--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Critics have a responsibility to put…" description: "\"Critics have a responsibility to put things in a cultural and sociological or political context. That is important.\" — Annette Bening" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5f2/annette-bening-3058_context_critics-have-a-responsibility-to-put-thi_1608987.jpg" --- # Critics have a responsibility to put things in a cultural… ![“Critics have a responsibility to put things in a cultural and sociological or political context. That is important.” quote by Annette Bening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5f2/annette-bening-3058_context_critics-have-a-responsibility-to-put-thi_1608987.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5f2/annette-bening-3058_context_critics-have-a-responsibility-to-put-thi_1608987.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5f2/annette-bening-3058_context_critics-have-a-responsibility-to-put-thi_1608987.jpg) > “Critics have a responsibility to put things in a cultural and sociological or political context. That is important.” [Annette Bening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annette-bening/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Critics should frame artistic works within broader social, cultural, and political landscapes to deepen understanding. **In simple terms:** Critics need to explain context. Key Takeaway Provide context when analyzing art. Themes criticism context social responsibility Mood thoughtful analytical Type interpretive educational When to use this quote - film reviews - news commentary - academic essays - social media posts Key Concepts cultural analysis political framing media literacy Questions to Reflect On - How does context shape your perception of a work? - When can context become overinterpretation? A Different Perspective Context can be subjective and may bias interpretation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Context](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/context/) [Context Important](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/context-important-1742344/) [Critic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/critic/) [Critics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/critics/) [Critics Responsibility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/critics-responsibility-6133258/) [Cultural](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cultural/) [Important](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/important/) [Political](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political/) [Put](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/put/) [Responsibility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/responsibility/) [Responsibility Things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/responsibility-things-295302/) [Sociological](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sociological/) [Sociological Political](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sociological-political-649568/) [Things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things/) ## Related quotes > [As soon as you bring up money, I notice, conversation gets sociological, then political, then moral.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-smiley/as-soon-as-you-bring-up-money-i-notice-conversation-gets-sociological/) [Jane Smiley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-smiley/) > [Context is so important, not to mimic but to become part of the place. I wanted a building that acknowledges its surroundings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-adjaye/context-is-so-important-not-to-mimic-but-to-become-part-of-the-place/) [David Adjaye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-adjaye/) > [All critics have the responsibility to tease out the social ideas and social problems in a movie. I don't feel an obligation to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wesley-morris/all-critics-have-the-responsibility-to-tease-out-the-social-ideas-and/) [Wesley Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wesley-morris/) > [Whatever role the structure of the Internet plays in radicalization, the root causes are still primarily sociological and political, and they will perdure and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ross-douthat/whatever-role-the-structure-of-the-internet-plays-in-radicalization/) [Ross Douthat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ross-douthat/) > [I stopped doing interviews for a long time because the words were mine, but they were in the wrong order. Context is a very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-blunt/i-stopped-doing-interviews-for-a-long-time-because-the-words-were/) [James Blunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-blunt/) > [I think context, location matters a lot. Because location obviously in my situation, it's the space in which the work is going to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shahzia-sikander/i-think-context-location-matters-a-lot-because-location-obviously-in/) [Shahzia Sikander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shahzia-sikander/) > [For you, the state is an entity with purposes of its own that the people can be required to serve. For us the word…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliot-richardson/for-you-the-state-is-an-entity-with-purposes-of-its-own-that-the/) [Elliot Richardson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliot-richardson/) > [I think the media's responsibility is to get to the bottom of things - to get to the truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephanie-ruhle/i-think-the-media-s-responsibility-is-to-get-to-the-bottom-of-things/) [Stephanie Ruhle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephanie-ruhle/) > [Why mundanes always insist on taking responsibility for things that aren't their fault is a mystery to me. You didn't force that cocktail down…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/why-mundanes-always-insist-on-taking-responsibility-for-things-that/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [The vicarious responsibility for things we have not done, this taking upon ourselves the consequences for things we are entirely innocent of, is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah/the-vicarious-responsibility-for-things-we-have-not-done-this-taking/) [Hannah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah/) > [I've really learned not to try to take responsibility for all things. And to keep my side of the street clean.