Does popular = good?

[lizziebith]

Is the inverse true? Does unpopular=bad? Shawshank was considered a flop during its theatrical release, but on home video it developed a spectacular life of its own...all on the power of WOM of renters of every stripe. It has since been on several popvote lists as #1 or #2.

It's done consistently well on various formats since its initial distribution -- enough to warrant a massive 10-year anniversary party/viewing which I was lucky enough to attend. Hubby is best friends with the director.

I like the movie a lot, but it's not on my personal top-10 list.

What makes a movie good? Is it even quantifiable? Sometimes the sheer popularity of a film has so turned me off that I've deprived myself overlong before finally submitting, only to discover that some gems ARE popular. Some movies that I think are real stinkers get great reviews and accolades. Actually the more I think about it -- I've hated more movies that got raves than rotten tomaters. Must be the heightened expectations thing.

Still, good CAN = popular. But obviously popularity is no solid predictor of good, OR bad, OR what each of us might like. Popularity is just what it is. As Alex noted it's something that is quantifiable, and perhaps that is why it is so frequently used to represent "good."