I think it’s probably part generational, part ideological. This isn’t just about social media use, it’s about what people get upset about, and whether the show runners can actually take the criticism seriously without immediately getting defensive or dismissing the critique (which A&E can’t). It seems that A&E genuinely think that what they’re writing is “feminist” by virtue of having female protagonists, and giving them occasionally “sassy” dialogue lines. And get totally pissed off when their audience suggests that well, guys, maybe that’s not quite enough anymore.
I definitely agree with you. The writers can’t take criticism. They do think they are writing something feminist by having a female protagonist and having them say powerful or sarcastic dialogue on very rare occasions. I do think that the audience doesn’t think that is enough. I just think that Adam and Eddie have no awareness that the people speaking against the show are their audience. I think that they think that everyone on twitter is a screaming fifteen year old girl wearing a pink princess shirt and can therefore be dismissed.
I also think that the fandom is really bad at talking about the problems. They say things like why hasn’t Hook apologized to Belle, instead of Hook is a misogynistic, murderous, tool and needs to die and not date the protagonist of your show. People do say those things, but they get watered down amidst all these little projects we give them. Then they have Hook apologize and they are like wink wink audience, is that enough? You like him now, right? We are going to regain viewers, right?
I think the lack of understanding is real. They really don’t get it. They don’t understand that the twitter senders and the tumblr blogs and the podcasters, not these podcasters who are just trying to make money, but the normal average person who just does it for fun, the fanfiction writers, the imdb posters. That they are really their audience. That is really how people feel about this show and that is why people quit watching it. They think everyone online is just a crazy fan who wants a certain couple to be together and can be kept on just by being baited. They think that when it is obviously, completely untrue.
It is a complicated issue.