History Main / VocalMinority

Sadly, this concept serves very well for ChewbaccaDefense. Someone complains about you doing something wrong? Stigmatize them as a Vocal Minority to prove that ''they'' are the one who's wrong, make it look like everyone agrees with you, and that complainers are just deluding themselves into thinking otherwise. That's [[AdHominem Argumentum ad hominem]], but what's more important is that [[HarsherInHindsight history tends to avert this entirely]]; i.e. the mere fact that someone complains ''really'' hard means something is going very, very wrong. The poem [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_they_came "First they came..."]] by Martin Niemöller is all about supporting this point of view. [[GodwinsLaw It's about Nazis.]] Specifically, it's about how groups unhappy with Hitler's rise to power (like communists or trade unionists) were considered a Vocal Minority, so no one really cared about their persecution and imprisonment. We all know [[DownerEnding what happens]] [[UsefulNotes/TheHolocaust next]].

Still, a creator can sometimes benefit from paying attention to vocal minorities. Just because they're a minority, ''doesn't'' mean they're a small group: in large fandoms, the minority could number in the thousands. While blindly kowtowing to any [[UnpleasableFanbase fan's protests or demands]] is often a stupid and harmful idea, there are plenty of times where fans may actually be onto something, [[JerkassHasAPoint even if it isn't phrased in the most polite or reasonable manner]].

Still, a creator can sometimes benefit from paying attention to vocal minorities. Just because they're a minority, ''doesn't'' mean they're a small group: in large fandoms, the minority could number in the thousands. While blindly kowtowing to any [[UnpleasableFanbase fan's protests or demands]] is often a stupid and harmful idea, there are plenty of times where fans may actually be onto something, even if it isn't phrased in the most polite or reasonable manner.

Unfortunately, these people aren't news. That's because Weird = Interesting; like any program on television, the news has to be ''interesting'' or else people won't watch it. Why talk to an individual who works in an office and occasionally picks up a copy of ''Comicbook/SpiderMan'' when you can talk to the 300-pound BasementDweller who spent $7,000 on his exact replica of a [[Franchise/{{Batman}} Scarecrow]] costume? Or why interview the individual who works at the local electronics store and does [[UsefulNotes/FurryFandom fursuiting and furry art]] as a dedicated side gig when you could interview the man who uses his fursuits for indecent purposes? Or why give airtime to the very normal individual who works for the postal service and leisurely listens to classic rock in his downtime when you could give airtime to the dad with a beer gut who is religiously obsessed with HairMetal and ArenaRock or the 14-year old who claims to listen to "real music"? Or why interview an educated doctor who watches ProfessionalWrestling, knows it's staged and enjoys it as the entertainment spectacle it is when you could interview the uneducated toothless redneck who thinks ProWrestlingIsReal? Or why speak with an individual who lives a normal life and listens to Music/TaylorSwift in their downtime when you could speak with the tween girl who worships Taylor Swift to the point of her room being covered in Taylor Swift merchandise?

Unfortunately, these people aren't news. That's because Weird = Interesting; like any program on television, the news has to be ''interesting'' or else people won't watch it. Why talk to an individual who works in an office and occasionally picks up a copy of ''Comicbook/SpiderMan'' when you can talk to the 300-pound BasementDweller who spent $7,000 on his exact replica of a [[Franchise/{{Batman}} Scarecrow]] costume? Or why interview the individual who works at the local electronics store and does [[UsefulNotes/FurryFandom fursuiting and furry art]] as a dedicated side gig when you could interview the man who uses his fursuits for indecent purposes? Or why give airtime to the very normal individual who works for the postal service and leisurely listens to classic rock in his downtime when you could give airtime to the dad with a beer gut who is religiously obsessed with HairMetal and ArenaRock or the 14-year old who claims to listen to "real music"? Or why speak with an individual who lives a normal life and listens to Music/TaylorSwift in their downtime when you could speak with the tween girl who worships Taylor Swift to the point of her room being covered in Taylor Swift merchandise?

Unfortunately, these people aren't news. That's because Weird = Interesting; like any program on television, the news has to be ''interesting'' or else people won't watch it. Why talk to an individual who works in an office and occasionally picks up a copy of ''Comicbook/SpiderMan'' when you can talk to the 300-pound BasementDweller who spent $7,000 on his exact replica of a [[Franchise/{{Batman}} Scarecrow]] costume? Or why interview the individual who works at the local electronics store and does [[UsefulNotes/FurryFandom fursuiting and furry art]] as a dedicated side gig when you could interview the man who uses his fursuits for indecent purposes? Or why give airtime to the very normal individual who works for the postal service and leisurely listens to classic rock in his downtime when you could give airtime to the dad with a beer gut who is religiously obsessed with HairMetal and ArenaRock or the 14-year old who claims to listen to "real music"? Or why speak with an individual who lives a normal life and listens to Music/TaylorSwift in her downtime when you could speak with the tween girl who worships Taylor Swift to the point of her room being covered in Taylor Swift merchandise?

