The push for greater inclusivity in media goes beyond the people making the films and TV shows we watch—it also extends to the critics rendering their opinions on said projects. Studies have shown that film criticism is a male-dominated field; in 2016, research at the Center For The Study Of Women In Television And Film at San Diego State University revealed that 73 percent of the “Top Critics” featured on the popular aggregator Rotten Tomatoes are men.
But Indiewire reports there’s a new website that aims to center women’s voices in the cultural discussion. Founded by filmmaker-actor Miranda Bailey and producer-entrepreneur Rebecca Odes, CherryPicks will feature and aggregate reviews from woman-identifying critics only. In a statement, Bailey said “For years now, our industry has been proclaiming that we need change to include more minorities and females on both sides of the camera. This would be impossible to do in a speedy fashion, unless we can change the perceived desires of consumers.” The Diary Of A Teenage Girl and Swiss Army Man producer said when she and Odes set out to make the site, they asked themselves “How can we possibly change what consumers consider good and worthy content if the majority of critics who tell them what to want are predominately older white males?”