The Backlash To Captain Marvel’s Activism
A blockbuster is not only an escape from the scorching sun, but also allows us to escape from our lives and society as a whole. But with more and more films commenting on social issues, some are questioning whether it is their place to do so. Star Wars: The Force Awakens was lauded for its feminist appeal, but longtime fans of the franchise were skeptical of a narrative that they saw as an unnecessary departure from the films they loved. Specifically, their worry was that the series’ beloved escapism was being sacrificed to push a social agenda.
The most recent blockbuster to receive backlash for this newfound vein of activism is Captain Marvel, starring Academy Award winner Brie Larson. Larson’s comments at the 2018 Krystal + Lucy’s Awards addressed the lack of diversity in critical circles, specifically how 63.9 percent of nearly 20,000 reviews for the top grossing films last year were written by white men. Preemptively aware that she could receive a negative response, she repeatedly asserted, “I don’t hate white dudes.” Ironically, groups have perceived her comments as indicative of her prejudice against white men. The result was a mass of trolling that tanked Captain Marvel’s user-generated “Want to See” score on the review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes dropping to 28 percent.
In response to this trolling, Rotten Tomatoes has disabled the comment function prior to a movie’s release date. In a statement describing the changes, Rotten Tomatoes stated, “Unfortunately, we have seen an uptick in non-constructive input, sometimes bordering on trolling, which we believe is a disservice to our general readership.” They are still allowing audiences to leave a user rating and comments as on released content, and claim that these changes are part of a larger of site redesign. But commentators are skeptical that these changes are not merely a response to the events surrounding Captain Marvel, especially given what happened with Netflix.
Back in 2017, Netflix replaced its five-star rating system with a “thumbs up/down” feature. Under this new system, your upvotes and downvotes, along with your interests and typical viewing habits, influences a “percent match” score for potential content. The company then went one step further and removed the entire decade-long archive of user submitted reviews from its website.
Netflix claimed that it had long planned to make the switch to personalize content ratings for each individual user rather than show them a collective review from their mass userbase. However, some speculated that poor ratings on Amy Schumer’s stand-up special, The Leather Special, prompted this reformatting. The special had received favorable critic reviews but had scored a one-star rating due to an onslaught of review bombing by alt-right “trolls”. While it has been noted that misogyny was presented in some user reviews, other low ratings came from “self-proclaimed Schumer supporters”.
[su_pullquote align=”right”]There is a need for more diverse voices in media, but this does not mean that companies should stifle views that are critical of how that diversity is achieved.[/su_pullquote]Language that lacks in constructive appraisal of a piece, or that can be considered inherently harmful and purposely hateful, is understandably susceptible to censorship. However, language that critiques a piece from a conflicting perspective provides valuable perspective that is necessary for societal progress. Rotten Tomatos’ decision to remove their “Want to See” score paints the general public as incompetent and lacking the capabilities to judge for themselves. Despite their commendable goal of attempting to elevate and ensure the presence of marginalized groups, practices such as these create a hierarchy of opinion that establishes one voice as elite and the rest as ignorant.
[su_pullquote align=”right”]We need to encourage productive, effective user input as it provides a stage to air the concerns of those who are overlooked.[/su_pullquote]There is a need for more diverse voices in media, but this does not mean that companies should stifle views that are critical of how that diversity is achieved. Disabling user input sets a dangerous precedence for both content providers and review aggregators. It is beneficial for the public to have access to opinions outside the homogenous circle of elite Hollywood critics. Those identities who are not being represented in film criticism can find a place to share their voice in submitted user input. User input should be considered a check to the control that film critics wield. We need to encourage productive, effective user input as it provides a stage to air the concerns of those who are overlooked.
Ryan Martirano ‘21 studies in the College of Arts & Sciences. He can be reached at rtmartirano@wustl.edu.