Rotten Tomatoes' Assurance of 'No Bot Manipulation' in Melania's Audience Score Sparks Skepticism
Amidst a stark contrast between Melania's critic and audience scores, Rotten Tomatoes is steadfast in its denial of any bot interference. Despite speculation and skepticism, the movie review hub recently affirmed that its "Popcornmeter" score for the documentary about Melania Trump is solely based on reviews from verified audience members who have purchased tickets to the film.
In a statement shared with People, a spokesperson for the site emphasized, "There has been NO bot manipulation on the audience reviews for the Melania documentary. Reviews displayed on the Popcornmeter are VERIFIED reviews, meaning it has been confirmed that users have bought a ticket to the film."
However, as Melania's box office performance falters, dropping 67% in its second weekend with a 10-day total of $14.5M against a $40M licensing and $35M marketing budget, doubts persist. Critics argue that the "verified" audience reviews for the Melania doc originate from new accounts with no prior posting history, raising questions about the source of these accounts.
One Twitter user questioned, "Who is paying for these bots?" while another noted, "So I went into Rotten Tomatoes to see the reviews of the Melania movie dreck. It seems that all of the Verified Reviews, which were all r star reviews, were from people who never had another single review in the account review history."
Another Twitter user added, "They’re calling Melania the most botted rotten tomatoes audience ‘reviewed’ movies of all time."
Despite the controversy, Jimmy Kimmel's commentary on his talk show highlights the film's low critic score of 5% and its high audience score of 99%. He humorously suggests an investigation, comparing it to the Republican National Committee's purchase of Don Jr.'s book to boost its bestseller status. The satirical tone invites discussion and highlights the perceived discrepancy in the film's reception.
