History Main / TakeThatCritics

* Perhaps the most direct version of this trope came from Music/BillyJoel, who, early in his career, actually tore up newspapers on stage that gave him bad reviews. One of the songs from his 1980 album ''Music/GlassHouses'', "It's Still Rock and Roll to Me", had some pointed commentary about music critics. ''Magazine/RollingStone'' responded by calling that song "the worst song about rock and roll ever" after a poll. In the end, the joke was on them: it became his first #1 single on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100.

* Perhaps the most direct version of this trope came from Music/BillyJoel, who, early in his career, actually tore up newspapers on stage that gave him bad reviews.

* Creator/{{Nintendo}} was a notorious censor up to the Super NES days (until their {{Bowdleri|se}}zed version of ''VideoGame/MortalKombat1992'' flopped) and the creators of ''VideoGame/SuperMetroid'' figured that if Samus's death scene (where her armor is blown off) didn't have her wearing something underneath, they'd demand it before American release. As a result, the developers scrapped their original design (where she was nude) and added the swimsuit for the original version, claiming later that it would save time when the American version was released.

** Director Creator/RolandEmmerich lampooned Series/SiskelAndEbert by featuring NoCelebritiesWereHarmed versions of the latter as the buffoonish Mayor of NYC and the former as his sycophantic sidekick to avenge their critical mauling of his previous movies[[note]]one of those movies, ''Film/{{Stargate}}'', is on Ebert's most hated list;[[/note]] (also, presumably, a preemptive strike against criticism of the current movie). The critics just laughed it off, and Siskel even wondered why Emmerich went to the trouble of putting them in a monster movie but didn't have the monster either eat or squash them.[[note]]It should be noted in the case of Godzilla actually eating people, Toho vetoed the concept, so GINO feasting on Mayor Ebert and Gene was never going to happen -- though that also didn't stop the [[Film/JurassicPark1993 raptor]] expies that were GINO's kids from eating most of Philippe Roche's crew.[[/note]]

* The Season 2 premiere of ''Series/OddSquad'', "First Day", has a line from Oprah that is a direct jab at critics who despise the show simply for the MeanBoss personality she had throughout Season 1. While she is more of a BenevolentBoss in Season 2, she still keeps a lot of the old charm and some traits from the previous season (such as her [[{{Catchphrase}} Catchphrases]] and her love of juiceboxes), which extends into Season 3.

* Exclusive promos for the ''WesternAnimation/AquaTeenHungerForce'' movie made fun of the critics that didn't like it. One featured the Mooninites giving the pinky to a fake critic named [[http://lionel-loves-movies.blogspot.com/ Lionel]]. [[https://youtu.be/ErLKWPjYqWw Another one]] featured Carl describing any critic that didn't like the movie as a 97-year-old. Ouch.

* In ''Manga/PopTeamEpic'', the song "Let's Pop Together" mocks the critics and says that they'll all eventually be converted to fans anyway.

* Creator/DanDiDio actually turned one of his online critics into a supervillain so he could be beaten up. A really lame supervillain seeking DisproportionateRetribution. And for [[UnfortunateImplications extra insult]], he decided to make the villain CampGay.

* Tolkien's foreword to ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'' features the following: "Some who have read the book, [[ComplainingAboutShowsYouDontWatch or at any rate have reviewed it]], have found it boring, absurd, or contemptible; and I have no cause to complain, since I have similar opinions of their works."

* [[http://penny-arcade.com/2004/3/24/ In direct response]] to Creator/KevinSmith's statement that ''Film/JerseyGirl'' "wasn't for Critics", the ''Webcomic/PennyArcade'' creators came up with a [[BigLippedAlligatorMoment random strip]] called [[http://penny-arcade.com/comic/2004/3/24/the-adventures-of-twisp-and-catsby/ The Adventures of Twisp and Catsby]], daring the critics to criticize it.
--> '''Gabe & Tycho:''' I'd bet you'd '''love''' to criticize that, wouldn't you, you Critics? But you ''can't''. It's not ''for'' you.
** This backfired spectacularly as Twisp and Catsby became incredibly popular. No critic ''wanted'' to criticize them.
** [[http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2006/8/30/ Penny Arcade also had a variant (inversion?)]]: after making fun of various game reviewers for years, they worry about the critics' response to their own game. Cue cut to the big review sites throwing a party: "Hey, guys - I just started my review! Do you know if there is a number less than zero?"

* "Mr. Writer" by the Stereophonics attacks music critics for being ignorant and sexually unsuccessful, accuses them of attacking artists they used to praise just to get attention, and fantasizes about shooting them. According to the band, it's specifically about one unnamed journalist, who toured with the band, then gave them negative reviews.

* In Creator/MichaelCrichton's ''Literature/{{Next}}'', Crichton wrote a minor character into his book that was currently being tried for raping a toddler, with the commentary that while his penis was fairly small, he still did significant damage to the child. Strangely enough, the rapist's name was almost identical to that of a man who had criticized Crichton's last book. The critic found this very funny.

