Where do you draw the line between constructive criticism and flat out hate? According to some people, cricketer and current YouTuber Shoaib Akhtar crossed that line when he “reviewed” the new PSL anthem on his YouTube channel.
Akhtar also posted a clip of his “review” of ‘Groove Mera’ on his Instagram account in which he called it a bad song with a bad composition. The song was performed by Naseebo Lal, Aima Baig and the Young Stunners.
“Aren’t you ashamed?” he asked the makers of the song, claiming that it was scaring his children. “My kid hasn’t spoken in three days because of this song,” he said with a smirk.
“The people who sang this song have no idea what groove even means,” he continued. And that was just the preview. Akhtar has a nine-minute video up on his YouTube channel in which he “reviews” the song. But reviews usually include more than just bashing.
Many people have called him out on social media, including actress Anoushey Ashraf.
“Oh dear, this is in bad taste. One thing to not like a song, another thing to run down artists, musicians this way,” she commented on Akhtar’s video shared by Hello! Pakistan. “Big fan of Shoaib Akhtar but not the way he’s bashing the new anthem. Some people, including many of your friends, fans and family, like the track.”
“Difference of opinion is welcome, degrading someone’s work isn’t,” she pointed out. “Don’t like the track, cool. Hating on it this way? Not cool.”
We agree; Akhtar could have said he didn’t like the song and even done a review but putting down everyone who made the song, starting with “the person at the PCB who thought it was a good idea” was unnecessary.
What people like Akhtar and other detractors of the song have to remember is that real people made this song and real people read hate comments like these. And when you have a huge platform, like Akhtar does, your voice is amplified, good or bad.
“It’s his opinion, that’s okay! He has the right, but that’s a stupid opinion is what is my opinion,” commented singer and actor Farhan Saeed on the same post. “This song will be a winner in the stadiums, mark it! Well done Zulfiqar J Khan, Aima Baig and of course Naseebo Lal. Great effort!”
Actor Naveed Raza asked Akhtar to learn to appreciate things. “The worst virus is a human dehumanizing another human. Prevention is better than cure,” he wrote.
The comments on Akhtar’s YouTube and Instagram posts were mixed. Some people defended his right to his opinion while others said he had hit below the belt with his “review”.
“He just gave [his] honest remarks! Secondly the song is a disaster if we own something we should own with full responsibility. If people don’t do honest reviews then there will be no room for improvement and betterment,” wrote one Instagram
“Can you please be more respectful. [You said this] even though you know how this negativity can affect a person. You should be more responsible before saying anything,” commented a YouTube viewer.
Reactions to the new PSL anthem have been mixed, with some people appreciating the effort and others hating on it. But not liking a song doesn’t mean you have to be cruel. There are ways of talking about things you don’t like without putting people down.