Let’s Talk About Rotten Tomatoes

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If you’ve been following Trust the Dice for any length of time, you know how much we tend to roll our eyes at Rotten Tomatoes. Particularly, the critic scores.
 
For our reviews, we include ratings from Rotten Tomatoes, IMDb, and Metacritic. Over the years, we’ve noticed things about the various websites. IMDb, for instance, seems to lean more toward what audiences think of the films – without concern for critics. Metacritic is often the most critical, even giving widely loved films lower scores. Then there’s Rotten Tomatoes.
 
One of the things we love about Rotten Tomatoes is that it separates the reviews in an easy to digest way: you have the critic score on one hand and the audience score on the other. With one glance you’re able to see what each group thinks. It’s almost impossible to not catch on to the little trends in various genres and sub-genres. Turn-your-brain-off films usually get poor reviews from critics, but audiences love them. While Oscar bait often thrills the critics but gets lower scores from audiences. There are exceptions, but there are a great many movies where the difference between audience and critic score can be calculated by just glancing over the IMDb page.
 
That kind of thing is to be expected, though. Critics and audiences are viewing the same thing from two vastly different perspectives. They’re looking for different things. What bothers me is when I open Rotten Tomatoes, glance through the reviews and wind up wondering if the critics even watched the same movie I did.
 
Opinions will differ. That’s a given. But when Vulture revealed that some critics were being paid for certain reviews, or at least paid to hide their bad ones, I was not shocked.
 
In the Sept. 6, 2023, article by Lane Brown, it was reported that Bunker 15, a publicity company, allegedly bought good reviews from critics for Ophelia (2018). It originally had a rotten score of 46% and, after allegedly paying $50 per review, Bunker 15 was able to get it up to a fresh 62%.
 
It’s not ethical to accept a monetary reward for a specific kind of review but there are always going to be bad apples. In every profession. Plenty of critics are paid for reviews, yes, but whether it’s a good one is supposed to rely solely on the experience.

 
Still, those bad apples can skew a score very easily.
 
That’s not to say that I think Rotten Tomatoes is useless.
 
I’ve never relied on just one score through Rotten Tomatoes. When I look at their page, I’m very rarely just trying to see the critic score. In fact, I’m not even just trying to see the audience score. Audiences can wind up judging a film on things that have nothing to the movie. I saw one bad review where they slammed the film just because the lead actor’s brother had done something bad. It had nothing to do with the actual actor.
 
The important thing to look at when you’re utilizing Rotten Tomatoes is the spread. The difference between the critic and audience score will tell you everything you need to know. It doesn’t matter if some of the critics have been paid off, or if some of the audiences are review-bombing. That spread will tell you if something wonky is going on.
 
Go into it knowing what you want out of a film, as well. Audiences tend to prioritize fun, while critics prioritize technique. Taking the average of the two scores will help you balance both, but if your priorities lean one way or the other, that’s something to take into account too, and it’s why Rotten Tomatoes is still useful. Even with the bad apples.
 
Regardless of what directors, producers, or anyone else says.
 
Wages are low. Movie tickets are expensive. Streaming subscriptions are expensive. Cable is expensive. Sites that give us insight on whether we’ll like a film are important. They can keep us from spending a dumb amount of money on a film that isn’t for us.
 
Unfortunately, people who rate things unethically can force viewers away from risky indie pictures. That’s why many audiences lean toward the fun, turn-your-brain-off flicks. It’s not because “audiences are dumber,” as suggested by Paul Schrader, writer of Taxi Driver (1976), Raging Bull (1980), and other iconic films. It’s because audiences know exactly what their money is buying with those films. They know that it’ll be a somewhat hollow experience, but that they’re going to leave the theater smiling.
 
Joy is in short supply these days. People need to get it wherever they can. It’s unfortunate that it means they miss some great indie films because some companies are intent on gaming the system.
 
Writers/directors pointing the finger at people consuming their work is a joke. Audiences are not the problem. Companies are. Audiences are just using the tools they have, to try to lighten their load.
 
I’ll continue rolling my eyes at some of the scores on Rotten Tomatoes. I’ll still complain about them in my reviews. That said, I’ll also still utilize the site and post the scores on each one I write. Even when I disagree with the scores, I can’t deny that Rotten Tomatoes is a useful tool, when you use it carefully.
 
We hope that you have the opportunity to judge each movie on its own merit. If you don’t, don’t let anyone sway you. Watch what you like, what you can afford, and what you are emotionally open to. Entertainment is for everyone.  

Shazam! (2019): Lightning in a Bottle?

If you read the Top 20 Movies to look out for in April, then you know I made some big claims about Shazam! (2019). If you need a reminder: I stated that I thought Shazam!, if done right, could be a game-changer for the DCEU.

The big caveat: ‘if done right’.

Well, I saw Shazam! this past weekend. I can say, with absolute certainty, it was done right.

Let me start with a basic review.

The actors, even the child actors, had their game faces on. I believed every one of them, from the youngest – Faith Herman (This is Us, Doe, Bodied) – to the main character – Zachary Levi (Office Uprising, Chuck, Tangled) and Asher Angel (Andi Mack, Driven to Dance, Jolene) – every actor played to their strengths and made me believe them.

As important as acting can be in most films, it’s even more important in Shazam!. A lot of the movie is based on whether or not you believe the transformation between Billy Batson and the title character. A single slip on either Levi or Angel’s part could have destroyed the feel of the entire thing. Yet every transformation was portrayed without issue. There was never a time during the movie where my suspended disbelief was challenged by it.

