Photo credit: ABC
In the age of social media, it’s hard for Good Morning America to compete with social media in terms of relevancy when it comes to Dancing With the Stars. This week alone, I have witnessed fans searching out nail polish colors, front doors on celebrity houses and yes, that infamous mole.
The secrecy that ABC shrouds around the pro and cast list has created an almost obsessive culture around finding the clues on Snapchat, Instagram Stories and Twitter. It’s exhausting.
By the time Tuesday rolls around, the entire pairings will probably be revealed before GMA even airs its first minute of the show. Do you think ABC is upset by this or do you think that maybe they are encouraging fans to go on a wild-goose chase looking for clues because it creates water-cooler talk before the season even begins?
Photo credit: Dancing With the Stars/Instagram
This season, they've dropped hints about partnerships with at least seven of their pros — as of Saturday— and any quick Google search will lead you to the answer. So there is some sly strategy happening, but I think it's to distract from the last few celebrities who are finalizing their contracts and that mysterious Olympian who isn't Ryan Lochte. [Editor's Note: That mysterious Olympian is Laurie Hernandez, according to ET.]
GMA is only a footnote to DWTS coverage now. It’s a place to see preseason interviews or a final stop for the couples voted off to share their parting thoughts. I used to wake up early to see the East Coast broadcast and now I wake up later knowing that the information was leaked ages ago.
Don’t get me wrong, I love hearing how all of the pieces are coming together behind the scenes and the sources who pop up to offer information about the cast list. It’s just the nature of sleuthing on social media has taken a step in a direction that doesn’t feel right all of the time.
Is ABC’s strategy helpful or hurtful? I think this season’s stellar line-up proves that the producers know how to assemble a cast and get the fire started on a show that felt a little tired last season. I just hope that the lines of social media don’t cross too many boundaries between fan and fanatic.
Do you think ABC is helping or hurting DWTS with its social media strategy?