[bryanrasmussen]

>I wonder again to what extent critical acclaim is as random as commercial success.

you can't acclaim what you've never read.

However there are a lot of studies that indicate critical acclaim also seems related to attending the right institutions of higher education, which would indicate a decrease in randomness.

[bryanrasmussen]

I guess that suggests commercial success, which is random, is more fair than critical acclaim - which is rigged.