The new series “Watchmen,” based on the comic by writer Alan Moore, premiered last weekend on HBO, and according to The Daily Beast, it’s the latest victim of “review bombing.” However, if the perpetrators are hoping to sink the show, they’re unlikely to succeed.
For those not in the know, “review bombing” is what happens when scads of disgruntled viewers go to the Rotten Tomatoes website and leave one-star reviews for a movie or television show to drag down its overall rating. In the case of “Watchmen,” it received a score of 98% from critics and 43% from audiences.
“A complete disrespect of the source material,” said one commenter. “We have enough politics in our lives right now, can we just escape a little?” groused another. Another called it “the worst show HBO has ever created.”
The show has indeed taken liberties with the source material. But if it’s a victim of review bombing, writer, social media specialist and advocate Chad MacDonald said it has nothing to do with the quality of the show and is the product of an orchestrated effort.
“I regularly see people encouraging each other to do it, and bragging about it when they’re done,” he said. “They will display how a film or show’s rating is plummeting thanks to their efforts.”
MacDonald said that in some cases, people who participate in this behavior are fans who view themselves as “gatekeepers” of a franchise. However, he said that racism and misogyny are more likely causes.
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