There's Literally A Petition To Stop Marvel Paying For Positive Reviews

Someone call the Conspiracy Bureau (it's definitely a thing), because some obviously disgruntled DC fanboy or other has taken it upon himself to take down the giants of bias, by launching a petition to stop Disney paying for positive Marvel reviews and trashing competitor movies.

This is the Erin Brockovich of our generation, people.

The gloriously idiotic petition - which clearly comes from the same kind of mind that thinks Batman v Superman being bad was somehow an expression of innovation, rather than an absence of quality - sets out a bold statement of intent.

According to the petition - which carries the imaginative header "Stop Disney paying critics" - says that "Disney has been continually paying critics to attack Non MCU movies". A bold accusation, considering working with Disney is actually a privilege that isn't afforded to everyone, even if you shower their films with praise. It's just how the industry works.

The hyperbole is so strong in the petition's manifesto that you might genuinely think that it's a joke. Worryingly, it probably isn't:

"MCU movies are safe. They're not challenging at all. Just like a comic book movie is "supposed to be". They're not divisive or thought provoking. First they bashed Batman V Superman.They cleared BvS out of the way, gave Civil War (which wasn't a perfect film) an Oscar, now they're going to work on moving Apocalypse out the way...then they get offended when they're accused of accepting gifts. Deadpool would have also suffered the same fate however it was released in February and was not an immediate threat. We need to raise awareness of this global plan to keep our films creative or risk have everything fall under the Disney label. Each studio brings their own distinctive and creative work and Disney needs to stop being greedy and understand this."

Yeah, let's "keep our films creative", and just let any old crap get made, as long as it isn't by Disney or in the MCU.

BUT WHAT HAPPENS WHEN NON-MARVEL FILMS START BEING GREAT? Will the petitioner accuse Warner Bros of making "safe" movies? Will they be admonished for the entirely made up campaign to pay for bad reviews for other films and good for their own?

Come on, now. it's getting beyond a joke. Fair play if this is a comedic attempt to skewer the type of fanboy who actually spouts this kind of drivel, but its very existence hints at something broken with the bipartisan approach to comic book movie fandom. There's no conspiracy, it's just some films are poorer than others. Get over it.

And no, they didn't pay me to say this either.