I was watching a Youtuber named Yellowflash and he was talking about how Superman and Lois has better ratings than Batwoman and Supergirl despite that fact that Superman and Lois has never trended on Twitter and the other two shows have. He was making the point that twitter popularity doesn't equal actual popularity.
It made me wonder if there is a business term for what you see corporations doing by catering to mythical audiences like gaming or comic book companies who think that it is ok to insult their male (especially white males) fanbase because there is some magical group of female gamers that will make them money?
I guess another thing would be the whole "male gaze" thing. Feminists seem so upset by the fact that men like seeing an attractive woman. I mean it is no secret that an attractive male or female lead is an easy way to get at least a little interest from the opposite sex.
But is there an official term from what you see companies do by putting way too much stock in what is trending online?
Sloth.
Finding out what normal people think takes effort and dedication. Finding out what the Twitter mob thinks takes almost no time and literally no effort - you just have to open your inbox.
It's far easier to take the free submissions rather than studying or soliciting reactions, but they're every bit as valid as the crackpot letters of old.
Good point. There has always been a cult of the perpetually offended. But it took time to sit down and write an angry letter. A major downside of social media is giving them a platform to whine.