* Wrestling/HulkHogan had always been a target of criticism by the ''Wrestling/TheWrestlingObserverNewsletter'', a wrestling dirt sheet written by Dave [=Meltzer=]. Hogan had "won" "Most Overrated Wrestler" 3 times from the Wrestling Observer Awards. So at World War 3 1995, during Hogan's "return from the Darkside" (it was a storyline that Hogan was no longer a good guy because of Wrestling/KevinSullivan's Wrestling/DungeonOfDoom stable. Except for he was. It's Wrestling/{{WCW}}, it's always been very confusing), burning the clothes of his previous identity. Hogan would produce an Issue of Wrestling Observer, calling it a rag sheet, and was a dinosaur compared to the Internet. Hogan would then throw it to a fire burning his clothes. Dave Meltzer would take note; not only did Hogan win "Most Overrated Wrestler" that year, but he also won "Most Embarrassing Wrestler" as well. He also had all of the "swervy" booking changes in the newsletter before the PPV went down.

* Creator/{{Nintendo}} was a notorious censor up to the Super NES days (until their {{Bowdleri|se}}zed version of ''VideoGame/MortalKombat1'' flopped) and the creators of ''VideoGame/SuperMetroid'' figured that if Samus's death scene (where her armor is blown off) didn't have her wearing something underneath, they'd demand it before American release. As a result, the developers scrapped their original design (where she was nude) and added the swimsuit for the original version, claiming later that it would save time when the American version was released.

* ''ComicBook/Supergirl2005'': Issue #18 was a heavy-handed attack by the writer, Joe Kelly, on the many critics who disliked the post-Crisis Kara Zor-El's abrasive and morally questionable personality, and the book's extreme and, given the character's youth, distasteful fanservice. Kara spent the issue fighting an evil duplicate of herself who wore Pre-Crisis ComicBook/{{Supergirl}}'s costume and self-righteously berated her for not being "wholesome". The issue particularly annoyed the critics as it was rather a straw-man view of their objections - they didn't think Kara should be perfect or a StepfordSmiler but argued that Kelly's version of the character came across as a TotallyRadical sexualised fantasy of a screwed-up barely-legal teen. Two issues later the writer and artist were removed and the book underwent a heavy {{Retool}} in the direction that the critics in question were calling for.

* ''VideoGame/TheTwentyFifthWard'' does a ZigZagged version between this and TakeThatAudience, with the trope of visual novels being expected to have MultipleEndings. The answer? A final chapter with ''100'' different endings, and you have to re-play the chapter over and over, going through the same sets of choices to get them.

-->insult the canon? "heh, that was kinda funny." \\

* Circle Jerks' "Defamation Innuendo", specifically accusing critics of [[ComplainingAboutShowsYouDontWatch writing negative reviews without listening to the music or going to the concerts]]. At a couple points in the song Keith Morris speaks from the point of view of a lazy music journalist:

* ''Art/{{The Kiss|Klimt}}'' entitled one of his works [[http://bobkessel.files.wordpress.com/2009/11/klimt-goldfish-to-my-critics.jpg?w=250&h=718 Goldfish - To My Critics]]

* Gustav Klimt entitled one of his works [[http://bobkessel.files.wordpress.com/2009/11/klimt-goldfish-to-my-critics.jpg?w=250&h=718 Goldfish - To My Critics]]

* Exclusive promos for the ''WesternAnimation/AquaTeenHungerForce'' [[TheMovie movie]] made fun of the critics that didn't like it. One featured the Mooninites giving the pinky to a fake critic named [[http://lionel-loves-movies.blogspot.com/ Lionel]]. [[https://youtu.be/ErLKWPjYqWw Another one]] featured Carl describing any critic that didn't like the movie as a 97-year-old. Ouch.

* [[https://youtu.be/jr9s8WO2t4M This]] ridiculous response to Creator/StephenColbert's criticism of a [[TotallyRadical "hip"]] [[https://youtu.be/6n1vtZR16RY Miracle Whip ad]]. Stephen retorted [[NoSuchThingAsBadPublicity by thanking them for all the ad revenue]] and announcing he'd [[KickThemWhileTheyAreDown spend all the money on mayonnaise.]]

-->'''Announcer:''' It's not everyone's cup of tea.

