I think it comes down to what the folks see on TV. Or whatever form of "fiction" or "reality" they believe is what they need....not what they can actually "use well".
Case in point, my daughter, she is in her 30's and asked for a handgun, she's never owned one of her own. So I said, SURE! What do you want? She said "a pink one", took me about a year to get over that and to seriously get down to finding out what to get her. I brought over a S&W Mod 36, a Glock sub in 9mm, a Beretta Storm sub-compact in 9mm and basically she dismissed the revolver completely, wouldn't have anything to do with it....because it wasn't "cool". Ended up she liked the "feel" of the Glock, she couldn't even rack the slide, but had to have it....THIS is why revolvers are out of style, it is the mindset...she doesn't shoot but MAYBE once a year and SHOULD honestly have the S&W Mod 36....but at least she has a gun now, her husband promised to work with her building up her strength so she could at least chamber a round!
It's been a year now, she hasn't ever shot the Glock. Or anything else. I still have the S&W Mod 36....she'll see the light one day.
I've seen this same scenario a LOT at a local gun shop, salesman sells someone a handgun, semi auto, the person can't even operate it! Women can't work the slide....they sell it to them anyways. I have to wonder how many folks that purchase these weapons actually know how to use them! From what I've seen, not many, they purchase what they see is used on TV and folks that talk-up how awful and useless a revolver is these days, that "volume of fire" seems to be what you want....not hitting what you AIM at...just throw enough rounds down range quickly and chances are your target will get hit!