The problem is that because only the weirdos get interviewed, [[SpotlightFallacy this causes non-fans to believe they're all like that]] (e.g. the ridiculous belief that all comic book fans are [[StrawFan clones of the Comic Book Guy]] from ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'', or all anime & manga fans are weirdos who speak in broken Japanese and sleep with body pillows of their "waifus"). This is also the main reason why [[FanHater people would hate something just because of its fanbase]].

Due to the nature of this trope, many fandom-related tropes are induced solely by this. The only members of a fandom who vocalize their opinion are the ones who feel so strongly about their opinion that they feel the need to vocalize it. TheScrappy, the EnsembleDarkhorse, the FanDumb, the HateDumb, and FanPreferredCouple are all based on what is commented on by the VocalMinority. So, characters like [[Franchise/ScoobyDoo Scrappy-Doo]] and films like ''Film/TransformersRevengeOfTheFallen'' both sound like the spawn of {{Satan}} when described by people on the internet, but usually have a much more positive description via Word of Mouth. In other words, asking someone on the internet about the two will often get long-winded, spiteful rants, while asking a guy on the street will often get much more praise. So, Scrappy-Doo and [[CreatorsPet Wesley Crusher]] could've very well been fairly well-liked by the silent majority. This is a major reason why PanderingToTheBase can be so problematic; even if the other pitfalls are discounted, the writers may only be serving a small but vocal minority.

Unfortunately, these people aren't news. That's because Weird = Interesting; like any program on television, the news has to be ''interesting'' or else people won't watch it. Why talk to an individual who works in an office and occasionally picks up a copy of ''Comicbook/SpiderMan'' when you can talk to the 300-pound BasementDweller who spent $7,000 on his exact replica of a [[Franchise/{{Batman}} Scarecrow]] costume? Or why interview the individual who works at the local electronics store and does [[UsefulNotes/FurryFandom fursuiting and furry art]] as a dedicated side gig when you could interview the man who uses his fursuits for indecent purposes? Or why give airtime to the very normal individual who works for the postal service and leisurely listens to classic rock in his downtime when you could give airtime to the dad with a beer gut who is religiously obsessed with HairMetal and ArenaRock? Or why speak with an individual who lives a normal life and listens to Music/TaylorSwift in her downtime when you could speak with the tween girl who worships Taylor Swift to the point of her room being covered in Taylor Swift merchandise?

Unfortunately, these people aren't news. That's because Weird = Interesting; like any program on television, the news has to be ''interesting'' or else people won't watch it. Why talk to an individual who works in an office and occasionally picks up a copy of ''Comicbook/SpiderMan'' when you can talk to the 300-pound BasementDweller who spent $7,000 on his exact replica of a [[Franchise/{{Batman}} Scarecrow]] costume? Or why interview the individual who works at the local electronics store and does [[UsefulNotes/FurryFandom fursuiting and furry art]] as a dedicated side gig when you could interview the overweight man who uses his fursuits for indecent purposes? Or why give airtime to the very normal individual who works for the postal service and leisurely listens to classic rock in his downtime when you could give airtime to the dad with a beer gut who is religiously obsessed with HairMetal and ArenaRock? Or why speak with an individual who lives a normal life and listens to Music/TaylorSwift in her downtime when you could speak with the tween girl who worships Taylor Swift to the point of her room being covered in Taylor Swift merchandise?

The problem is that because only the weirdos get interviewed, [[SpotlightFallacy this causes non-fans to believe they're all like that]]; for example, that all comic book fans are [[StrawFan clones of the Comic Book Guy]] from ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons''. This is also the main reason why [[FanHater people would hate something just because of its fanbase]].

Unfortunately, these people aren't news. That's because Weird = Interesting; like any program on television, the news has to be ''interesting'' or else people won't watch it. Why talk to an individual who works in an office and occasionally picks up a copy of ''Comicbook/SpiderMan'' when you can talk to the 300-pound BasementDweller who spent $7,000 on his exact replica of a [[Franchise/{{Batman}} Scarecrow]] costume? Or why interview the individual who works at the local electronics store and does [[UsefulNotes/FurryFandom fursuiting and furry art]] as a dedicated side gig when you could interview the overweight man who uses his fursuits for indecent purposes? Or why give airtime to the very normal man who works for the postal service and listens frequently to classic rock when you could give airtime to the dad with a beer gut who is religiously obsessed with HairMetal and SouthernRock?

