That's exactly what it is. The pejorative "conspiracy theorist" has lost it's sting, so they take a micro community online with idefensible views, elevate their public profile using the mockingbird media, and hey presto, you now not only have a new pejorative ("stfu you flatearther") but you have a publically recognisable strawman that even the most mentally retarded normie can use as a punching bag.