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-stone/i-ve-really-learned-not-to-try-to-take-responsibility-for-all-things/) [Sharon Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-stone/) > [Take responsibility for the things you build and invent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-joy/take-responsibility-for-the-things-you-build-and-invent/) [Bill Joy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-joy/) > [We women feel we are here to serve. That's the mistake we make. We may have children, husbands, lovers, bills, responsibility. Those things don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-l-taylor/we-women-feel-we-are-here-to-serve-that-s-the-mistake-we-make-we-may/) [Susan L. Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-l-taylor/) > [I care about this state... and I feel a responsibility to get things done. If we stay healthy and play smart we can be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-mariucci/i-care-about-this-state-and-i-feel-a-responsibility-to-get-things/) [Steve Mariucci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-mariucci/) > [I think we need to take responsibility for the things we put on this planet, and also take responsibility for the things we take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-spielberg/i-think-we-need-to-take-responsibility-for-the-things-we-put-on-this/) [Steven Spielberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-spielberg/) ## More by Annette Bening > [I never thought my private life would be newsworthy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annette-bening/i-never-thought-my-private-life-would-be-newsworthy/) [Annette Bening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annette-bening/) > [I do have to take care of myself, not only because I'm in the movies, just for mental health reasons. I exercise for me.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annette-bening/i-do-have-to-take-care-of-myself-not-only-because-i-m-in-the-movies/) [Annette Bening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annette-bening/) > [We all get lost along the way, but hopefully we figure out some sort of path. It helps if you can imagine the process…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annette-bening/we-all-get-lost-along-the-way-but-hopefully-we-figure-out-some-sort/) [Annette Bening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annette-bening/) > [One of the things on a very practical level as an actor or actress is that when you do a play, you do the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annette-bening/one-of-the-things-on-a-very-practical-level-as-an-actor-or-actress-is/) [Annette Bening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annette-bening/) > [We want to be seen for who we really are, and each person has his own complex story and reasons for doing what they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annette-bening/we-want-to-be-seen-for-who-we-really-are-and-each-person-has-his-own/) [Annette Bening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annette-bening/) > [I don't see myself as competing with other actresses. I mean, I went through a time when I was in New York, and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annette-bening/i-don-t-see-myself-as-competing-with-other-actresses-i-mean-i-went/) [Annette Bening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annette-bening/) > [I'm lucky: almost all my family has lived to be very old. I have one grandfather who lived to be 100.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annette-bening/i-m-lucky-almost-all-my-family-has-lived-to-be-very-old-i-have-one/) [Annette Bening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annette-bening/) > [It's always tricky to watch yourself, always. When I first had to watch myself, it was really hard because I'd done quite a few…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annette-bening/it-s-always-tricky-to-watch-yourself-always-when-i-first-had-to-watch/) [Annette Bening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annette-bening/) > [To me, I didn't think of acting as being a young thing only.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annette-bening/to-me-i-didn-t-think-of-acting-as-being-a-young-thing-only/) [Annette Bening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annette-bening/) > [I act, but I am a mother first and wife second.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annette-bening/i-act-but-i-am-a-mother-first-and-wife-second/) [Annette Bening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annette-bening/) > [Why I love acting is that it's totally subjective and I like that. I like that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annette-bening/why-i-love-acting-is-that-it-s-totally-subjective-and-i-like-that-i/) [Annette Bening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annette-bening/) > [Somebody said something really smart: It's like you end up being the defense attorney for your role. Your job is to defend their point…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annette-bening/somebody-said-something-really-smart-it-s-like-you-end-up-being-the/) [Annette Bening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annette-bening/) > [Anybody who has children and children who are well feels a sense of responsibility towards parents and kids and families that are struggling and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annette-bening/anybody-who-has-children-and-children-who-are-well-feels-a-sense-of/) [Annette Bening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annette-bening/) > [I just want to be educated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annette-bening/i-just-want-to-be-educated/) [Annette Bening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annette-bening/) > [I remember hearing someone say that good acting is more about taking off a mask than putting one on, and in movie acting, certainly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annette-bening/i-remember-hearing-someone-say-that-good-acting-is-more-about-taking/) [Annette Bening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annette-bening/) [Explore all 141 Annette Bening quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annette-bening/) ## More Context quotes > [Pakistan now is like a horror film franchise. You know, it's 'Friday the 13th, Episode 63: The Terrorist from Pakistan.' And each time we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsin-hamid/pakistan-now-is-like-a-horror-film-franchise-you-know-it-s-friday-the/) [Mohsin Hamid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsin-hamid/) > [“Christianity doesn't answer all my questions or make me comfortable and happy. What it does do is give me a context for living.