And by "critical, " I doubt very much that Ebert would have meant a position of carping or complaining or even cutting-down-to-size so much as a state of heightened perception, of being open enough to the possibility that whatever you're looking at or listening to may not be what it seems -- or should be.

CNN: What the Internet owes to Roger Ebert

Moreover, the researchers were keen to emphasise how fluctuating environmental conditions could alter the popular perception of an "ideal" body size.

BBC: Stressed men drawn to heavy women

Gates backed off a bit from his frequently stated concern about the size of the U.S. force in Afghanistan, saying that McChrystal has argued that the size of the American force is not as important as to how it interacts with Afghan perception.

CNN: Pentagon chiefs urge fast turnaround in Afghan war