Whether it’s viewers of the show or readers of my columns and books, I’m consistently impressed with their wit, humor and insight. That goes for about 95 percent of the audience. The other five percent are why the ’Delete’ option and restraining orders were invented.

Roeper contrasts the largely positive experience of engaging with a mass audience—people who respond with intelligence, humor, and perceptiveness—with the small but memorable minority who are abusive, obsessive, or threatening. The joke hinges on the disproportionate impact of that “five percent”: even if most feedback is constructive or entertaining, a few hostile interactions can necessitate defensive tools, from simply deleting messages to seeking legal protection. The line also comments on modern public life for media figures, where access is easy (email, comments, social media) and boundaries must be actively enforced. It’s a wry acknowledgment that visibility invites both community and harassment.