Melissa Grelo, Traci Melchor, Sarah Prince, Cynthia Loyst and Elaine Lui
I’ve been eager to attend a live taping of CTV’s The Social since it premiered in September. The Social is like a younger version of The View with a stronger interactive component, as viewers’ social media engagement is integral to the series.
The Social takes the second screen experience to a new level because it’s filmed live and selected Twitter and Facebook posts are displayed onscreen. Offering opinionated viewers an opportunity to gain exposure on national television is definitely a better incentive to follow the show’s social media accounts than simply for the sake of entering contests or seeing behind the scenes photos.
Interestingly, the invitation to live tweet the show is extended to audience members as well, so I think Bell Media should install a mobile charging station in the audience waiting area. That would be a cost-effective way to ensure more fans can post on social media with the show’s hashtag. If iPhone chargers were available, then I would’ve taken more pictures and tweeted more commentary. Nevertheless, I preserved my battery as much as possible and was able to take photos with the hosts after the cameras stopped rolling.
I was so excited to see Wednesday’s special guest Jessica Alba that I didn’t care what brought her to Toronto. The fact that Jessica booked interviews with Canadian media outlets to promote her new line of eco-friendly baby products rather than a new movie didn’t matter. Plus, I’m certainly not complaining about getting a free copy of Jessica’s book, The Honest Life. Wednesday was also co-host Cynthia Loyst’s birthday and the producers celebrated it by inviting a doctor to discuss Cynthia’s favourite subject: sex. I think Cynthia was more interested in talking about women’s health than she was in the framed photo of her baby boy that she received as a birthday gift.
Co-Host Lainey Lui (Lainey Gossip)
I especially appreciated the chance to chat with the hosts one-on-one. Saying hi to Lainey Lui was also a highlight, as she’s by far the most famous blogger who has ever graduated from Western University. And I even got to see Lainey dish about Kris and Bruce Jenner’s split immediately after it was announced!
Wednesday afternoon was certainly a fabulous time to see The Social. eTalk‘s Traci Melchor and I have a long history of Twitter conversations, so meeting her IRL felt long overdue. Traci’s parting words to me were perfect: “Keep on tweeting with us!”
The Social airs weekdays at 1 PM on CTV and you can request tickets to see it live here.