This phenomenon, although rooted in stereotypes for fans of ComicBooks, extends to other hobbies such as: various sports, a lot of media, some professions, and even certain beliefs and philosophies that people hold, not to mention loads of {{stereotype}}s. Although there can be odd exceptions: compare how your average sports-fan treats a guy with his face painted in team colors versus a guy in a [[Franchise/StarTrek Spock]] costume.

This phenomenon is not just limited to ComicBooks; it extends to other hobbies, various sports, a lot of media, some professions, and even certain beliefs and philosophies that people hold, not to mention loads of {{stereotype}}s. Although there can be odd exceptions: compare how your average sports-fan treats a guy with his face painted in team colors versus a guy in a [[Franchise/StarTrek Spock]] costume.

Unfortunately, these people aren't news. That's because Weird = Interesting; like any program on television, the news has to be ''interesting'' or else people won't watch it. Why talk to an individual who works in an office and occasionally picks up a copy of ''Comicbook/SpiderMan'' when you can talk to the 300-pound BasementDweller who spent $7,000 on his exact replica of a [[Franchise/{{Batman}} Scarecrow]] costume? Or why interview the individual who works at the local electronics store and does [[UsefulNotes/FurryFandom fursuiting and furry art]] as a dedicated side gig when you could interview the overweight man who uses his fursuits for indecent purposes?

Unfortunately, these people aren't news. That's because Weird = Interesting; like any program on television, the news has to be ''interesting'' or else people won't watch it. Why talk to an individual who works in an office and occasionally picks up a copy of ''Comicbook/SpiderMan'' when you can talk to the 300-pound BasementDweller who spent $7,000 on his exact replica of a [[Franchise/{{Batman}} Scarecrow]] costume? Or why be friends with the individual who works at the local electronics store and does [[UsefulNotes/FurryFandom fursuiting and furry art]] as a dedicated side gig when you could be friends with the overweight man who uses his fursuits to commit indecent acts?

Unfortunately, these people aren't news. That's because Weird = Interesting; like any program on television, the news has to be ''interesting'' or else people won't watch it. Why talk to an individual who works in an office and occasionally picks up a copy of ''Comicbook/SpiderMan'' when you can talk to the 300-pound BasementDweller who spent $7,000 on his exact replica of a [[Franchise/{{Batman}} Scarecrow]] costume? Or why be friends with the individual who works at the local electronics store and does [[UsefulNotes/FurryFandom fursuiting and furry art]] as a side gig only when you could be friends with the overweight man who uses his fursuits to commit indecent acts?

Unfortunately, these people aren't news. That's because Weird = Interesting; like any program on television, the news has to be ''interesting'' or else people won't watch it. Why talk to an individual who works in an office and occasionally picks up a copy of ''Comicbook/SpiderMan'' when you can talk to the 300-pound BasementDweller who spent $7,000 on his exact replica of a [[Franchise/{{Batman}} Scarecrow]] costume?

Unfortunately, these people aren't news. That's because Weird = Interesting; like any program on television, the news has to be ''interesting'' or else people won't watch it. Why talk to an individual who works in an office and occasionally picks up a copy of ''Comicbook/SpiderMan'' when you can talk to the 300-pound BasementDweller who spent $7000 on his exact replica of a [[Franchise/{{Batman}} Scarecrow]] costume?

The problem is that because only the weirdos get interviewed, [[SpotlightFallacy this causes non-fans to believe they're all like that]]; for example, that all comic fans are [[StrawFan clones of the Comic Book Guy]] from ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons''. This is also the main reason why [[FanHater people would hate something just because of its fanbase]].

Due to the nature of this trope, many fandom-related tropes are induced solely by this. The only members of a fandom who vocalize their opinion are the ones who feel so strongly about their opinion that they feel the need to vocalize it. TheScrappy, the EnsembleDarkhorse, the FanDumb, the HateDumb, and FanPreferredCouple are all based on what is commented on by the VocalMinority. So, characters like [[Franchise/ScoobyDoo Scrappy Doo]] and films like ''Film/TransformersRevengeOfTheFallen'' both sound like the spawn of {{Satan}} when described by people on the internet, but usually have a much more positive description via Word of Mouth. In other words, asking someone on the internet about the two will often get long-winded, spiteful rants, while asking a guy on the street will often get much more praise. So, Scrappy Doo and [[CreatorsPet Wesley Crusher]] could've very well been fairly well-liked by the silent majority. This is a major reason why PanderingToTheBase can be so problematic; even if the other pitfalls are discounted, the writers may only be serving a small but vocal minority.

