What’s the minimum level of fame needed to avoid being publicly shamed? I mean, lately I see a lot of artists doing questionable or downright bad/illegal things, and yet they still have a horde of fans defending them tooth and nail. So it makes me wonder, how many fans do you really need to have that level of security? To know you have a fanbase that will always be there no matter what? Maybe 10 fans aren’t enough, or even 500… what’s the minimum?
I think for that effect, you just need to be political or controversial in such a way that you tap into the polarization that afflicts our society. In that case, provided your transgressions are not ones that your fans’ ‘team’ cares about, or are ones that the opposing team cares more about, then you are guaranteed to have those fans continue to support you. With any luck you can portray yourself as a victim of the enemy team, and therefore be a hero to your fans’ team.