If you were on Twitter last night you probably saw a few people complain that the Teen Choice Awards were rigged. Well, that’s not really true.
Here’s what happened: Thousands of teenagers found out last night how awards show work.
The controversy started after YouTube star Tyler Oakley won the “Choice Web Star: Male” award. Cameron Dallas, who won the Choice Viner award, took to Twitter after Oakley grabbed his statue and complained that the show was rigged.
Dallas told his 3.1 million followers that the producers knew who was going to win six days before voting ended.
Dallas wrote: “It’s funny how they told me I won the viner award 6 days before the voting ended and made the runners up still vote to tweet for them.”
The TCAs are rigged. #TeensDontHaveAChoiceAwards pic.twitter.com/NMCWsWu4Uo
— Cameron Porter (@porterc16) August 11, 2014
Basically, the producers knew who was going to win before the voting process ended but they still wanted people like Dallas and Oakley to beg fans for votes in order to stir up excitement for the awards show.
Sure, that’s a little shady but that doesn’t mean that the Teen Choice Awards were rigged.
The Teen Choice Awards is deeply integrated with social media. So when one of Twitter’s biggest stars says something during the show, well, it makes waves. Soon the hashtag #Teensdonthaveachoice awards started trending.
— Carter Reynolds (@carterreynolds) August 11, 2014
#TCAs2014 used all of us for promotion. What a joke.
— Carter Reynolds (@carterreynolds) August 11, 2014
Just speaking the truth that's all
— Carter Reynolds (@carterreynolds) August 11, 2014
There was even a little disclaimer about the voting process during the award show. The disclaimer states that the winner is typically chosen from the top four vote getters but that producers ultimately make the decision. Here’s a screen grab from last year’s show.
#TeensDontHaveAChoiceAwards pic.twitter.com/mKnxXqvuFo
— Larissa ???? (@frostycameron) August 11, 2014
The controversy during the Teen Choice Awards wasn’t really a controversy. It was more like a group of young people discovering how the world works at the same time.
Yes, award shows are designed to make money. Yes, “choice” awards are designed to get more people to watch the shows. No, the producers really don’t care about your opinion or who the best Viner of the year award.
The Teen Choice Awards may misrepresent themselves a little but the show isn’t rigged. This year’s “controversy,” however, may lead to some changes for next year’s show.
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