%% Admin notice: No real life examples on this one, please, there are just too many to list. It's just best to say that this applies to all groups and races. If examples are re-added to this page, they should be limited to in-universe only.

Unfortunately, these people aren't news. That's because Weird = Interesting; like any program on television, the news has to be ''interesting'' or else people won't watch it. Why talk to an individual who works in an office and occasionally picks up a copy of ''Comicbook/SpiderMan'' when you can talk to the 300-pound guy who spent $7000 on his exact replica of a [[Franchise/{{Batman}} Scarecrow]] costume?

Unfortunately, these people aren't news. That's because Weird = Interesting, like any program on television, the news has to be ''interesting'' or else people won't watch it. Why talk to an individual who works in an office and occasionally picks up a copy of ''Comicbook/SpiderMan'' when you can talk to the 300-pound guy who spent $7000 on his exact replica of a [[Franchise/{{Batman}} Scarecrow]] costume?

The problem is that because only the weirdos get interviewed, [[SpotlightFallacy this causes non-fans to believe they're all like that]]; for example, that all comic fans are [[StrawFan clones of the Comic Book Guy]] from ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons''. This is also the main reason why people would hate something just because of its fanbase.

This phenomenon is not just limited to ComicBooks; it extends to other hobbies, various sports, a lot of media, some professions , and even certain beliefs and philosophies that people hold; not to mention loads of {{stereotype}}s. Although there can be odd exceptions: compare how your average sports-fan treats a guy with his face painted in team colors versus a guy in a [[Franchise/StarTrek Spock]] costume.

Sadly, this concept serves very well for ChewbaccaDefense. Someone complains about you doing something wrong? Stigmatize them as a Vocal Minority to prove that ''they'' are the one who's wrong, make it look like everyone agrees with you, and that complainers are just deluding themselves into thinking otherwise. That's [[AdHominem Argumentum ad hominem]], but what's more important is that [[HarsherInHindsight history tends to avert this entirely]]; i.e. the mere fact that someone complains ''really'' hard means something is going very, very wrong. The poem [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_they_came “First they came…”]] by Martin Niemöller is all about supporting this point of view. [[GodwinsLaw It’s about Nazis]]. Specifically it's about how groups unhappy with Hitler's rise of power (like communists or trade unionists) were considered a Vocal Minority, so no one really cared about their persecution and imprisonment. We all know [[DownerEnding what happens]] [[UsefulNotes/TheHolocaust next]].

Due to the nature of this trope, many fandom-related tropes are induced solely by this. The only members of a fandom who vocalize their opinion are the ones who feel so strongly about their opinion that they feel the need to vocalize it. TheScrappy, the EnsembleDarkhorse, the FanDumb, the HateDumb, and FanPreferredCouple are all based on what is commented on by the VocalMinority. So, characters like [[Franchise/ScoobyDoo Scrappy Doo]] and films like ''Film/TransformersRevengeOfTheFallen'' both sound like the spawn of {{Satan}} when described by people on the internet, but usually have a much more positive description via Word of Mouth. In other words, asking someone on the internet about the two will often get long winded rants, while asking a guy on the street will often get much more praise. So, Scrappy Doo and [[CreatorsPet Wesley Crusher]] could've very well been fairly well liked by the silent majority. This is a major reason why PanderingToTheBase can be so problematic; even if the other pitfalls are discounted, the writers may only be serving a small but vocal minority.

The problem is that because only the weirdos get interviewed, this causes non-fans to believe they're all like that; for example, that all comic fans are [[StrawFan clones of the Comic Book Guy]] from ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons''. This is also the main reason why people would hate something just because of its fanbase.

This phenomenon is not just limited to ComicBooks; it extends to other hobbies, various sports, a lot of media, and some professions; not to mention loads of {{stereotype}}s. Although there can be odd exceptions: compare how your average sports-fan treats a guy with his face painted in team colors versus a guy in a [[Franchise/StarTrek Spock]] costume.

Unfortunately, these people aren't news. That's because Weird = Interesting, like any program on television, the news has to be ''interesting'' or else people won't watch it. Why talk to an individual who works in an office and occasionally picks up a copy of ''Comicbook/{{Spider-Man}}'' when you can talk to the 300-pound guy who spent $7000 on his exact replica of a [[Franchise/{{Batman}} Scarecrow]] costume?