Rotten Tomatoes Adjusts Criteria to Include More Diverse Critics

[A Marvel Fanboy]

Quote

Rotten Tomatoes is adjusting its critics criteria for its Tomatometer rating system, allowing for a wider and more diverse pool of critics.

The Tomatometer represents the collective opinion of thousands of approved critics and shows the percentage of positive reviews for a film or TV show. The new criteria will focus more on the critic’s individual credentials instead of their publication or employer.

Moreover, the Tomatometer will not only include written reviews but will expand to include newer media platforms, which will include podcasts and digital video series. Media platforms with a strong social media presence or engagement will be considered.

Also Read: Male Movie Critics Outnumber Women Nearly 4 to 1, New Study Says

Two hundred newly-approved critics have been added as part of Tuesday’s rollout, and Rotten Tomatoes anticipates adding hundreds more post-launch. Critics can apply to become Tomatometer-approved on the Rotten Tomatoes site — all critics go through an approval process. New critics will be highlighted on the Tomatometer Critics home page.

“Over the past few years, our team has added hundreds of new voices to the Tomatometer on top of the thousands we currently have, with the goal of creating a critics pool that closely reflects the global entertainment audience,” said Jenny Jediny, Rotten Tomatoes critics relations manager. “We took another key step today by revamping our critics criteria that both shifts our focus to approving critics individually rather than through publications, and introduces updated guidelines for newer media platforms to be a part of the Tomatometer.”

https://www.thewrap.com/rotten-tomatoes-adjusts-criteria-to-include-more-diverse-critics/

 

 

good or bad? impact on box office?

[Captain Craig]

Doesn't affect me. I don't care about the Tomatometer.

I have free will and can make up my own mind about a $12 movie. 

I'm not buying a car or refrigerator where something like Consumer Reports can really dive deep into a product. 

[75Live]

16 minutes ago, Captain Craig said:

Doesn't affect me. I don't care about the Tomatometer.

I have free will and can make up my own mind about a $12 movie. 

I'm not buying a car or refrigerator where something like Consumer Reports can really dive deep into a product. 

exactly how I feel about RT

 

but to answer the OP's question, I think it could eventually be bad as sounds like they are trying to appease more online places like Twitter critics or youtube people for this. 

 

As for effect on BO, I think the effect that RT has now will stay the same even after this

Edited August 28, 2018 by 75Live

[Alli]

I think it dilutes the impact of the reviews by making everyone a critic. bad idea imo

[Captain Craig]

3 minutes ago, 75Live said:

but to answer the OP's question, I think it could eventually be bad as sounds like they are trying to appease more online places like Twitter critics or youtube people for this.  As for effect on BO, I think the effect that RT has now will stay the same even after this

 

2 minutes ago, Alli said:

I think it dilutes the impact of the reviews by making everyone a critic. bad idea imo

This and this. 

 

Those who already "need" RT are just going to have more reviews to flip through. It'll take more votes to alter an aggregate score most likely. 

 

I don't get the folks who feel the insistence on doing research of critics before seeing a movie.

Seriously, you've been watching films for how long? You do or don't know your own personal taste and preferences? Sure, has the marginal films trailer been deceptive at times? Seen all the good jokes in the trailer? On occasion that happens but I sometimes I get a sour grape in the bunch of sweet ones.

 

I'd say I walk out of a theater 90% of the time or better feeling ok with my choice and dollar spent to varying degrees. 

I can mentally prepare myself and expectations for Greatest Showman vs Tomb Raider vs Infinity War vs Won't You Be My Neighbor

[grim22]

20 minutes ago, 75Live said:

exactly how I feel about RT

 

but to answer the OP's question, I think it could eventually be bad as sounds like they are trying to appease more online places like Twitter critics or youtube people for this. 

 

As for effect on BO, I think the effect that RT has now will stay the same even after this

Fanboy movies will see RT scores go up from this probably.

[ZeeSoh]

9 minutes ago, grim22 said:

Fanboy movies will see RT scores go up from this probably.

Yup exactly what I was thinking

[baumer]

I'm not going to comment on this any further.  It'll just be broken record stuff.  I've been saying that critics, at least for my money, are not needed for me to make up my mind to see a movie.  Others feel differently and that's fine.  But for me, I don't use critical reception to gauge my interest in a film.

[EarlyDeadlinePredictions]

Seems fine. There's already youtube critics on RT so this was inevitable. 

[DAR]

And my day will continue.

[ChipDerby]

LOL at them saying this will include more "diverse" critics... but not actually. They're using diverse in a shitty way.

 

If this was to add more women and minority critics, that would be great. It's not, so this is stupid.

[filmlover]

1 minute ago, ChipMunky said:

LOL at them saying this will include more "diverse" critics... but not actually. They're using diverse in a shitty way.

 

If this was to add more women and minority critics, that would be great. It's not, so this is stupid.

This, pretty much.

[grim22]

14 minutes ago, ChipMunky said:

LOL at them saying this will include more "diverse" critics... but not actually. They're using diverse in a shitty way.

 

If this was to add more women and minority critics, that would be great. It's not, so this is stupid.

Diverse probably refers to critical platforms more than the composition.

 

Wonder what happened to the Female Critics Rotten Tomatoes. Haven't heard anything in a while.

[clockwork]

In theory it would be nice to have more women and people of color having their reviews taken into account with this, but I'm not sure how this will work in the long run. Like others on here I treat Rotten Tomatoes as gospel in determining how good or bad a film is.  Does RT take into account reviews from other countries or does it just revolve around american reviewers? 

[Eric Wonka]

So I guess I'm the only person who is fine with this? They've already mentioned this was also done to include more representation for minority critics as well as freelancers, as this NYT article mentions, podcast and video reviewers are valid and can offer good input, and RT's also giving money for critics to go to film festivals either, which again means more inclusivity.

[LonePirate]

This change will likely benefit crowd pleasing movies while hurting arthouse or niche films. Individual tastes vary but films that target broad audiences are more likely to hit the sweet spot of the new critics while arthouse films will find it more difficult to please a wider array of tastes and expectations.

[CoolioD1]

i'm not as anti-critic as some of the folks here but i never go on rotten tomatoes really. at this point i know the critics i like, i follow them on twitter so if they write a review that's how i'll know.

[filmlover]

12 minutes ago, LonePirate said:

This change will likely benefit crowd pleasing movies while hurting arthouse or niche films. Individual tastes vary but films that target broad audiences are more likely to hit the sweet spot of the new critics while arthouse films will find it more difficult to please a wider array of tastes and expectations.

I'm pretty sure a number of these new people don't watch anything but the latest big-budget extravaganza to begin with so smaller films won't be impacted by this.

[Napoleon]

Soon they will incorporate reviews from the review section of this forum.

[Firepower]

Upgrade's RT dropped on 1 percent because of a new "critic". D.I.V.E.R.S.I.T.Y., hey hey!