* A late 90s-era ''Comicbook/{{Asterix}}'' story, ''The Secret Weapon'', was criticised by many people for being sexist as hell, centering as it did on a StrawFeminist OneShotCharacter who mostly makes [[StrawmanHasAPoint completely reasonable points]]. The second-to-next album, ''Asterix and the Class Act'' (a "stuff that doesn't fit anywhere else" compilation of one-shots) contains multiple comments in the original material poking fun at anyone who could possibly accuse Uderzo of anti-feminism and implying people who do are empty-headed reactionaries.
* Back in 1983, Marvel delivered one to MoralGuardians by introducing the Crusader, a WellIntentionedExtremist villain with a religious theme. A seminary student who had already been kicked out because of his extreme views (he believed the church should have been more active in fighting "paganism and godlessness" in modern society) he was given armor and an enchanted sword by an apparition who claimed to be one of his ancestors who served in the Crusades, and used them to go after [[Characters/TheMightyThorThorOdinson Thor]], whose claims of godhood seemed blasphemous to him. And he actually didn't do half bad the first time (well, ''maybe'' Thor was holding back a little, seeing as they were in a public place full of people) but their second fight was the CurbStompBattle you'd expect in a fight where a mortal dares to challenge Thor for no reason. The guy didn't learn, however, and after fighting several more heroes over imagined crimes of blasphemy, he's taken down by Wolverine in the act of hijacking a plane; Wolvie gouges out the villain's eye while quoting the Bible with "An eye for an eye." Seeing as he refused the Hood's invitation during ''ComicBook/DarkReign'', it seems THAT finally knocked some sense into him.
* ''ComicBook/Supergirl2005'' #18 was a heavy-handed attack by the writer, Joe Kelly, on the many critics who disliked the post-Crisis Kara Zor-El's abrasive and morally questionable personality, and the book's extreme and, given the character's youth, distasteful fanservice. Kara spent the issue fighting an evil duplicate of herself who wore pre-Crisis Kara's costume and self-righteously berated her for not being "wholesome". The issue particularly annoyed the critics as it was rather a straw-man view of their objections - they didn't think Kara should be perfect or a StepfordSmiler but argued that Kelly's version of the character came across as a TotallyRadical sexualised fantasy of a screwed-up barely-legal teen. Two issues later the writer and artist were removed and the book underwent a heavy {{Retool}} in the direction that the critics in question were calling for.

** The ''Archie'' comic strip responded to Josh's swipes at the strip's formulaic yet strangely inept humor as being the output of a device called the "Archie Joke-Generating Laugh Unit 3000" by featuring a character wearing a tee-shirt that had "AJGLU-3000" in a circle with a line through it (seen [[http://joshreads.com/?p=1827 here]]). Unlike the ''Crock'' jab, however, this and [[http://joshreads.com/?p=1946 later references]] could have been meant more fondly.

* [[SmallNameBigEgo Brooke McEldowney]], author of ''ComicStrip/NineChickweedLane'', had his author avatar Thorax breezily condemn anyone as imbeciles who didn't like the [[DutchAngle warped perspective]], [[SesquipedalianLoquaciousness ornate dialogue]] and [[HardTruthAesop Ayn-Randesque morals]] of his characters. He had earlier blamed his being forced to move his more openly sexualized fantasy strip ''Pibgorn'' off the newspaper comics page on the same imbeciles, who were besides which stuck in the past.

[[folder:Fan Fiction]]
* ''FanFic/MyImmortal'' does this ''countless'' times, in poorly written author's notes where Tara calls out the "preps" who keep critiquing the story.

* Arin and Danny, when playing ''VideoGame/SonicAndTheBlackKnight'', are ''not'' having a good time as they're not fans of it at the best of times but Arin is struggling immensely at a [[DifficultySpike suddenly harder level]]. Not being able to figure out what to do, he loses it and fires a ''fierce'' take that at fans who mock him for getting distracted during playthroughs and missing critical exposition or instructions. Ironically, this burst of anger inevitably [[ThePowerOfHate gets them through the level]].

* Many people think that the song ''Droppin' Plates'' by Music/{{Disturbed}} is a TakeThat at the record company who told them that because they played a unique style of music, they wouldn't become successful. Their first album sold over four million copies and they managed to score three consecutive #1 albums.

%% [[Music/KanyeWest And take THIS,]] [[LargeHam HATERS!]]

** Reed's ''Music/MetalMachineMusic'', a two-record set full of monotonous guitar feedback droning has also been interpreted as a raised middle finger against the critics, by forcing them to listen to all of this before they review it.

* Music/PinkFloyd did this, in the third verse of ''Pigs (Three Different Ones)'' from their album ''Music/{{Animals|1977}}'' against British {{Moral Guardian|s}} Mary Whitehouse.

* In 1947, Han van Meegeren was arrested on charges of selling artwork by the Dutch master Creator/JohannesVermeer to [[UsefulNotes/NaziGermany Hermann Goering]]. It turned out that the painting was actually part of a scheme to ruin art critics: van Meegren had painted it himself. His plan worked: he was found guilty of forgery, and the Dutch art critics were greatly embarrassed.

* During the early turn of the century, WWE had the Right To Censor heel stable, which was a direct shot at the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parents_Television_Council Parent's Television Council]] and other such media watchdog groups. Interestingly, the RTC was actually pretty successful - giving the WWE a kayfabe reason to make some of the changes the PTC and allies were calling for.

* Music/TheRollingStones' "It's Only Rock And Roll (But I Like It)" from ''Music/ItsOnlyRockNRoll'' was written as a TakeThat against critics who kept criticizing the band for not being as meaningful as they were before.