A lot of that might have had something to do with other members of the team, though.

David F. Sandberg (Annabelle: Creation, Lights Out, Not so Fast), the director, is more well known for his shorts and YouTube content than his full-length features. That’s right, DC took a giant leap of faith and gave Shazam! to a less Hollywood-versed, but experienced, director.

Most of his shorts were developed with no budget at all, and that undoubtedly helped with this film. Shazam! has the lowest budget of all the DCEU movies. That means all the graphics, editing, and everything else, had much less money thrown at it than films like Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) and still managed to just be a better movie.

The editor, Michel Aller (The Forger, The Nun, Lights Out), needs to be commended as well. Just as much as one slip from either main actor could have screwed the whole thing – one misstep from Aller could have done the same.

I think the story was the right way to go, too.

It was an origin story through-and-through, but it’s different when the origin follows a tier 2 character instead of one of the most popular ones. We know Batman’s parents are dead. We know Superman is an alien that gets his powers from our yellow sun. If an origin doesn’t show us something we don’t know, then what the fuck is the point?

Most people more interested in films than comics don’t even know who Shazam is, let alone his origin, so this still felt fresh.

People went into Shazam! with very low expectations. I think, at this point, we all still kind of expect DC to disappoint us.

It’s a shame, too. There’s no reason Marvel and DC shouldn’t be on the same cinematic level. Marvel’s characters aren’t better as a whole, the stories aren’t exponentially more in depth. Comics-wise, they ARE on the same level. Some characters and stories are better than others, but it all equals out in the end. There’s nothing wrong with DC’s source material.

Unfortunately, they’ve fucked up their movie universe so much that even loyal DC fanboys walk into the theater with a sense of dread.

My best friend is one of those DC fanboys. He came with me and my husband to see Shazam! and, let me tell you, he expected the worst. Going into the theater, he was in the worst mood; grumping and grunting his responses to things. I kept telling him to keep an open mind, but that was not going to happen. As much as he adores the comics (his apartment is like a comic store, filled to the brim with DC merch), the films have done nothing but let him down. It PAINS him to admit the MCU is better.

When Shazam! was over, though… he was near tears, he was so happy. He said it himself, it was the perfect DC movie. It was something their fans could be completely proud of for the first time since The Dark Knight (2008).

Let’s talk about how the movie meshes with the comics. I’m going to avoid spoilers to the best of my ability.

I know the name ‘Shazam’ sounds a bit corny, but you have to remember that this character wasn’t originally called that. He was originally Captain Marvel and the name had to be changed after Marvel sued the original creator.

As Captain Marvel, the character has existed in print since the 40s. The name ‘SHAZAM’ is an acronym. It’s supposed to be a road map of his abilities.

In the 1973 comic, the original Shazam explained that he would have the powers of Solomon (wisdom), Hercules (strength), Atlas (stamina), Zeus (power), Achilles (courage), and Mercury (speed).

Of course, the film doesn’t follow the story of the Billy Batson from the 70s. DC started publishing a comic, starting in 2019, that the film follows the feel of much closer.

That’s the biggest thing, following the ‘feel’ of the comics is something I’ve mentioned in the past as being a necessity. It doesn’t need to follow the stories completely, but it needs to stay true to the feel. Which, Shazam! did.

What could this mean for the DCEU?

Honestly, if they capitalize on the success of Shazam!, it could mean everything for them.

Shazam! was good enough as a stand-alone film that it doesn’t really need to be part of the DCEU to be worth it – but they still including just enough connection to make the audience hopeful. That will give them a lot of wiggle room.

They fixed their balance issues as well. Although there was a lot of light-hearted and amusing content to Shazam! they did NOT shy away from the violence. The film is rated PG-13, so there wasn’t a ton of blood… but there didn’t have to be. They maximized the effect of the violence without turning into gore.

The opening weekend might not have made as much as their other films, but considering how little they spent on it, even the big-wigs will likely see it as nothing to sneeze at. Their profit was pretty well maximized for this particular story.

As I mentioned earlier, fans have been disillusioned with DC. This film could start getting fans to believe in them again. If they put out more movies like Shazam!, they will begin to out-do even their most popular films. If they stick to showing us little known characters (in the big screen) and then bring them together later on, we’re going to see films that subvert our expectations of DC for a long time.

Here’s hoping this is the dawn of a new age for the DCEU.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe: Ant-Man and the Wasp

SPOILER WARNING: MARVEL FILMS

I got to see Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018) this past weekend.

People are well aware that I’m a huge fan of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) by now. I think it’s absolutely remarkable that a production company finally listened to people who were bored with the same four superheroes and gave us a whole story line to follow that didn’t involve seeing the same origin stories 950 times each.

Ant-Man (2015) was a risky story to go down, though, and I don’t mean because they didn’t go with Hank Pym as the size-changing superhero in the films. In fact, using Hank as the main character would have been even riskier. In the comics, Hank is distinctly unlikable. He has an aggressive, sometimes abusive, streak that would have been very difficult for the director to portray as heroic.

In the first Ant-Man, you really don’t get to see much of what makes Hank a difficult character, but in the second one, they delve into it a little more. He has a few outbursts that give the other characters cause to stop and do a double-take. You meet some of the people from his past that have stories that confirm he might not be the best person. A genius, undeniably, but his selfishness is very much highlighted. I really liked that it was poked at a little.

I feel, especially because of the route they took with Hank, that the MCU is utilizing the entire Ant-Man branch as a generalized redemption story. Scott Lang is an ex-con and Hank Pym is a narcissist… you see them both come to face their actions and push forward into better people.

