When Your Fans Hate You

Jeff McHugh • December 11, 2016

Dedicated Star Wars geeks will be camping out at the theater to see Rogue One this week. Those first-in-line super-fans will be the ones tweeting about what is wrong with the film the moment they leave the theater.

They will also be first in line for Star Wars: Episode VII n ext year.

You want fans like this. They are involved.

Imagine that you are a player with the Chicago Cubs. A little over a month ago, your team won the World Series. There was champagne, a big trophy and a parade held in your honor.

Fast-forward to next season when your team wins a game but makes a few errors. Or heaven forbid, you lose a game or two.

That is when the hate kicks in.

The Cubs fans with season tickets, the ones who really love the team, are the most vocal. A Cubs fan that celebrates wins but never frets about losses is one who does not buy tickets. Getting riled up emotionally is part of the fun of being a fan.

Do not ignore complaints. When Game Of Thrones fans reacted negatively to excess sexual violence in Season 5, director Jeremy Podeswa toned it down a little for Season 6.

Game Of Thrones continues to kill off beloved characters and shock fans with unpleasant twists. Fans will complain, but will also love that the show is thrilling for them to watch.

The most compelling hosts are not always likable. The radio shows and podcasts that live just slightly on the edge of core audience acceptance are often the most successful, and hosts that sometimes share their personal quirks, flaws and unpopular opinions have the largest audiences.

When is the last time you got a complaint?

Share this article

Recent Posts

By Randy Lane • September 29, 2026
When I start coaching a show, talents often say:“Nobody calls anymore.” Or: “Listeners in this market don’t call radio shows.” My response is, “That’s interesting, because several of our shows get more calls than they need.” The difference isn’t necessarily the market. It’s often how the show invites people into the conversation.  Airing callers and text […]
By Randy Lane • September 21, 2026
Jerry Seinfeld wrote every episode of Seinfeld longhand, on a yellow legal pad, with a blue Bic pen. He still writes that way. He’s said the flashing cursor on a screen makes him anxious, like it’s asking, “So, whaddaya got?” Why Start With Pen and Paper?Writing by hand slows you down just enough for ideas to […]
By Randy Lane • September 15, 2026
In the era of loud, fast-talking announcer DJs, my radio mentor, Todd Wallace, asked my fellow DJs and me, “Would you talk to your neighbor over the back fence like a pukey DJ or just in natural conversation?” Of course we all said we’d talk to them conversationally. Todd concluded, “Talk to listeners on air like […]
Show More