"Fear leads to more fear, trust leads to more trust." -Dean Ornish
Sometimes, it's hard to tell the good guys from the bad guys. We all have preconceived notions about what is morally "good" and "bad" and judge others based on how much they share our values. We trust those that we believe have our best interests at heart, it is the key to a stable society. Unfortunately, there are plenty of liars and conmen out there, willing and eager to take advantage of our trust and fear. Those that we should trust are often reliable, conscientious and emotionally stable. On the other hand, we are drawn to those that are temperamental, charismatic and entertaining.
New York is full of masked miscreants, law abiding and not. However, how law abiding are the vigilantes? Don't they cause as much property damage as the criminals that they capture? How many lives have been lost in these superhuman melees? At the end of the day, they all wear masks. This is a great equalizer, as they are all people with things to hide. They are all mysterious and powerful. Reason would say that the repeat offenders, the thieves and murderers, are the untrustworthy ones. However, remember that we are drawn to the entertaining and temperamental among us. As John Petrocelli said in his book, "Sometimes it is easier to accept (BS) than to fight it. Preferring (BS) over the truth is especially likely to occur when the (BS) aligns with our view of the world or the way we want or hope things to be."
Several unscrupulous characters have managed to sway public opinion in their favor. One such example was when Max Dillon (Electro) convinced New Yorkers that he was on their side after the financial bailout of the banks. The Daily Bugle, then called the DB!, had been one of the first major companies to receive federal bailout money during the Great Recession. Unemployment was high, making the bailouts very unpopular. Dillon took the opportunity to gain media attention in a rooftop rant. He told the public that they were being robbed but not by him. He'd never robbed or used his powers against an average American but Dexter Bennett (at the time the publisher of DB!) was taking their money. He was recorded saying, "Is it fair that you've been paying for his mansion and his butler while you're working two jobs? Is it fair that you're bailing out a rich man's failing business when you can't even pay your mortgage? Join with me! Send a message to Dexter Bennett! Let him know we are free men who do not work for him!" When Spider-Man confronted Dillon at Wall Street, the angry mob heckled him for being on Bennett's pay roll. Despite Electro's many felonies (bank theft, kidnapping, terroristic threats, property destruction, murder), the public had sided with him. (Amazing Spider-Man #612) Spider-Man's own entertainment value and charisma wasn't enough to beat Electro's angry temperament and demagoguing.
The Green Goblin also managed to sway public opinion despite his notorious name. In the attempt to get under Spider-Man's skin, he went on television to blame Spidey for the death of Gwen Stacy. During his address, he admitted that "I can sometimes be a bit of a scalawag," but explained that during the fight at the Brooklyn Bridge "a terrible tragedy occurred." He wrapped up his BS by saying "If I were that young lady's husband or boyfriend, I would never forgive that masked maniac for what he did." The Goblin's message was enough to inspire J. Jonah Jameson to write yet another editorial against Spider-Man. (Peter Parker: Spider-Man (vol. 2) #45) While no one was likely moved to see the Green Goblin as a hero, they could have easily been persuaded to see Spider-Man as culpable in Gwen's murder. People are better influenced when an argument connects to some aspect of the listener. An audience's selfish motivation and individual personalities must be kept in mind to increase influence. This is why Goblin connected Gwen's death to her "hypothetical" husband or boyfriend.
Speaking of Jameson, the media mogul has had the public's ear for years. Public trust in the media has been in decline for decades, yet he has remained relevant despite (or maybe because) of his vendetta against Spider-Man. He publicly confessed to having a hand in the creation of the Scorpion, hoping that Mac Gargan would defeat the webhead but instead created a new menace to society. He also sponsored Mysterio before his first battle with Spider-Man and threw a parade after the seeming defeat. During the parade, observers said that Spider-Man would never commit a crime in the city again. (Amazing Spider-Man #13) These deeply illegal and unethical actions didn't deter New Yorkers from voting Jameson into the mayor's mansion in a runoff election. (Amazing Spider-Man #591) Pew Research member Katerina Eva Matsa found that media figures are seen as trustworthy when the public feels a connection to them. If the viewers feel that a journalist is part of the community or if they feel represented in the news, they will be more likely to trust the reporter. The public apparently reciprocates Jameson's disdain for their friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.
As the adage goes, "the clothes make the man." So does personality. Confidence, charisma and cunning grips the public's attention, as does a feeling of connection and shared vision. People are emotional creatures and trust those that make them feel like part of the right group. That includes a career criminal, a costumed killer and an obsessed news magnate.