Theater critic: The theater is in a dismal state. Audiences are sparse and revenue is down. Without the audience and the revenue, the talented and creative people who are the lifeblood of the theater are abandoning it. No wonder standards are deteriorating. Producer: It' s not true that the theater is in decline. Don' t you realize that your comments constitute a self-fulfilling prophecy? By publishing these opinions, you yourself are discouraging new audiences from emerging and new talent from joining the theater.
Focusing on the effects of the critic's evaluation rather than on its content is a questionable technique employed by the producer in responding to the critic.