Why is Suicide Squad so popular despite abysmal reviews?

q's pop culture panel weighs in on the worthy, contentious, and mind-boggling stories from the week in arts and entertainment. Opinionated and irreverent, our panel takes pop culture seriously (but not too seriously).

Today's panellists are journalists Rad Simonpillai, Stephen Marche and Emily Keeler. Up for discussion: 

• Why are movie-goers flocking to Suicide Squad despite the abysmal reviews? "What we're seeing is the death spiral of the summer blockbuster," says Marche. "It feels like the audience is just catching on: these are no longer movies, they're properties," says Simonpillai. 
   
• Orlando Bloom naked on a paddleboard: Photos of actor Orlando Bloom in the buff have gone viral, and much of the conversation around them is cheeky — even gleeful. Is the lighthearted response fair game, or an inappropriate reaction to an invasion of privacy? "If you're a celebrity and you're naked on a beach, you've gotta know someone is taking your picture" says Marche.

• The new face of fan activism. From protests against Britney Spears' next album cover to anger at Rotten Tomatoes: do fans need to cool it with the pop culture petitions? Emily Keeler to the disgruntled masses: "Who cares?"