Treat Your Fans Well

I just witnessed an exchange on Twitter where the executive producer of a very popular show responded with impatience and sarcasm to a question asked by a fan of said show. I wonder if that fan who was treated rudely will continue to watch the show. I will, but I'll always be a little bothered by the rudeness of the producer. It wasn't necessary. People miss details of storylines on television shows and in books because, well, life intrudes. The dog barks, you look away from the television or miss a sentence when you go back to your book, and then you find yourself wondering "When did that happen?" Imagine asking the author or producer that question and being treated with disrespect. The whole situation made me resolve never to be impatient when the day comes that I'm lucky enough to have fans asking me "dumb" questions. If you've become successful enough that people go out of their way to ask you about something that they missed in your storyline and you treat them like crap, they aren't the ones being dumb.