Reviews ….Are They Reliable & Reputable?

After reading about the scathing reviews on comedian Lawrence Mooney and also Adelaide restaurant ‘Hill of Grace’ I am just wondering whether us members of the public should make up our own mind in future? Should we trust the opinion of someone else? Are our everyday buying decisions based on how many stars it has next to it’s name?

Being ‘devil’s advocate’ today – what if a reviewer or blogger wanted to gain notoriety or a reputation for themselves? Will a good review go viral? Probably not. A bad review of a high profile establishment or person will always gain more attention, and possibly guarantee ‘free entry’ or ‘free meals’ for life. Criticizing someone or something famous is ‘low hanging fruit’ for a reviewer or blogger.

Let’s hope our reviewers and bloggers do not become bigger than the actual players,or the game itself. How do we know they were not given incentives, or paid to rubbish an opposition brand? How much free product or cash can influence or sway an opinion? How much of it is marketing, designed just to get the tongues wagging?

My point is that there are always two sides to a story and you always have to establish your own opinion on how things impact you personally, as opposed to jumping on the bandwagon of popular opinion and believing everything you read.

I have no idea whether the above deserved their reviews or not, but I suggest we remain impartial until proven otherwise. The flip side of the coin is that the reviewer could be 100% correct and is absolutely entitled to their opinion. The spotlight should be on both parties in the future I say, and let the truth prevail.

In my opinion it should be standard practice for reviewers/critics to only review things they have paid good money for. (to remain objective).