As a self-important film student who is as pretentious as he is cripplingly lonely, movie criticism is a big part of my world. I've been reviewing movies on my facebook for quite a long time for the few people who will take the time to read them. I know from firsthand experience- opinions make people angry. If you haven't picked up on it yet, I can be a harsh critic. And there isn't a single person on earth who likes harsh critics.

“Don't ask for his opinion, he doesn't like anything.” I've heard more than once.

“You're just looking for things to complain about!” If I wasn't looking for things to talk about then I wouldn't be able to critique.

“You just want all movies to be arty!” I already consider movies to be art, so I assume that by arty, people mean “obtuse.” No, I don't want movies to be obtuse, I want them to be good.

“That's just your opinion!” You don't say? Nobody on earth said you had to agree with it.

If you enjoy a movie, someone else's opinion on that movie shouldn't dissuade you from enjoying it. You don't need a jerk like me to affirm how great something is before you enjoy it. You don't have to agree with any critical analysis anyone places on the internet in order to find something entertaining or enjoyable.

Having had my own work subject to some harsh criticism, I know how hard it can be to find something you loved so much be dissected and its flaws pointed out. Critics do that so that art can improve. Writer and game critic Ben “Yahtzee” Croshaw once said that:

“...the cruelest thing you can do to an artist is to tell them their work is flawless when it isn't.”

As a creative person who puts his work out there for the world to see, I want people to tell me what works and what doesn't so that I can improve. I may not like to hear criticism, but I recognize its importance. I absolutely loved the Robert Downey Jr. "Sherlock Holmes" movies and critics hated it, but I can recognize their complaints as valid and still enjoy it for what it is. If we could all accept that, if we all could ask more from the art we enjoy, we would bare witness to art that truly moves us and affects us on a cultural level.

And then some idiot starts a petition to take down Rotten Tomatoes because critics on the website didn't like “Superman V Batman: Dawn of Justice” and “Suicide Squad.” In a hilarious example of whiny people screaming “STOP DISLIKING THINGS THAT I LIKE!” Abdullah Coldwater has decided to take on Rotten Tomatoes with a petition on change.org. Initially, the petition was to remove the website because of its “unfair reviews” but when Abdullah realized that a digital signature by 25,000 people (half of whom probably signed ironically) was a stupid way to fight against constructive criticism, he changed its goal to “...make the people critics of their own just see the movies and judge for yourself...” somehow unaware that people could already do that. The title of the petition is now, “Don't listen to film criticism.”

Yes! Our time has come, people! We must stand together! Don't listen to criticism! No longer should we be forced to have critical information on the quality of a movie before we go to see it! Let us all go blindly into movie theaters and hope we didn't waste our money and time staring at something distasteful! Critics everywhere will be forced to quit their jobs and waste their degrees in film theory! And we'll accomplish all this by signing a digital petition made from some guy in Egypt!

Oh change.org, to think people used to take you seriously.

I haven't seen either “Dawn of Justice” (stupid title) or “Suicide Squad” yet but when critics are this negative about a film you can probably guess that it isn't going to be very good. Especially considering that modern DC films were made in reaction to the monstrous success of Marvel's cinematic universe. And of all the directors they could get to headline their attempt to compete, they had to have Zack Snyder. Unlike Disney's Marvel, DC has no idea how to sell their films and instead try to contrast the fun and colorful Marvel films with drag, washed out movies trying to bank on how “edgy” they are. Warner Brothers has yet to realize that the “Dark Knight” trilogy's success had nothing to do with how “dark and serious” they were. “Suicide Squad” looked like it has promise with its unique art direction, excellent cast, and director but it appears that executive meddling has prevented Margot Robbie in tight short-shorts from making it to the Oscars.

While film critics are a factor in how well movies do in the box office, history has taught us that it often times makes no difference whatsoever. There was a time when the highest-grossing films were also Oscar winners, but the wedge between film audiences and film critics has prevented that from being a thing in this day and age. So no matter how much I get on my knees and plead for people to refrain from seeing the latest Michael Bay “Ninja Turtles” sequel, it won't stop it from grossing $263 million.