Why Did Rotten Tomatoes Disable the Audience Score for the Documentary Fauci?
Recently, Rotten Tomatoes, a well-known movie review aggregator website, made a significant change to its scoring system for the documentary Fauci. Specifically, they have disabled the audience score for this film.
This action comes amidst a time of increased scrutiny and criticism from those who are opposing the documentary’s narrative, primarily due to its portrayal of the political landscape.
Latest Updates from May 3, 2022
The decision to disable the audience score has been in effect since May 3, 2022. It’s important to note that as of the time of this writing, the film has not yet been widely released to the public. While the critic score is available, there is a stark contrast between the two sets of scores.
The Impact of Political Trolls and Low Self-Esteem
The move to disable the audience score is believed to be a direct response to a concerted effort by political trolls who operate under a low self-esteem and often resort to desperate tactics. These individuals have been reviewing movies on Rotten Tomatoes in an attempt to sway the overall score to their favor. They believe that by bombarding the site with numerous negative reviews, they can influence the public perception of a film.
Interestingly, these same trolls tend to avoid IMDb, a competitor platform, because they recognize that their numbers are not significant enough to have a substantial impact there.
The Political Dimensions of the Documentary
Prior to the score being disabled, the critic's score and the audience's score for Fauci were notably different, with a significant discrepancy between the two. The critics gave the documentary a reasonably favorable score, perhaps due to its critical analysis and factual content, while the audience remained divided or unfavorable.
The low audience score has particularly stirred debate due to the media narrative surrounding the film. There are discussions about whether the documentary is being presented as popular and well-received by the general public, even though the audience score suggests otherwise. This has fueled speculation about potential biases and the manipulation of public opinion.
One argument made by the trolls and their supporters is that the low audience score is due to the film having misleading or inaccurate information, which is the opposite of what the critics' scores suggest. By disabling the audience score, Rotten Tomatoes is essentially bypassing the immediate feedback from the audience, which can be seen as a move to prevent further attacks from these political trolls.
Similar Pre-Release Decisions
Rotten Tomatoes has a history of disabling audience scores for films that have yet to be released to audiences. This practice is not unique to Fauci; they have taken similar measures for other films, such as Halloween Kills. By turning off the audience score, the site is protecting itself from potential review flooding or other forms of manipulation that could skew the final scores.
This decision reflects the ongoing battle between fact and misinformation, with Rotten Tomatoes striving to maintain the integrity and trustworthiness of their platform. By limiting audience interaction, they aim to ensure that the scores reflect a more balanced and long-term public opinion rather than short-term, emotionally driven backlash.
In conclusion, the disabling of the audience score for the documentary Fauci is a complex decision with multiple factors at play, including political pressure, manipulation by low self-esteem trolls, and the broader goal of maintaining the credibility of the platform. As the film continues to receive attention and discussion, it will be interesting to see how these scores evolve over time.