Streamers are calling out plans for a new dating show, ‘Twitch’s Most Eligible,’ which aims to pair up small female streamers with male streamers that have a larger following, calling it “creepy” and “predatory.”
Dating shows have found great success in the past on Twitch, with Love or Host being the most notable example. The show is a blend of reality TV and Twitch streaming, and hosts a cast of creators of varying popularity to provide entertainment for their many viewers.
The concept is so popular that it seems to have inspired a new show, called ‘Twitch’s Most Eligible’ that is set to follow a similar structure to hugely popular dating show ‘The Bachelor’ — but many are unhappy with the way the show is being handled behind the scenes.
While Twitch is included in the name, the show does not appear to be affiliated with Twitch in any way. Streamer third_artifact, real name Mackenzie, posted a thread to Twitter documenting red flags she had found both from the website and the emails from those working on the show.
First off, two streamers are currently listed as bachelors. @BananaSlamJamma and @Wingsofdeathx – however, neither of them have made a tweet about being on the show. Their bios on the official site show their average view count which bring me to the next red flag pic.twitter.com/6AcNp5syo2
— Third Artifact (@third_artifact) February 14, 2021
She noted that the show is specifically looking for small female streamers looking to grow their audience, with the ‘bachelors’ being male streamers with higher follower counts. Mackenzie explained that “they are using streamers with thousands of viewers to lure in women with small audiences in hopes this show will be their ‘break out’ moment,” calling it “predatory.”
about how messed up it is when men use their power in the industry to try to influence women and make them think it's the only way they will be more successful. They are preying on women who may not know better- women who may not have heard about the SA allegations past summer.
— Third Artifact (@third_artifact) February 14, 2021
Many small streamers revealed that they had been contacted too, saying they “can’t believe how many women have been sent this,” and, that “the whole thing is so gross.”
The show was reportedly intended to take place in a “Billionaire’s Palace in the Appalachian mountains,” across the span of 6 hours, and according to some of the emails sent by the casting agents, streamers would not be paid an appearance fee but would their travel expenses covered.
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The thread identifies several other sketchy details about the way the company is being run, using additional information from streamer Zach Bussey who was also researching the show and calling them out on Twitter directly.
Why does your website read like it was written by a first year college student?
What benefits do people involved get? You allude to a check – how much?
— Zach Bussey (@zachbussey) February 14, 2021
People discovered that the identity of a woman sending some of the recruitment emails, Brittany Good, was fake, using an image of a popular Indian actress as an alias.
Such a WILD explanation??? Why would anyone feel comfortable with someone using a fake name and photo to hire them??? pic.twitter.com/EhTAEYgI57
— Austen🔥 (Working on ⚡️RYDER) (@AustenMarieTV) February 15, 2021
In a TwitLonger posted on February 15, the Executive Producer, Matthew Pelletier, addressed some of the concerns around the production.
“I completely understand why people are skeptical of the show’s intentions given my mistakes in using these fake email accounts. If we’re lying about names, then what else are we lying about? Aliases are not cool when you’re representing a company, and I should have known better.”
After addressing some of the specific concerns raised by people online, Matthew also revealed that “I have decided to stop the production of the show effective immediately while I discuss next steps among my team.”
Countless smaller streamers revealed that they were contacted by the company, but following the backlash, it’s unclear whether the show will ever actually end up going ahead.