I really like that aspect of Ant-Man.

Sure, it’s also something they’ve been doing with Iron Man… but on a lesser scale.

In Iron Man (2008), Tony Stark is the past-asshole. Just Tony. He was surrounded by people who were better humans than he was and that gave him something to hold on to as he worked on redeeming himself. For Scott Lang, he’s surrounded by other ex-cons and an ex-(sometimes current)-jackass.

Now, I know people who don’t really prefer the Ant-Man branch of the MCU. I’ve heard arguments that’s it’s way too ridiculous, or that the action isn’t up to snuff, even that it feels too much removed from the rest of the MCU.

I disagree with all of those arguments.

Marvel has always relied on having a thread of comedic relief, going as far back as the movies in Phase 1, like Iron Man and Thor (2011). As time went on and they realized that people responded well to that kind of comedy and they ramped it up. We eventually wound up with things like Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) and Thor: Ragnarok (2017).

I mean, could you imagine any production company trying to put out a superhero action film that used a dance-off as part of the final showdown in the early 2000s? There was no way they would have. The majority of superhero films that went that heavy on the laughs before the MCU wound up being critically panned. That’s how we got shit like the original Howard the Duck (1986), Bat-Nipples, and Arnold Schwarzenegger (Batman & Robin, Killing Gunther, The Expendables 3) as a really bad Mr. Freeze.

Sure, you had stuff like The Mystery Men (1999) and The Mask (1994), but they were in the minority. Aside from which, it’s arguable whether or not The Mask is even a superhero film to begin with, I’d buy it – but not everyone would.

Marvel decided that it wasn’t the practice that was the issue, it was the expectations. So, they worked us up to that kind of humor. They showed us what our expectations should line up with. What we wound up getting was some very serious ideas that were backed by a relatable and ultimately human sense of humor.

That’s what Ant-Man is.

The MCU offers us threads of humor, but the storylines are actually extremely dark when you think about them. I mean, Avengers: Infinity War (2018) didn’t really require much thought to see the darkness, but going straight back to Phase 1, it’s always been dark.

Tony Stark is a weapons engineer that gets kidnapped and then spends the rest of his time as a hero making up for the weapons he made. His story is laced with undertones of guilt, addiction, and even PTSD. Thor is a god whose siblings have both turned on him, he leads a relatively lonely existence and winds up having to be the catalyst of the destruction of his whole world and, eventually, his people. Captain America is experimented on, stolen from his timeline, loses everyone he’s ever loved and lives the rest of his life with a single purpose, and the government wants his blood over it.

All the Avengers – in fact, all the heroes in the MCU, have stories that make them incredibly flawed people trying to swim through some seriously relatable darkness.

Ant-Man is different. Although Scott Lang has growing to do and a past to make up for, there’s a lighter note. The film itself is meant to be that line of comedy throughout the entire rest of the universe. Where the other films fed us the smaller bits of dark with a few grains of sugar, Ant-Man is the spoonful sugar that helps us swallow the great void of darkness that would otherwise encompass the whole series.

And, after Infinity War, we were all in need of something lighter. It’s due to the fact that Infinity War threw us head first into that void that Ant-Man and the Wasp HAD to be even lighter than the first. There is still that tell-tale thread of dark, but we get to see a lot more of Paul Rudd’s (Mute, Wet Hot American Summer: Ten Years Later, Ideal Home) signature comedic timing.

Just to add to that, I was initially skeptical about Rudd as Ant-Man and I have since realized that there was no one else who could have made such a random hero as likeable as he is in the films. I hope Sarah Finn (Iron Man, Kick-Ass, Thor), the person in charge of casting for Marvel films, makes a huge amount of money – because she’s worth every penny.

Action is another story.

In the first Ant-Man, some of the action was smaller because the actual characters were tiny at the time, and the director/editor still managed to make it seem epic. They tied those parts into the comedy aspect perfectly. In Ant-Man and the Wasp, that wasn’t as big of an issue. All the action that was involved was thrilling. And Paul Rudd didn’t carry the weight of all that action on his shoulders alone.

Can we just talk about The Wasp? Evangeline Lilly (Lost, The Hurt Locker, Little Evil) kicked some serious ass as Hope Van Dyne. Her acting made the character feel real and, because of that, all the action sequences were even more engrossing. Her stunt doubles, Ingrid Kleinig (Suicide Squad, Mad Max: Fury Road, Tomorrow When the War Began) and Renae Moneymaker (X-Men: Apocalypse, Furious 7, John Wick), were on POINT. There was never a boring moment when the Wasp was on screen – regardless of who was in the suit.

Then there’s the last argument I’ve heard: that it feels too removed from the rest of the MCU. To that I only have one thing to say…

You haven’t been paying attention, have you?

The entire movie starts off with a direct nod to Captain America: Civil War (2016). Sorry, not a nod. A nod would be a basic mention, maybe a setting that was meant to call back to it a little bit. That’s not how Ant-Man and the Wasp started off. Instead, it was a direct continuation of the story.

Sure, there’s been six movies since Civil War, so it might be easy to miss… but still. Scott wasn’t arrested after the events of Ant-Man, remember? Paxton, played by Bobby Cannavale (Will & Grace, Mr. Robot, Boundaries), opted not to take him in. So, why was he under house-arrest at the beginning of this film?

In Civil War, Captain America went to rescue the people who’d fought alongside him… but Scott decided not to accept the help. He stayed put and accepted his fate because he didn’t want to live on the run away from his daughter. It was likely the fact that he chose to stay behind that got the government to give him a break with sentencing. Otherwise, he clearly would have been incarcerated for breaking the Sokovia Accords.

