Some sort of noteworthy Event for this website...

[Rev. Powell]

Seems high, but except for paid critics, no one went to see "Melania" who wasn't going to rate it an A++++ no matter what. I mean, would you pay money to see it? I wouldn't go if you paid me.

RT breaks down audience ration between verified ticket buyers and unverified ones (i.e. people who probably didn't see it but want to rate it either 5 stars or 1 star for political reasons). The 99% is for verified ticket holders. If you include the unverified "Viewers" that RT audience rating drops to 29%.

On the other hand, I can rate "Melania" at IMDb right now without supplying any proof I've seen it, which is why the IMDb rating is low. It's the IMDb rating that's being review-bombed. IMDb ratings are generally less reliable for politically charged movies. (IMDb ratings are great for movies that no one has any reason to go in an rate unseen.)

If you only count the people who paid for the experience, you're measuring 'fandom,' not 'film quality.' RT's system solved the bot problem but created a 'selection bias' problem in its place.

That's true; you just need to keep in mind what the "audience score" is actually measuring. I trust the critics' score more, but my tastes align with movie critics.

[Rev. Powell]

Seems high, but except for paid critics, no one went to see "Melania" who wasn't going to rate it an A++++ no matter what. I mean, would you pay money to see it? I wouldn't go if you paid me.

Perhaps I am mistaken... I thought you were a paid critic. You serve on a critics award panel for documentaries, right?

In 100% sincerity and seriousness, I was waiting for you to inevitably have to see MELANIA for one of your gigs. If you told me it was actually worth seeing, I would probably have to shut up about it! (...Not about Melania being an amoral enabler and opportunist, perhaps, but at least about the movie being objectively Bad...)

I rarely get paid directly for reviews. I make money (increasingly less and less) from advertising on my website, and from book sales. But if someone tried to commission me to see MELANIA I like to think I would turn the offer down. I'm not even morbidly curious about it, and penning yet another obvious hate-piece wouldn't be satisfying. The only way I could morally justify it is if I signed the check over to some anti-MAGA politician's campaign.