Matt Singer

“As a survey of what the overall consensus looks like on a movie, Rotten Tomatoes has a purpose. But a lot of readers see that number and take it as some kind of objective measurement of quality, not what it really is: a calculation of the overall number of critics who recommend something. And everywhere you look online, you can see numbers that supposedly represent reader reviews and customer grades. People rate the toothpaste they buy on Amazon and pan the restaurant that served them cold soup on Yelp. Netflix users can rate the films they watch with a thumbs down, a thumbs up, or two thumbs for something they absolutely love. All of this bears Gene and Roger's influence: they democratized criticism, turned it into mass entertainment, and brought it to millions of people all over the country for decades. And now the internet has given everyone an outlet to practice it in public, for better or for worse.”
― Matt Singer, Opposable Thumbs: How Siskel & Ebert Changed Movies Forever

“Today, movies are one of a near-limitless array of viewing options including television shows, YouTube clips, and TikTok videos. But in the late 1960s and early ’70s, movies weren’t just popular, they were important. They dominated the cultural conversation. They were the most influential and widely consumed art”
― Matt Singer, Opposable Thumbs: How Siskel & Ebert Changed Movies Forever