Immediately, you start out with that significant connection to the universe. Not just that, but you have an exact idea of the time-line of the events of the film. Especially due to the after-credits scene.

Now, I warned you about spoilers to begin with. So, if you’ve read this far because you saw the movie – but you missed the final scene because you left the theater or some shit and now you’re pissed I’m talking about it? I have no sympathy for you. Marvel is not new. If you leave before that final scene, that’s on you. You knew it was there.

In the after-credits scene, Scott is sent back to the quantum realm. While he’s there, Hope, Hank and Janet are all dusted by the snap. You’re left with no idea how – or if – Scott will be able to get back.

That means that the entire Ant-Man and the Wasp film takes place mostly during the events of Avengers: Infinity War (2018). It explains Scott’s absence from that film and may even indicate that he’ll have something to do with the second part of that story. I think that might even be a call back to the first issue of The Avengers (1963) comic, since he and Wasp are both on the cover. We got to learn more about Wasp in this past movie and, in Infinity War, Part 2 (or whatever it winds up being called), I believe he’ll further establish himself as a worthy Avenger.

All-in-all, I truly believe that Ant-Man­ and Ant-Man and the Wasp are both solid MCU films. They have a slightly different tone and a lighter feel in general – but I believe even that is in relation to the universe itself.

Celebrities You Can Be Proud to Be a Fan Of

Everyday we read, or watch, the news. Every single day there’s another shooting, or a group being discriminated against, or a child screaming for his mother. Political discourse has turned into political war. Religion and atheism are both demonized… even science is facing a battle on the perception of reality.

It’s rough.

In times like these, entertainment is even more important than usual. The problem is that even our entertainment news is filled with horrific gossip or the outing of another sexual predator.

Now, Trust the Dice will never peddle in gossip. We don’t want to destroy the lives of our artists. These people are responsible for giving us a break from the world, or offering us a new perspective on it, through their projects. They speak to our fantasies and allow us to learn to dream. For the most part, that means I don’t give a fuck who they are as people. However, there’s nothing worse – as a fan – than adoring the hell out of someone and then finding out they are a bullshit rapist that needs a swift punch to the face.

I’m ashamed to say I used to watch the Cosby Show. That’s a part of my childhood that’s just destroyed. Luckily, my mom and I bonded over many other shows as well – but some people may have only had that. Bill Cosby hurt a lot of women, but he also let down so many others that it’s ridiculous.

Our entertainers have a responsibility to the world. They have influence… and how they use that influence MATTERS.

As bad as it feels to know you were once a fan of someone who wasn’t worthy of it, that’s how good it feels when you realize another of your favorites is actually a great person when the cameras are off.

In a break from the horrific news out there, we’re going to be concentrating on some people in the entertainment industry that you can be proud to be a fan of. You can hold your head high and know that these people have used their influence for good. You can watch their films/channels, or listen to their music, knowing that the money they get from it will go to something that will help the world and make us realize that there is some faith in humanity left.

Pretty much everyone is familiar with the work of Oprah, or the general over-all awesomeness of Tom Hanks and Keanu Reeves. Plenty of people are also in the know about Zach Galifianakis and his friendship with the elderly homeless woman he took under his wing. I want to concentrate on other people. People with good deeds that aren’t as well-known. I’m not just interested in donations to charity, either (though I’ll go into some of that as well). The people I list below have done more than just slipped an organization some money. They’ve sacrificed or given their time to a cause.

And time is worth so much more than money.

Although this list is in countdown order, that does not mean that Trust the Dice places more value on some kinds of good than others. There is some consideration to the ordering, but mostly it’s based on how well-known the story is. We attempted to stay away from people with confirmed sexual misconduct or scandal issues, which is why you may only see one person of the two involved in something.

20 – Dave Grohl

Dave Grohl (Foo Fighters: No Way Back, The Muppets, Drunk History) is often considered one of the nicest guys in musical entertainment. He’s been good to his fans and he regularly plays at charity events.

A huge amount of Grohl’s time is spent on charity. He gives money, too, but it’s time I really care about.

Aside from charity concerts such as the Autism Speaks’ BlueJean Ball and Teenage Cancer Trust, he’s also done such things as reading books to kids and donating signed memorabilia in order to raise funds for various causes.

Grohl has also been known to protest the Westboro Baptisthate group. (I will not call that crap a church anymore.) 

Dave Grohl is known to have supported at least 15 charities with monetary donations, including: Live Earth, Milk+Bookies, White Knot for Equality, Worldwide Orphans Foundation, and ACLU of Southern California. 

19 – Drake

I was a fan of Degrassi: The Next Generation (2001-2009) back in the day, so Drake (Ice Age: Continental Drift, Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues, Drake: Started From the Bottom) will forever be Jimmy to me. That said, he’s doing the rap game proud. His music certainly isn’t the worst out there, but I’m more concerned with what he’s done with his celebrity status.

He’s not as big on charity as most people on this list, but he has some seriously set rules that he holds his fans by, and that’s a BIG deal in the rap community.

In November of 2017, Drake was performing in Australia and saw a man in the audience touching some of his female fans. Drake stopped the show and immediately called the man out, threating to ‘fuck him up’ if he didn’t stop. 

This shouldn’t have been a big deal, because saying something in that situation SHOULD be the norm – but it’s not. So, when someone influential steps up and makes sure others see his example, that’s something that needs to be acknowledged and supported.

