This document provides an overview of different approaches to cultural criticism. It discusses criticism versus cynicism, explaining that critics carefully examine media through evidence-based analysis rather than making unsupported judgments. Several theories of cultural criticism are then outlined, including reader response, formalism, and biographic, Marxist, deconstructionist, psychoanalytic, and archetypal approaches. The document notes criticism in the 1990s predominantly involved white male critics from Western nations. It argues for more diverse perspectives to achieve richer understanding. Finally, it briefly introduces feminist, critical race theory, and ecocriticism as alternative approaches.