Are male film critics more likely to pan 'SATC'?
By Steve Mason
Have critics been fair to the 'Queen of All Chick Flicks,' "Sex & the City?" This Warner Bros property, based on the HBO series that debuted a decade ago, received a less than spectacular reception from America's critics.
On Rotten Tomatoes, this decidedly female-skewing movie has received only 55% positive reviews. But, the bad notices did not stop women from flooding America's multiplexes as this estrogen- and Cosmo-fueled phenomenon delivered a stunning debut of $57 million or so on opening weekend.
Still, I was curious. How many of these critics are women? Were men harder on the movie than female reviewers? And, is this, perhaps, another case of critics being out-of-touch with a film's intended audience?
As it turns out, Rotten Tomatoes presents 139 reviews, 69% of which are written by men. Only 49% of male critics wrote positive reviews while 51% panned "Sex & The City." Meanwhile, only 14 of the 40 female reviewers were negative about the box office sensation with 65% of women giving Carrie Bradshaw and friends the critical 'thumbs up.'
Just wondering. Should male scribes have recused themselves from this assignment?