Drake is known to have supported at least 1 charity with monetary donations, including: THORN. 

18 – John Cena

This amusing WWE superstar is pretty well-known for his work with the Make-A-Wish foundation. It would be easy to create a list of kids he’s helped during his days working with the charity. Very easy, in fact… because he’s a record holder.

That’s where the ‘less-known’ part comes in. In 2015 John Cena (Blockers, Ferdinand, Psych: The Movie) granted his record-breaking 500th wish for the foundation. The amount of time and energy that goes into granting those wishes during his already very limited free time is astronomical.

I don’t know how many more he’s fulfilled since 2015, but I know he never stopped… so his number is ever growing.

John Cena is known to have supported at least 2 charities with monetary donations, including: Kids Wish Network and Make-A-Wish Foundation.

17 – Robert Downey Jr.

I know about Robert Downey Jr.’s (Chef, Due Date, The Avengers) past and I can’t even tell you how little I care. That said, I don’t think there was nearly enough attention paid to that time he visited a kid as his Tony Stark persona in order to give him a bionic arm. I mean, are you kidding me? That must have been the coolest day of that kid’s life. Not only did he get to meet Downey Jr., but he also got to start learning how to use his brand-new arm!

That’s not the only time Downey Jr. has donated his time to a cause. He also raised over £1 million while raffling away a chance to spend time with him on the red carpet for the premiere of Avengers: Age of Ultron. That money went to Julie’s House, a children’s hospice in the UK.

Our pasts shape us, but they do not define us. No one proves that quite as much as Robert Downey Jr. does.

Robert Downey Jr. is known to have supported at least 15 charities with monetary donations, including: ALS Association, Make-A-Wish Foundation, March of Dimes, Stand Up to Cancer, and Melanoma Research Alliance.

16 – Benedict Cumberbatch

We’re going to see a lot of people that have done huge things. And where Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock, Doctor Strange, Zoolander 2) is a strong supporter of equal pay for men and women in Hollywood – to the point of expressing the idea that he would not accept an acting job where the pay was lopsided – that’s not what we’re going to talk about here.

Sometimes bringing hope to the world is about affect a single person.

Last November, while Cumberbatch was in a car in London, he saw a delivery boy getting mugged. Although simply calling for help would have been fine, he proceeded to jump out of the car and pull the attackers off the cyclist. He then fought with the criminals until his driver jumped out to help him and they ran off.

This story did get picked up by the media, for about a minute, this past June. It didn’t get nearly as much attention as it should have, and only months after it occurred, likely because of the way Cumberbatch looks at it. When asked why he did it, he always just responds that he had to… and then refuses any more questions.

He saved a man because he didn’t see another option and THAT is beautiful.

Benedict Cumberbatch is known to have supported at least 11 charities with monetary donations, including: Save the Children, Elton John AIDS Foundation, Cancer Research UK, Dramatic Needs, and the Children Defense Fund. 

15 – Nicki Minaj

Whether you like or hate Nicki Minaj (Steven Universe, A Magical Holiday, Barbershop: The Next Cut), you have to acknowledge that she’s accomplished quite a bit.

She’s done a lot of performing for charity shows, such as the VH1 Divas Salute the Troops concert. She’s raised a ton of money and donated tracks to charity albums. What caught my eye is a little more personal, though.

I went to college and earned a Bachelor’s degree. Although I use what I learned in my fictional writing, I can’t do what I was initially supposed to.

When I left college, I wanted to go to work at the morgue. My mentor was a forensic dentist and I was all set up to get a glowing recommendation from him. I went to his lectures, he introduced me to influential anthropologists, and he brought me into the morgue to work alongside a group of other forensic dentists from time to time. I had shit grades, but enough real-life experience that I would have been able to get a foothold.

The first body I saw in the morgue was an infant and it fucked me up. I tried to keep on the same path for a while, but that child was always in my mind and I wasn’t really able to move passed it. I decided, after graduation, that I couldn’t do it. I wouldn’t be able to see that again, it would break me. I was able to handle the rest of it, but that was my limit.

So, I’ve got a dusty diploma and nothing but a few realistically written death scenes and a huge amount of student loan debt to show for it.

What does that bullshit have to do with Nicki Minaj?

Minaj was contacted by one of her fans on Twitter who was jokingly asking for tuition money. She tweeted back that she’d pay if proof of straight A’s could be provided.

A bunch of fans showed her proof and she came through big time. She donated over $18k to students that contacted her for help and promised to start a charity to help others in the same way.

Underneath the controversy and big… hair, Minaj has a huge heart to match.

Nicki Minaj is known to have supported at least 3 charities with monetary donations, including: Get Schooled Foundation, Red Cross, and Save the Music Foundation.

14 – Mark Edward Fischbach/Sean William McLoughlin

YouTubers have been getting a bad reputation lately. The media is quick to jump on any of them that do dumb or bad things, but they refuse to acknowledge that not all YouTubers are like the dickwad brother (Jake and Logan Paul). In fact, a lot of YouTubers are doing great and important things.

Mark Fischbach (Markiplier’s December Charity Livestream: Toys for Tots, Smosh: The Movie, Who Killed Markiplier?) – aka. Markiplier – and Sean McLoughlin (Bendy and the Ink Machine, Late Late Show, Cringemas) – Jacksepticeye – are gamers that have spent a HUGE amount of time working with charities to raise money. They also constantly reach out to their fans in order to make them smile.

