# Must you read/watch something to have an opinion about it? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 25, 2025, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/must-you-read-watch-something-to-have-an-opinion-about-it/1021296 "2025-07-25T00:24:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 1\ **Showing post:** 8
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2025, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/must-you-read-watch-something-to-have-an-opinion-about-it/1021296/8 "2025-07-25T03:46:17Z")
> [@Spice\_Weasel](#): > > Do I get to have an opinion about it? > Should that opinion be taken seriously? > > Do I have to read this freaking thing now? You get to have an opinion that is not fully informed. More of an awareness of what others thought about it. A slightly educated guess about it. No it shouldn’t be taken very seriously. This came up once in a thread discussing _Poor Things_ with someone who had not seen it giving the movie a very negative evaluation, arguing with those who had seen it about what the movie was. I considered that review bombing and was moderated for saying that. Several here argued that opinions based on hearsay and speculation were as valid as opinions based on experience of the actual thing. You should read it yourself if being able to critique it meaningfully is important to you. I’ve no idea why that would be the case. Knowing what those similar to you who have read it think of it is enough to decide if you want to read something. I have heard it is not a great book. My mother in law liked it and that suggests to me I wouldn’t. My daughter thought it was okay as a trashy fun thing and knows my tastes and says I’d not. But some people clearly enjoyed it. My contribution to any discussion of it is worth very little. ETA. I was Pitted for pushing back against the sight unseen beating up of it actually! You were part of that discussion. Same subject really. > [@Misogyny and pop culture: don't yuck my yum! (Spoilers for the movie Poor Things)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misogyny-and-pop-culture-dont-yuck-my-yum-spoilers-for-the-movie-poor-things/997107): > > I continue to be pissed off about an interaction hours later, so what better choice then drop it to the pit. tl;dr version: @DSeid and @Eyebrows_0f_Doom each take up aspects of the all-too-common position that if you think there’s some systemic misogyny in art, then you’re probably wrong, and you probably think no one should be allowed to say anything, and who gave you the right to tell me anything about anything anyway. And ur dumb. Also, some of my best friens are women, and they disagree wit… --- _[View the full topic](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/must-you-read-watch-something-to-have-an-opinion-about-it/1021296)._