Students who have been looking for love have made appearances on the YouTube show called, “The Dating Blind Show.”
The first episode premiered just two months ago and has gained around 9,600 views. The YouTube channel has gained about 2,700 subscribers and there have been 13 episodes released so far.
To put the popularity of the show into perspective, YouTube creators including Cody Ko have made reaction videos to this channel. His video alone reached 1.5 million views.
21 of the guests on the show attend Coastal Carolina University and live in Conway. The blind date consists of two people with a wall to separate them from seeing one another, while they are asked to answer personal questions about themselves.
Students like Jeremiah White, a senior marine science and physics major, were selected to be on the show. He said before going on the show the participants must sign nondisclosure agreements.
Contestants are asked a series of provocative questions and provide answers to see if they are compatible. Many students share personal information about their relationships which could potentially harm their reputation
“I advise students to watch what they say,” White said.
Due to the popularity of the show, some students go on in hopes of gaining attention.
“A lot of people see that they’re on camera and they want some type of spotlight or fame. And they unintentionally embarrass themselves,” White said.
With a total of 68 employees, E8 Productions works on this show as well as several others. Their goal is to eventually get “The Dating Blind Show” monetized through their partnership with Snapchat, a popular social media app.
The CEO of E8 Productions Eric Davis is currently operating 50 different shows similar to this one.
They have gained over 55 million views from all of their social media accounts, and the creators write the scripts based on what’s going viral according to social media analytics.
The show was not intended to have primarily Coastal students, but many of them have applied.
“Coastal students kept asking us to come on, it kind of happened on accident,” Davis said.
Students have to go just about 16 miles from campus to a studio space in Surfside Beach, South Carolina, to film the show. The contestants are found through social media and are chosen based on factors such as their looks and personality.
“Through Instagram DMs, we cater towards their attractiveness and what they look for in someone else,” Davis said.
Therefore, students hoping to get on the show can send the company a direct message through Instagram.
At the end of each episode, both contestants take their blindfolds off to meet and discuss their potential relationship.
“It’s a fun experience. Some people have actually matched and talked after the show,” White said.