Roughly once a month they both do charity live streams that last upward of eight to nine hours, and longer charity streams can be expected around special occasions. Although I can’t find an exact number, I can tell you that they have collectively raised millions of dollars for charity through their streams on Twitch and YouTube. A holiday stream in 2016 that included both of them raised upwards of $1 million alone… and there’ve been many more since then.

Aside from that, Markiplier does a lot of work with the Make-A-Wish foundation and was named the Make-A-Wish Celebrity of the year once. Jacksepticeye spends a lot of time showcasing games meant to speak out about depression and when Logan Paul made that incredibly disgusting video in the suicide forest, Jacksepticeye responded by doing a live stream that raised over $200k for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. 

Although they usually work alone, the two do occasionally team up and, when they do, the result is magical.

As for the argument on whether or not they’re celebrities? They have over 19 million subscribers each. I’m going to go with ‘yes.’

Markiplier and Jacksepticeye are known to have supported at least 15 charities, collectively, with monetary donations, including: Gates Foundation, Save the Children, Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance, AbleGamers, Environmental Defense Fund, and Cancer Research Institute.

13 – Robin Williams

Robin Williams’ (The Angriest Man in Brooklyn, The Crazy Ones, The Face of Love) charity work was really very well-know. He performed on USO tours and at charity gatherings. He donated loads of money and helped raise even more. He even did a lot of work with Make-A-Wish and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital – going out of his way to visit sick kids whenever possible. 

The part that people might not know, is the kind of stuff he did for his friends.

He had a close friendship with Christopher Reeve (Speechless, Above Suspicion, Superman). After Reeve was paralyzed, Robin Williams went to visit him in the hospital. At the worst moment, when nerves were running the highest, Williams pranced right in – dressed as a doctor – and started a routine about being a proctologist there for Reeve’s exam.

And that’s not the only time he went full-on Patch Adams, either.

When Sharon Osbourne (Jake and the Never Land Pirates, It’s a Boy Girl Thing, Austin Powers in Goldmember) was diagnosed with cancer and had given up, he went right into her room and climbed into bed with her. By the time he left, she was laughing and ready to get back to the fight. 

Williams shared himself with the people in his life and the people who’s lives he’d touched. His soul lives on in the people that knew him.

Robin Williams is known to have supported at least 36 charities with monetary donations, including: Doctors Without Borders, YMCA, Keep Memory Alive, American Foundation for AIDS Research, and Dogs Deserve Better. 

12 – Ian Somerhalder

You know Ian Somerhalder, most likely, from The Vampire Diaries (2009-2017). He’s been pretty big on TV since the early 2000s, though, so you could really know him from any number of other shows as well.

He has a certain look about him, however, and that can lead people to write him off as just being the same kind of person as the characters he plays. That said, he’s actually incredibly active in charitable ways.

Did you know that he has a strong urge to protect animals and the environment?

Somerhalder founded the IS Foundation in 2010. 

The foundation is dedicated to viewing humanity as part of the environment instead of as a separate entity. It’s been at the helm of the creation of an animal sanctuary and a grant fund for animals in shelters. Somerhalder has also personally rescued various animals and has testifiedagainst elephant poaching in congress.

He is a great friend to animals of all shapes and sizes.

Ian Somerhalder is known to have supported at least 12 charities with monetary donations, including: Alzheimer’s Association, Teen Cancer America, The Humane Society, United Nations Development Programme, and Elton John AIDS Foundation. 

11 – Eddie Redmayne

You can probably tell from Eddie Redmayne’s [ Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, The Danish Girl, Jupiter Ascending, Les Miserables) filmography that he’s a huge supporter of the LGBTQ community. His work in that community, specifically in helping transgender youth, is enough for him to make this list – but it’s well-known. His name is almost synonymous with it.

So, what else is there?

Redmayne spoke to GQ in 2016 and explained that he knew he had it easier than most when he got into acting after college, because there was always money available for him. As a result, as he rose in popularity, he decided to occasionally pay the rent of fans that were in drama school trying to break into the business. 

That’s right, Redmayne has gone out of his way to pay rent for people he’s never met so that they can try to fulfill their dreams without helplessly treading water – especially in places like New York where the rent of a studio apartment in only a decent neighborhood (not even a good one) can range around $3k per month.

One assumes he has some kind of proof that they’re actually drama students and that they meet some kind of GPA requirement – or at least, one hopes.

Eddie Redmayne is known to have supported at least 9 charities with monetary donations, including: Epilepsy Action, March of Dimes, International Medical Corps, Teenage Cancer Trust, and Motion Picture and Television Fund Foundation. 

10 – Dwayne Johnson

Who doesn’t love The Rock (Ballers, Rampage, Baywatch)? Seriously. There’s always something small and awesome coming out about what he’s done for friends, family, or perfect strangers. Anyone see that video of him dressed as a giant Pikachu for his kid? That’s some wholesome shit, right there. I recommend it.

He’s done a ton of stuff for fans, like becoming ordained in order to surprise a YouTuber by officiating his wedding. He’s also been a huge member of the Make-A-Wish community. Cena might be beating him for the record, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t spend a huge amount of time making his fans at the foundation smile. 

On top of all that, there’s the Dwayne Johnson ROCKFoundation. It utilizes physical fitness and education to help protect the health and smiles of kids all around the world. 

The Rock is just a national treasure and no one will ever convince me otherwise.

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is known to have supported at least 12 charities with monetary donations, including: I Have a Dream Foundation, Make the Difference Network, Parkinson Society Maritime Region, Starlight Children’s Foundation, and Red Cross.

9 – Kevin Smith

Kevin Smith (Clerks, Chasing Amy, Red State) is a polarizing figure in the entertainment industry. Between his raunchy films and that time he told big Hollywood to basically fuck off at Sundance 2011, people have varying perspectives on him.

