Paul Newman avoided reading reviews of his acting because he found them personally unhelpful and often poorly written. The article argues that his approach reflects the difficulty performers face when critics scrutinise work that feels personal, even though criticism can still be valuable for audiences and wider discussion.

In remarks on *The Dick Cavett Show*, Newman said he would read reviews when producing or directing, chiefly to understand the balance of coverage and its implications for advertising. He complained that friends tended to pass on negative notices, calling this “a bit of a drag”, and objected particularly to reviews that were overly clever or focused on glorifying the critic rather than explaining the film.