loading . . . Fresh, stale, or politics? The Melania doc's Rotten Tomatoes score, explained _Melania_ , a documentary about the first lady, has a 10 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes from critics, but a 90 percent score from audience members, an unusual discrepancy that raises the question, how did Rotten Tomatoes get those scores anyway?
**Show notes:**
* The 'Melania' movie audience: Older white women ([NPR](http://The 'Melania' movie audience: Older white women))
* Melania’s Movie Shows Signs of Bulk Buying to Boost Box Office: Guru (The Daily Beast)
* You Can Thank 'Rush Hour' for Rotten Tomatoes (Vice)
* Rotten Tomatoes Owner Says ‘Melania’ 99% Audience Score Is Not ‘Bot Manipulation’: ‘Reviews Are Verified… Users Bought a Ticket to the Film’ (Variety)
_Credits: This episode was produced by Kalyani Saxena and Grace Tatter. It was co-hosted by Ben Brock Johnson and Kalyani Saxena, and edited by Meg Cramer. Mix and sound design by Paul Vaitkus._ https://www.wbur.org/endlessthread/2026/02/20/melania-doc-rotten-tomatoes
