Part 4/8:
Most notably, Dakota Johnson, the star of Madam Webb, addressed the backlash in an interview that garnered significant praise. Rather than dodging or blaming fans—an all-too-common tactic—Johnson called out the studio system's misguided assumptions. She stated that "audiences are pretty smart" and can "smell through" manipulative studio tactics. Her comments were a stark reminder of the industry's flawed belief that audiences are gullible, leading to a disconnect that results in box office failures and critical panning.