Eileen Davidson Disconnected From The Power Social Media Has On #RHOBH Ratings & Casting

ByBeach Spin
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Eileen RHOBH

Eileen Davidson continues to block “mean people” on Twitter, but for someone so adept at hitting “block” buttons, the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star is extremely disconnected from the true power of opinion, reflected by social media.

Eileen responded to a fan of the show, sharing core results from a Watch What Happens Live poll, asserting that Twitter opinion makes up only 2% of the viewing audience.

Aside from the fact that viewers only call or text, to vote in those Bravo polls, Eileen’s assertion that social media platforms such as Twitter, are piddly indicators of fan opinion, is plain clueless.

Eileen’s ideas may date back to the beginning of her soap opera career. A 2013 Television Business International Vision article analyzing the power of social media in relation to reality TV, points out that most viewers have “two screens” going at the same time, while watching their favorite shows. Reality shows are noted as among the most social on TV, with huge numbers of fans and followers.

The research includes a survey of the TV-related social media habits of viewers, conducted by Viacom International Media Networks. The piece states that the study found that more than 7 out of 10 viewers interact with other fans via a second screen, and to 6 out of 10 had followed or “liked” a show via social media. Not only is social media a huge indicator of fan support, but storylines are even being structured to allow multiple spin-offs, via social media. The piece states:

[otw_shortcode_quote border=”bordered” border_style=”bordered” color=”#3366ff”]“Social media is now at the center of marketing strategies, with additional content designed to generate maximum ‘talk-ability’ (and therefore ‘share-ability’) and fans are encouraged to contribute their own content as well as influence campaign elements through their social media activity.”[/otw_shortcode_quote]

This article was published 2.5 years ago, and the power of social media influence is only gaining speed. Eileen may want to check with Andy—but I’m quite sure that Bravo knows this. Eileen clearly does not know that she entered a whole new world, when she jumped from the dusty world of soap operas, to the modern, and often rough landscape of reality TV. Eileen exhibits a sarcastic disconnect with viewers—that is, when she isn’t simply shutting them up.

https://twitter.com/pattimarquez60/status/721571053839880192

Eileen’s approach is certainly her prerogative, but it reveals a flippant and blasé attitude, when it comes to social media viewer connection. Fans have thunderously slammed Davidson this season, and her Twitter following has plummeted, because of how she has chosen to manage the fallout.

Social media factors aside, Eileen hasn’t even educated herself enough to know that Watch What Happens Live polls are tallied via phone calls and texts. It would appear that the insulated and magical land of soap operas, may be Eileen’s cultural sweet spot. Her husband bet on a strategic winner, according to a tweet from Davidson, posted last weekend.

 

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