Personally, I think that’s all a reason to love him – especially considering everything that’s come out about big Hollywood lately. But I’m biased. I enjoy a little bit of chaos in my awesome.

What he’s listed here for is how he reacted to the news when Harvey Weinstein was outed as the douche-king of entertainment.

If you’re familiar with Smith, then you know that – in his early career – he put out quite a few films with the Weinstein Company.

When the truth came out, he immediately told his fans on Twitter that he was ashamed to have ever been connected with Weinstein. On his next podcast he spoke about how no movie was worth what Weinstein did and that he was ashamed he’d ever been one of the voices supporting him. He then pledged to take any future residuals from his films produced by the Weinstein Company (which is all of them before 2008, except for Mallrats), and immediately donate it to the Woman in Film charity.

Smith’s mistake was created without his knowledge, he had no idea who Harvey was behind closed doors. You want to believe you’d know if it was you, but chances are, you wouldn’t. Psychopaths know how to disguise their crimes to people outside the know.

People make mistakes. It’s about how they fix them that really matters and Smith put his money where his mouth is. That’s rare.

Kevin Smith is known to have supported at least 5 charities with monetary donations, including: The Wayne Foundation, Rape Abuse & Incest National Network, Declare Yourself, Food Bank for New York City, and The Lunchbox Fund. 

8 – Ryan Gosling

There’s not just one thing involved in Ryan Gosling (Crazy Stupid Love, Drive, The Notebook) being on this list, but a bunch of little things.

Once, Gosling ran into some girl scouts selling theircookies and opted to buy them out. Every. Single. Box. He then went around just giving people boxes of girl scout cookies. As a former scout, myself, this amuses me greatly. And he probably made those girl’s day. There were some cool prizes for selling those cookies.

Another time, Gosling was credited for saving a woman frombeing hit by a New York taxi. Let me tell you, I absolutely believe that taxi would have hit her. Yellow cabs are fucking crazy over here. I saw one drive on the sidewalk once. Aside from that, though, there was the time he was recorded stopping a fight in themiddle of the street. 

Then there was the time Hurricane Katrina pretty much sank the south and he just decided to load up his car with supplies, quietly drive down to Mississippi and help rebuild a monastery. No fan-fare at all.

That’s what really gets me with Gosling. Everything he does, he does quietly. He doesn’t post about it on social media or get the media involved… he does it because he believes he should. He’s just a genuinely good guy who gives a fuck.

And if he saves anymore people in NY I’m going to pitch a super hero to Marvel based on him. Maybe he’ll be part of the Defenders.

Ryan Gosling is known to have supported at least 8 charities with monetary donations, including: Mercy for Animals, Invisible Children, ONE Campaign, ENOUGH Project, and The Art of Elysium.

7 – Jennifer Hudson

Hudson has had a hell of a life. I hold a special place in my heart for people who have been through the kind of shit she’s been through but still have enough hope left to give some to others. That’s not an easy thing to accomplish.

Jennifer Hudson’s family was brutally murdered in 2008. That’s rough for anyone to come back from, but Hudson did it with incredible heart. She took part in the creation of a new charity, the Hudson-King Foundation for Families of Slain Victims.

The charity is pretty self-explanatory by its name. It helps the families of murder victims get back on their feet – a subject that must be painful for Hudson.

Her activism doesn’t end there, though.

Hudson has also performed at events like Hope for Haiti and the Delta Foundation of Pittsburgh’s Pride in the Street. She’s done her best to better a world that must seem even darker to her than most. That’s always worth acknowledging.

Jennifer Hudson is known to have supported at least 28 charities with monetary donations, including: Save the Music Foundation, The Rainforest Foundation, Barbara Davis Center for Childhood Diabetes, Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation, and Make-A-Wish Foundation. 

6 – Kristen Bell

Very few people don’t know about Kristen Bell’s [ The Good Place, A Bad Moms Christmas, The Disaster Artist) call to a young girl with a brain tumor while in-character as Anna from Frozen. In the same tone, people are likely familiar with her actions during HurricaneIrma. During that hurricane, she took in Josh Gad’s family – who were stranded without shelter – and entertained a hotel full of elderly that had been evacuated from their homes for their safety. 

Bell is known for those small acts of kindness that mean the world to the recipients. But she’s more than a few good deeds.

In 2015, Bell joined up with the ‘This Close’ campaign in order to spread the word about vaccines and how important they are to Polio eradication. Poliomyelitis is a crippling and often-fatal disease that infects the brain and spinal cord. It was once very prevalent, but as vaccines were developed the likelihood of contracting it has become near non-existent in most countries.

Bell will undoubtedly be involved in doing even more good as time goes on, keep an eye on her.

Also, watch the video of Dax Shepard (CHIPS, The Boss, Parenthood) giving her a chance to meet a sloth. That should put a smile on your face during a gloomy day.

Kristen Bell is known to have supported at least 23 charities with monetary donations, including: The Humane Society, Alcheimer’s Association, UNICEF, ASPCA, and Invisible Children. 

5 – John Legend

After researching John Legend (La La Land, Crow: The Legend, Soul Men), I have to wonder if he’s actually the most charitable celebrity of his age range. He and his wife, Chrissy Teigen (The Mindy Project, Inside Amy Schumer, Need for Speed: The Run), have two children that I know of, and I’m not sure how they found the time to do that with the sheer amount of charity work he does.

