As a film enthusiast who’s been following the cinematic landscape for decades, I find the new measures taken by Rotten Tomatoes to combat review bombing to be a welcome step towards fostering a more inclusive and honest platform for moviegoers. The issue of review bombing, particularly targeted at movies featuring diverse casts, has long been a concern, tarnishing the genuine opinions of audiences who genuinely appreciate these films.
As a passionate film enthusiast, I’ve noticed that Rotten Tomatoes has recently revamped its audience scoring system to combat the issue of review bombing. Initially, this feature was designed to empower moviegoers like us, but unfortunately, it’s been manipulated and used as a tool by some individuals with specific agendas against certain film franchises or brands. It’s become all too common for organized groups to engage in review bombing, flooding movies they have personal disagreements with, often giving them a one-star rating.
Films with predominantly female leads or diverse casts, such as the 2016 film “Ghostbusters,” “Captain Marvel,” and “Black Panther,” have often been subjected to review bombing. This practice is used to give the impression that a significant portion of the audience dislikes these films, even though it’s likely not a true reflection of overall viewer sentiment.
The revised system by Rotten Tomatoes and Fandango aims to prevent or lessen the impact of review-bombing by distinguishing authentic reviews from others. Similar to Amazon’s badge for item buyers, the new “Verified Hot” label represents the general moviegoers’ opinions. For a film to receive this badge, it must attain a Verified Audience Score of 90% or more on its Popcornmeter. Only reviews from ticket-purchasers via sister site Fandango will be considered for this specific metric.
Although it appears that this group caters to a specific audience, as reported by IndieWire, the intention is to collaborate with other entities. This allows individuals who don’t utilize Fandango to also qualify for verification. The inaugural films earning the “Verified Hot” label include “Deadpool & Wolverine”, “Twisters”, “Bad Boys: Ride or Die”, “Fly Me to the Moon”, and “It Ends With Us”. Moreover, over 200 other movies will receive this badge retroactively. Furthermore, two additional badges are planned – a “Hot” badge for ratings between 90% and 60%, and a “Stale” badge for scores below 60%.
Should Rotten Tomatoes Have an Audience Score?
Rotten Tomatoes has taken measures in the past to combat review bombing, and this is one more action they have recently implemented. However, the system isn’t flawless as it necessitates users to purchase tickets through Fandango, a subsidiary of Comcast, to be eligible for this select group of reviewers. The system is far from perfect, but it does help in deterring large groups from creating accounts solely to give low ratings to movies they haven’t watched. Some people dispute the existence of review-bombing, but a notable instance was with Star Wars: The Last Jedi, where Business Insider reported that bots were used extensively to lower the film’s audience score.
Yet, there is an argument to be made about whether Rotten Tomatoes should even have an audience score feature to begin with. In terms of judging audience engagement in a film, there is CinemaScore, Letterboxd, and, of course, the box office itself. Rotten Tomatoes wants to make itself a one-stop destination for everything, but having both critical and audience reviews side by side often does nothing but show a massive rift between the two opinions. Having two separate scores turns films into a battleground and creates a division. Whatever the good intentions behind it, Rotten Tomatoes has more often found itself becoming a tool for haters than for lovers.
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2024-08-21 22:02