Critics and Publics: Cultural Mediation in Highbrow and Popular Performing Arts

Abstract

That critics mediate the relationship between artworks and publics has often been suggested but never adequately tested. Cultural capital arguments lead to the expectation that the mediation process operates differently for highbrow and popular genres, while the idea of cultural convergence does not predict such an effect. Data on 624 shows and 1,204 primary reviews from the Edinburgh Festival Fringe are used to investigate the relationship between reviewers' evaluations and audience attendance. The results show that positive reviews are associated with greater audience participation, net of other factors, but the effect is limited to highbrow performance genres such as theater. Critics do not have the power to "make or break" shows. The visibility provided by reviews is more important than their evaluative function. The findings support the idea that the operative aesthetics in popular and highbrow genres are distinct, and critics are important only in the latter.