a

human-centered narrative. A convention I broke in the economic discourse community would be

to switch from a more formal tone to a conversational and personal tone in my poem. Structure

and diction in poetry are rules that can be bent or broken because poetry is a form of art and

expression. There are many different ways to organize your writing as poetry is not bound by the

rigid structures similar to economics. The poem I wrote exemplifies this creative liberty

transforming an economic article into a piece of understandable poetry. This fusion demonstrates

how academic writing can incorporate artistic flair without compromising intellectual legitimacy.

Taking the economic article by Reinstein and Snyder and turning it into a poem was a

powerful way to blend hardcore data analysis with creative artistic style. By using poetic

techniques like metaphors, a flowing rhythm, and carefully picking each word, the poem was

able to capture the complex effect movie critics have on what films people want to see but in an

emotionally engaging way. The combination of different genres shows how academic research

can be reimagined through an artistic lens to make it more relatable and highlight deeper human
truths we can all connect with. While economics is all about crunching the numbers, and poetry

focuses on the personal and emotional side of writing, combining the two offers a fresh

multilayered perspective. The poem proves that bending the rules sometimes can help bridge the

divide between discourse communities of academics and make insights more accessible to

everyone.

“Critque’s Gaze” by Will Loynd

Two critics diverged upon a view,

With verdicts clashing like night and day.

Side by side they watched, perspectives new,

One praised the plot, the other turned away.

One hailed the plot, the other sneered,

Their words like arrows, keen and free.

I pondered which path to embrace,

Whose verdict to trust, whose critique to see.

Amidst their differing views, I found

The heart of cinema’s rhythmic trance.

With weighted words that whet our wond'ring wants,

Their dictions dance desire's delicate dance.

Reinstein and Snyder, scholars sharp,

Unraveled demand’s intricate strand.

Critics’ ink etches our desires,

Like grains of sand in destiny’s hand.

So, I weighed their words, my compass true,

And chose with care, a choice laid bare.

That seemingly small decision,

Has made all the difference, beyond compare.

 Bibliography:

Reinstein, David A., and Christopher M. Snyder. “The Influence of Expert Reviews on

Consumer Demand for Experience Goods: A Case Study of Movie Critics.” The Journal of

Industrial Economics, vol. 53, 27-51, 2005.

Melzer, Dan. “Understanding Discourse Communities.” In Writing Spaces: Readings on Writing,

Volume 3, edited by Dana Driscoll, Mary Stewart, and Matthew Vetter, 100-115. New York:

Parlor Press, 2020.

Szalay, Michael. “Making Choices in Writing.” In Open English @ SLCC, edited by Salt Lake

Community College, 2024.

Frost, Robert, et al. The Road Not Taken: A Selection of Robert Frost’s Poems. New York, H.

Holt and Co., 1991.

Hughes, Langston. 1994. The Collected Poems of Langston Hughes. New York: Knopf.

Distributed by Random House

Poe, Edgar Allan. A Dream Within a Dream. Edited by Arnold Rampersad and David E.

Roessel.