I want a term for an individual who receives acclaim for being an unapologetic prick from masochistic journalists and intellectuals who should know better. An individual who seems to be more about criticism not for the sake of improving art, society, or culture, but for simply being disgusted with whatever is placed before him or her, only deigning to approve of a meager handful of works or efforts. A loudmouth whom we admire for being intelligent, lucid, and well-spoken, yes, but whose tastes and ideas seem wholly arbitrary, resting on an ineffable system of ethics and aesthetics. In sum, this person is admired because they are loud, pushy, deafened, and tunnel-visioned, screaming and acting like the 600-pound spoiled, opinionated brats we’d secretly like to be.
Scapeconoclast is almost that term but not quite.
