Star Ratings - do we love/hate/need them? Five-star debate here! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

About this episode

The episode explores the impact and history of star ratings across various media and their influence on consumer behavior.

Star Ratings are now ubiquitous and inescapable and it’s not just music, films and books. Everything we encounter tends to be rated which colours our judgement before we try it. Choice can be paralyzing but do we read anymore or just count? Benji Wilson’s ‘Rate This Book: How Star Ratings Took Over the World’ traces their origin – back to 350 BC! – paints a picture of modern life and wonders here where we’re heading, along with …   … Aristotle’s 2,500 year-old system of star-rated animals   … how Michelin cooked up starred restaurants to get you to wear out your tyres   … can we spot fake reviews and the people who sell them?   … do we only tend to read one- and five-star reviews? And why writers hate the system   … the ingenious deceit of the Krays movie poster   … the value of reviews in a world where time and tickets costs are escalating   … “Star Ratings are the democratisation of criticism, the least-worst method”   … why a 2016 episode of Charlie Brooker’s Black Mirror now seems prophetic   … the “hidden hands” that manipulate the ratings system   … and mass Amazon ratings and the power of Mob Rule.   Order copies of…

People in this episode

Hosts: Mark Ellen, David Hepworth, Alex Gold

Topics covered

• star ratings
• criticism
• reviews
• media influence
• cultural commentary
• history of ratings

Keywords

• star ratings
• reviews
• media
• criticism
• Amazon
• Michelin
• Aristotle
• Charlie Brooker
• Kray

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Michelin, Amazon

Books & works: Rate This Book: How Star Ratings Took Over the World

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