(AsAmNews interviewed Ubbie, one of the organizers behind the ever growing Save Selfie movement to find out about the campaign’s progress. The movement shows no signs of slowing and there have been indications the campaign is working).
Q: How did the Save Selfie campaign get started? How did all the people involve meet?
A: Selfie ABC on Facebook has 365k likes, Tumblr has sprouted numerous Selfie fanfics, but it is on Twitter where Karen Gillan, John Cho and Emily Kapnek are active, hence the convergence of fans who want to communicate with them. When ABC announced the cancellation on November 07, #saveselfie was born. More fans have found their way and interacted under this tag. Erika Lawson started an online petition that has garnered 44,554 signatures as of this writing.
https://www.change.org/p/hulu-please-renew-selfie-for-a-second-season
The Save Selfie Movement started off with the Twitter campaign, initially spearheaded by Erika Lawson, Kayla Rosoff and I. The idea spawned from the Twitter parties we’ve had every Tuesday night during Selfie’s airing on ABC. When the show was taken off the air and the remaining episodes got picked up by Hulu Plus, we decided to hold several more in protest of the cancellation. By second week of December we officially started the tweet barrages (as suggested by @tbones88) where we tweet non-stop for 30 minutes addressing network/ digital outlets for requests of a pick-up. We have held five tweet campaigns addressed to Hulu, one at Yahoo Screen, one at Netflix, one at CW_network, one at Warner Bros TV (requesting them to continue shopping Selfie around) all in the month of December. We will continue our tweet campaigns in January 2015.
Q: Tell us about yourself. Why do you care so much about this?
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A: I have always loved watching series but this is the first time I have fallen in love with a sitcom. One thing that have caught my attention is the unique on-screen chemistry between John Cho and Karen Gillan. I care so much about the revival of Selfie because it deserves a chance to have its story run its full course. Good reviews kept coming after it was canceled. Various entertainment news sites consistently listed the show as one of the best in 2014. It ranks high week after week on Hulu Plus despite a simultaneous airing (for free) on ABC’s On Demand, with the last episode landing on the top spot. When John Cho nabbed the lead role, everyone cheered for this major breakthrough. But the celebration was short-lived, and jeers came from those who were too happy to see their predictions proven right. I cried for days when I read John’s tweet, “Thank You,” on the day Selfie was canceled. Simple words that cut through my heart because though it was a mask for something deeper, I still felt it.
But my top reason for fighting this hard is the fact that Selfie and TV shows in general, have become an easy escape for those who have nowhere to turn to. For those who have only a few minutes in a day to forget all their troubles and heartaches, for those who have not much to hang on to. Fighting with this motivation in mind makes me focused because this movement is not only saving a TV show, but it is helping people to find their ray of light.
Q: Tell us about your video contest. What are you asking entrants to do and what will happen with all the entries?
A: The idea of the video mob contest, “Straight Up Now #SaveSelfie Video Mob,” was suggested by Jamie Schneider. Our fandom is young, so organizing a flash mob was something we could not do because fans hardly know each other. Entrants are required to use the dance choreography of Eliza and Joan from episode 03 to the tune of Paula Abdul’s Straight Up Now (little improvisations are allowed). Each video submission will be uploaded to the Save Selfie You Tube channel. We’re fortunate to have Ms. Patti Troisi (Linda) and Ms. Jen Hasty (Joan) as judges.
Erika is now helping Jamie in preparations for the video mob contest. Anyone who’s interested to join can email us [email protected].
For details please visit
Straight Up Now #SaveSelfie Video Mob
Q: What do you hope to accomplish with the contest?
A: We hope to spread more awareness for the Save Selfie Movement. Holding a video dance contest on You Tube should be an effective way of attracting new fans and help keep the old-time fans interested in the campaigns.
Q: The last scheduled original episode of Selfie was released Tuesday on Hulu Plus, yet your contest runs through the end of January. How long do you expect to keep up this fight?
A: Honestly we don’t have an idea how long this will last. As long as there are fellow fans who are willing to keep the fight going, we will carry on. Selfie’s last episode aired on December 30, 2014. The contests (Save Selfie Fanfic Writing Contest is the other campaign we’re doing) run through a month because this is the estimated period when news, good or bad, should be coming out.
Q: How have ABC, Hulu and the other digital, broadcast and cable outlets responded to the campaign. If you have heard back from any of them, what have they said?
A: As of today, none that I know of. Everyone’s on a holiday break so we’re looking forward to get some feedback in the coming weeks. Though one media entity, Media Action Network for Asian Americans, has informed us it has spoken to an ABC insider who shared Hulu has been paying attention to Selfie’s noteworthy ratings.
Q: Have you kept track of the number of tweets, email and phone calls made in support of the #SaveSelfie campaign. Could you share any numbers?
A: We had three email blast campaigns where we asked each fellow fan to send 20 emails minimum at a scheduled time to make an impact. We had one “all day call-a-thon” to Hulu in December.
#saveSelfie on Twitter generated 75,905 tweets from November 05-December 05;
and 72,363 tweets from December 01-December 31. Attached are the screencaps of these analytics reports.
Q: What’s the latest buzz about the People’s Choice Awards all about? Has the #SaveSelfie campaign confirmed Selfie was removed from contention? If so, why do you think this happened?
A: Selfie was nominated at the People’s Choice Awards for the Best New TV Comedy Series. We voted diligently because we wanted this award as a validation of its growing popularity to help get us a second season. But when the voting period ended PCA took down Selfie along with the other nominated (canceled) series without any official statement. We argued Leverage was allowed to join despite its cancellation status in 2012 and the series went on to win an award at the PCA 2013. If there was a new ruling that disqualified Selfie they should have announced earlier to spare the fans from wasting time voting for something that has been considered disqualified from the start. Fans have their own theories behind the disqualification, but I cannot speak for the entire fandom.
Thank you for giving Save Selfie Movement a space on your site. The entire Selfie fandom appreciates your help, from the articles written to the campaigns tweeted.
If I may, let me share the links to the other Save Selfie campaigns:
Selfie Fans Support UNICEF
https://www.crowdrise.com/SelfieFansSupportUNICEF/fundraiser/clintonalvord/1/return/success/success
Save Selfie Fanfic Writing Contest
http://saveselfiefanficwritingcontest.tumblr.com/
Save Selfie Twitter Account
@SaveSelfie_
Please visit our official blogsite:
www.saveselfiemovement.wordpress.com
Save Selfie Facebook Page
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Save-Selfie-Movement/1562301227347909?sk=timeline
Thank you so much for this chance.
