It turns out all those negative reviews of Amy Schumer’s new Netflix special weren’t from disappointed fans: a new report says online trolls coordinated to post hundreds of one-star reviews for “The Leather Special” the week after its release.
Splitsider reports that members of the “alt-right” subreddit r/The_Donald called on users to inundate the special with the bad reviews, just as prior campaigns targeted Schumer’s past projects. The special, released on March 7, currently has more than 1,400 user reviews on Netflix, hundreds more than other Netflix stand-up comedy specials.
On Instagram, Schumer slammed news outlets that reported on the special’s negative reviews. (TheWrap is among the outlets that reported on the reviews, and our previous story has been updated.)
“I am embarrassed for the ‘journalists’ who report on trolls activities as if it’s news,” she wrote. “It’s indicative of the administration right now. Anyone who reported that ‘viewers aren’t happy’ with my special, it would have been cool if you did a moment of research before posting.”
The comedian added that “alt-right trolls” have previously conspired to tank her other projects, including her Comedy Central sketch series “Inside Amy Schumer,” the film “Trainwreck” and her 2016 book “The Girl With the Lower Back Tattoo.”
“They organize to get my ratings down. Meeting in sub Reddit rooms. They tried on my book and movies and tv show And I want to thank them,” she wrote. “It makes me feel so powerful and dangerous and brave. It reminds me what I’m saying is effective and brings more interest to my work and their obsession with me keeps me going.”
This isn’t the first time trolls have taken on female-fronted comedy: the trailer for last summer’s “Ghostbusters” reboot was barraged with dislikes, many of them from people who objected, apparently, to the idea that women could bust ghosts.
Read Schumer’s full statement below:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BRql1C7B85P/