The phrase comes out of the Broadway theatre show business. Critics ripping your new show are almost as good as critics praising your show ... either way, you're getting "buzz". People are talking about you ... and that leads to paying customers parking their butts in your theatre for an hour or two. And that is what show business is all about. The worst thing that can happen to a new show is that the critics ignore it.
I’ve got thirty years in the media business. I know where it comes from. And in my opinion, it ain’t true.