He appears at charity concerts, records music for charity albums, auctions himself off, creates events… it’s absolutely insane how much he does. So, I figure if I don’t focus on just one thing, I’ll be writing this article for the rest of my life and then I won’t meet my deadline.

What I’m going to concentrate on here is his work with the Show Me Campaign.

Through the Show Me Campaign, Legend is involved in Teach for All/Teach for America. The charity is dedicated to finding teachers interested in confronting ‘educational inequity.’ Legend focuses on the Springfield City School District and the Harlem VillageAcademies. 

His passion for education, and ensuring that there is equality within education, is incredibly inspiring.

John Legend is known to have supported at least 46 charities with monetary donations, including: Malaria No More, THORN, Feeding America, Global Poverty Project, and War Child. 

4 – Charlize Theron

Charlize Theron (Monster, Atomic Blonde, Tully) was born in South Africa. It’s safe to say that she had a drastically different upbringing that the majority of the other people on this list. Different country, different laws, different challenges. It’s impossible for me to accurately judge much of what she’s done because of that, but there are a few things that can’t really get lost in translation.

In 1999, Charlize Theron took a stand against rape in her home country. The ad she put out wasn’t even a full minute long but was banned because of how ‘controversial’ it was. The slogan was “Real Men Don’t Rape.” After watching the video a few times, I still don’t understand the points raised against it, but I do know it takes courage to put out an ad like that in a place that would deem the idea of standing against rape as a controversy to begin with.

Her activist work doesn’t stop there.

Theron received the title of ‘United Nations Messenger ofPeace’ in November of 2008. Before that, she created the Africa Outreach project – a charity designated to helping find a better life for ‘impoverished children’ in South Africa. 

When it comes down to it, Theron has dedicated her life to helping fight domestic violence, rape, and the abuse of children. Somewhere in the middle of all that, she managed to become an Oscar-winning-level actress.

Charlize Theron is known to have supported at least 36 charities with monetary donations, including: American Stroke Association, Food Bank for New York City, YouthAIDS, Nelson Mandela’s Children Fund, and Dogs Deserve Better. 

3 – Ashton Kutcher

Ashton Kutcher (That 70s Show, Annie, Jobs) seems like such a spaz, doesn’t he? The majority of his parts see him acting like a moron that’s just kind of accidentally funny. He’s done some dramatic parts that showcase his acting ability, but for the most part – it’s the comedy life for Kutcher.

He’s pranked his fellow actors, portrayed himself as a burnout, and otherwise just shown himself in the public eye as a goofy guy.

Do you know how surprised I was when I learned that he was one of the founders of THORN, a charity geared toward ending child trafficking and catching pedophiles? 

That’s no laughing matter at all.

THORN has impact reports starting in 2015 and those reports highlight the tools and projects THORN has been utilizing to help law enforcement find victims and shut-down predators. The entire thing is incredibly impressive and immediately altered my perception of Kutcher.

It’s not nearly as widely reported as I think it should be. 

Ashton Kutcher is known to have supported at least 17 charities with monetary donations, including: Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Habitat for Humanity, Declare Yourself, and UNICEF. 

2 – Steven Spielberg

Steven Spielberg (Catch Me If You Can, Jurassic Park, Minority Report) is arguably one of the most famous directors of our time. You might have known that he’s also very big on charity. He’s put out PSAs meant to support military families, donated a huge amount of money, and has worked with Make-A-Wish. But it’s his work dealing with the subject of the Holocaust that I’m really focusing on here.

Did you know that Spielberg outright refused a salary for making Schindler’s List (1993)? He decided that the story was way too important for him to focus on the money that could be made from it. Not to mention that he actively referred to any money he might have made from it as ‘blood money.’ 

What about that money, though? The ‘blood money’? After all Schindler’s List was a huge success.

Well, he took all that money and pumped it into creating a charity called the Shoah Foundation, which is all about honoring and remembering the survivors of the Holocaust. 

He continues to put money and effort into the Shoah Foundation, while still offering charity elsewhere. He is definitely one of the good ones.

Steven Spielberg is known to have supported at least 14 charities with monetary donations, including: Bush Clinton Katrina Fund, Righteous Persons Foundation, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, American Humane Association, and Healthy Child Healthy World. 

1 – Betty White

Who doesn’t love our resident grandma of entertainment? Her mere existence is a shining beacon of hope for humanity.

Betty White has been acting since the golden age of Hollywood. You can see clips of her young and in black and white. In fact, she’s a world record holder. She holds the record for Longest TV Career for anEntertainer (Female). If the category wasn’t split between males and females, she’d still either have the longest TV career overall, or be tied for it – since she and the male winner of the title both began in 1939. It would come down to the day.

Her rise to stardom would have been quick and unstoppable… except she put a stop to it herself.

When World War II hit, White decided that it was more important to get involved than to concentrate on her own rising career.

Back then, women were limited in how deeply involved they could get. Still, White joined the American Women’s Voluntary Services (AWVS). It’s difficult to tell just how much this impacted her career. It wasn’t like joining the National Guard. Instead, AWVS was considered an alarmist group that was blowing the whole ‘Nazi’ thing out of proportion.

Regardless of how it affected her at first, though, I imagine people were grateful for the group when Pearl Harbor occurred and the AWVS was already 18,000 members strong and ready to get to work on providing services and support to the nation.

White spent that time delivering supplies and helping send off US soldiers… just generally doing her part. She was a national hero along with the rest of the people involved in the organization.

Betty White is known to have supported at least 26 charities with monetary donations, including: GLAAD, Red Cross, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Autism Speaks, and PAWS/LA.