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-bryan-smith/christianity-doesn-t-answer-all-my-questions-or-make-me-comfortable/) [James Bryan Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-bryan-smith/) > [ People always tend to give the benefit of the doubt to allow people to explain the context \[of their words\]. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keli-goff/people-always-tend-to-give-the-benefit-of-the-doubt-to-allow-people/) [Keli Goff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keli-goff/) > [The United States is a very important country to us in the international context. But on other hand, Angola is also important to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joao-lourenco/the-united-states-is-a-very-important-country-to-us-in-the/) [Joao Lourenco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joao-lourenco/) > [I don't think we have to have a personal relation to a life lost to understand that something terrible has taken place, especially in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-butler/i-don-t-think-we-have-to-have-a-personal-relation-to-a-life-lost-to/) [Judith Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-butler/) > [The world isn't fast-paced, it's frenetic. People have to be managers of themselves. Time has been managing itself for 15 billion years; we have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-buzan/the-world-isn-t-fast-paced-it-s-frenetic-people-have-to-be-managers/) [Tony Buzan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-buzan/) > [I am repeatedly asked in interviews exactly 'what's wrong' with me, and I always give them the same answer; I don't identify the name…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stella-young/i-am-repeatedly-asked-in-interviews-exactly-what-s-wrong-with-me-and/) [Stella Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stella-young/) > [To quote out of context is the essence of the photographer's craft.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-szarkowski/to-quote-out-of-context-is-the-essence-of-the-photographer-s-craft/) [John Szarkowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-szarkowski/) > [Captaining your country, going out at Wembley, captaining Arsenal to 10 trophies, playing your first game - they're all amazing things. But, phew, saving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-adams/captaining-your-country-going-out-at-wembley-captaining-arsenal-to-10/) [Tony Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-adams/) > [With 'I Want Action,' I think people take it in the context of the Sunset Strip and the party scene; it was tongue-in-cheek.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-michaels/with-i-want-action-i-think-people-take-it-in-the-context-of-the/) [Bret Michaels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-michaels/) > [The still image continues to have a ton of strength. An image taken out of context from one fraction of a second to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-greenberg/the-still-image-continues-to-have-a-ton-of-strength-an-image-taken/) [Jill Greenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-greenberg/) > [I think where a lot of the stuff came from is that it started as something else and then it was transformed into something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-granduciel/i-think-where-a-lot-of-the-stuff-came-from-is-that-it-started-as/) [Adam Granduciel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-granduciel/) > [Context is to data what water is to a dolphin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-simmons/context-is-to-data-what-water-is-to-a-dolphin/) [Dan Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-simmons/) > [ “\[Mood allocates\] investments of time, effort, resources, and risk taking to maximize Darwinian fitness in situations of varying propitiousness. High and low moods adjust… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randolph-m-nesse/mood-allocates-investments-of-time-effort-resources-and-risk-taking/) [Randolph M. Nesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randolph-m-nesse/) > [For me context is the key - from that comes the understanding of everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-noland/for-me-context-is-the-key-from-that-comes-the-understanding-of/) [Kenneth Noland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-noland/) [Browse all 430 Context quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/context/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Critics have a responsibility to put things in a cultural and sociological or political context. That is important.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Annette Bening" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annette-bening/critics-have-a-responsibility-to-put-things-in-a-cultural-and/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Context" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annette-bening/critics-have-a-responsibility-to-put-things-in-a-cultural-and/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5f2/annette-bening-3058_context_critics-have-a-responsibility-to-put-thi_1608987.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5f2/annette-bening-3058_context_critics-have-a-responsibility-to-put-thi_1608987.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5f2/annette-bening-3058_context_critics-have-a-responsibility-to-put-thi_1608987.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Critics have a responsibility to put things in a cultural and sociological or political context. That is…” — Annette Bening", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Annette Bening", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annette-bening/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Critics have a responsibility to put...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annette-bening/critics-have-a-responsibility-to-put-things-in-a-cultural-and/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annette-bening/critics-have-a-responsibility-to-put-things-in-a-cultural-and/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```