Chapter 359: You Can Attract Fans Like This?
"Melody Monroe?" The excitement drained from Rhona Hughes, as if someone had just thrown a bucket of cold water on her.
Just the mention of Melody Monroe’s name was enough to make her grind her teeth in hatred!
"Yes. Melody Monroe was in *Warm Wind*, which can be her submission for the nomination. Plus, she’s more popular than you right now, so it will have a significant impact on you."
The smile on Rhona Hughes’s face had already frozen. Her brow slowly furrowed, and a vicious glint flashed across her eyes.
’Melody Monroe got lucky last time. She won’t be so fortunate again.’
"Let’s not talk about this. We finally have some time to eat together, so let’s chat about something more pleasant." Raymond Ford felt he had fanned the flames enough and deftly changed the subject.
He was confident that to beat Melody Monroe, Rhona Hughes would stop at nothing.
...
Rose Shaw watched Melody Monroe, waiting for her decision.
Even though the things Eileen Scott said during her livestream had only caused a few small ripples online, they would still have an impact.
A lie repeated often enough becomes the truth; even completely fabricated stories can be made to sound convincing. That was even more true for words spoken under these circumstances.
Wayne Payne was certainly opportunistic. To salvage Eileen Scott’s career, he created a "toxic tongue" persona for her. He also spent a fortune buying her a wave of followers and gave her the nickname Didi Scott.
Judging by the results, the strategy was having some effect.
In fact, a group of fans was actually drawn in by Eileen Scott’s behavior.
They praised Eileen Scott for being a maverick, who not only tore into the other guests but also went after the production team. They said she wasn’t weighed down by the typical "idol baggage."
Wayne Payne must have coached Eileen Scott. Her interactions with fans during today’s livestream were pretty good, too.
During the stream, Eileen Scott even joked that she probably had the kind of disposition that kept her from getting famous because she had a terrible personality, a bad temper, and a princess complex.
This self-deprecating humor, far from backfiring, actually attracted more fans. Her livestream viewers grew from just a few thousand at the start to over ten thousand, peaking at nearly thirty thousand.
"The industry isn’t what it used to be. There are too many platforms, too many online celebrities. Her method for attracting fans isn’t new, but she managed to strike gold by a fluke," Rose Shaw added.
People were questioning Melody Monroe’s "scholarly" persona, questioning the production team’s intentional promotion of her, and questioning her performance on the livestream. All of this was prime gossip fodder.
"Rose, I think I should address the ’scholarly’ persona issue on the show. We can ignore the rest for now."
"Yes, there are questions, but they haven’t caused too much damage yet. Besides, the show has only been running for three days. There’s still a long road ahead. If all I ever got were positive reviews, it would feel even more fake. As a public figure, I have to be able to withstand scrutiny."
Rose Shaw nodded, agreeing with Melody Monroe’s approach.
"Rose, there’s something else I think we need to discuss today."
Rose Shaw immediately knew what Melody Monroe was referring to.
"Eileen Scott joining the show was unexpected for us, but it was meticulously arranged by Lana Sheffield. We’re at a point of no return with her now, so we need to make other plans."
"You want to leave Stellaris and go to Starfall?" Rose Shaw asked softly.
"Leaving Stellaris doesn’t necessarily mean I have to go to Starfall." Melody Monroe was still very resistant to the idea of joining Starfall.
’Because she didn’t want to walk the path of this body’s original owner.’
’Her arrival had already made an impact, but she was still worried. Only a complete change would do. Maybe, when the story reached the original main plot, her and Ian’s fates could be truly altered.’
"Rose, we’ll stick together through thick and thin, right?" Melody Monroe was worried about Rose Shaw.