Rotten Tomatoes

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Rotten Tomatoes

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Rotten Tomatoes

Rotten Tomatoes is a website that aggregates movie and television show reviews from critics and audiences. It was launched on August 12, 1998, by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang. The name "Rotten Tomatoes" derives from the practice of audiences throwing rotten tomatoes at a stage to express their displeasure with a performance.

Overview

Rotten Tomatoes offers ratings for movies and TV shows, which are divided into two main categories: the "Tomatometer" and the "Audience Score". The Tomatometer score represents the percentage of professional critic reviews that are positive for a given film or television show. A movie or TV show with a Tomatometer score of 60% or higher is considered "Fresh", while those with a score of 59% or lower are deemed "Rotten". The Audience Score, on the other hand, reflects the percentage of registered users who have rated the movie or TV show positively.

History

The concept of Rotten Tomatoes was inspired by Duong's love of Jackie Chan movies. He was interested in getting opinions from all critics in one place, which led to the creation of the site. Initially, Rotten Tomatoes was a side project, but it quickly gained popularity and became a full-time job for its founders.

In 2004, Rotten Tomatoes was acquired by IGN Entertainment, which in turn was bought by News Corp in 2005. Later, in 2011, it became a part of Flixster, which was then acquired by Warner Bros. in 2011. As of February 2016, Rotten Tomatoes and its parent company Flixster were sold to Comcast's Fandango Media.

Features

Rotten Tomatoes features include:

• Tomatometer Scores: An aggregate score given to movies and TV shows based on the opinions of accredited critics.
• Audience Scores: Reflects the opinions of registered users and general audiences.
• Certified Fresh: A distinction awarded to the best-reviewed movies and TV shows.
• Rotten Tomatoes TV: A section dedicated to television show reviews and ratings.
• Editorial Content: Includes articles, videos, and podcasts about movies and TV shows.

Impact

Rotten Tomatoes has significantly influenced audience viewing choices and box office performances. Films with high Tomatometer scores often see increased interest and ticket sales, while those with low scores may suffer. However, the site has also faced criticism from filmmakers and actors who argue that the Tomatometer oversimplifies complex critiques into a simple percentage, potentially misrepresenting the quality of a film.

Controversies

The website has been at the center of several controversies, including review bombing by fans, which has led to changes in how audience scores are calculated. Rotten Tomatoes has implemented measures to ensure that only verified ticket buyers can submit audience reviews for new releases, in an effort to combat manipulation of scores.

Conclusion

Rotten Tomatoes has grown from a simple project among friends into a major player in the entertainment industry, influencing both audiences and industry professionals. Despite its controversies, it remains a popular source for movie and TV show ratings and reviews.