Has the use of hashtags on TV gone overboard?

On a recent bombcast (around the 44:30 mark), the bombcast crew's discussion around hashtag use on TV Shows recently has gotten outta control and I couldn't agree more with their stance on the recent trend (pun unintended)

Anyone else feeling that way or is it just that I (and possibly the GB crew) am anti-social and think the integration with TV shows and sports is the next best thing...

Do we really need to put a hashtag on screen? Has the IQ of the average US TV viewer gotten so low that they forget what they are watching?

Thoughts?

(I didn't know whether to put this in the bombcast, off-topic, general discussion forum)

I think it is totally unnecessary, but it's not like the purpose of it is to remind the viewer of what program they are watching, but they want all the viewers to tweet with the same hashtag so they can get show trending.

Girls Gone Wild has a hashtag, so I say yes.

@Bocam said:

Girls Gone Wild has a hashtag, so I say yes.

Is it #SHESAIDSHEWAS18 ?

Yes.....yes it has

I really wonder how many people actually # about something on twitter. I did once or twice a few months ago, but I only have been using twitter about that long too.

@MethodMan008 said:

I think it is totally unnecessary, but it's not like the purpose of it is to remind the viewer of what program they are watching, but they want all the viewers to tweet with the same hashtag so they can get show trending.

This. It really seems annoying because we are part of the crowd they aren't targeting.

It probably is. I have no idea about it, since that trend hasn't reached my corner of the world yet.

But it is both stupid and unnecessary, so I'll say yes. Yes it has.

#Giantbombforumsbombcast

woooooooooo

I just see hashtags as a really douchey thing to use outside of twitter.
 
#canttakeitanymore

If I am going to an event or covering something at a con or a festival, I'll use the hashtag since it'll link me to other people using it and help spread interest to those following it.

Everything else, like TV and such? Stupid. Besides 'Monday Night RAW' for the same reason, I hardly ever do it.

#dontforgettousethehashtaginthebottomrightofyourscreen

Seeing them once is too much.

Having said that, I never see them except on RAW.

I'm more concerned about hashtags in the #giantbombforums.

I've seen shows start off with just #(show name) on the screen, then later throughout the show change the hashtag during the show depending on events that just happened or things that somebody just said. In those instances I would say they're going overboard. 

Yes. Very much yes.

Fuck hashtags, they just waste big chunks of your your 140 characters if you ask me.

They're pretty annoying. It's also really bad when people use hashtags on Facebook.

I'm more concerned about hashtags in the #giantbombforums.

They've gone way too far. If you even surf past a channel you'll probably hear someone say "trending worldwide right now". It's a terrifying abomination, a nightmarish marriage of internet and television none of us dumb fucks ever imagined. It was enough when everybody was saying "visit us on facebook!" and now there are three, four bullshit products coming at you at once. Our minds are already so assaulted by the bullshit flying at us from the TV, do we need more?

People still watch TV?

In my personal opinion, the whole #hashtag craze has gotten a little out of hand. It appears now for almost everything and thus has overstayed it's welcome with me. It was tolerable when it was first starting and only some things utilized it, but now everything seems to be using them nowadays...

I always see them, and I've even looked them up to see what they are, but I still don't get what the fuck they are. When the heck would I use one though? They're stupid to me, so yes.

Hey, as long as it doesn't start to get silly. "Tell us how Joffrey should die at #DIEBASTARDKING"

I say once they hit two hash tags per show, like on the screen at the same time, that is too far. It would be really funny though. I always love it when a commercial has a hash tag. I have seen a few and it's just stupid.

@GERALTITUDE said:

They've gone way too far. If you even surf past a channel you'll probably hear someone say "trending worldwide right now". It's a terrifying abomination, a nightmarish marriage of internet and television none of us dumb fucks ever imagined. It was enough when everybody was saying "visit us on facebook!" and now there are three, four bullshit products coming at you at once. Our minds are already so assaulted by the bullshit flying at us from the TV, do we need more?

#overreaction

I really only watch wrestling and it has hashtags and twitter feeds everywhere. Like Jeff said, they even announce when something from the show is trending.

@Soapy86 said:

Seeing them once is too much.

Having said that, I never see them except on RAW.

O man if you like hashtags and reminders of whats trending on twitter you will love WWE programming for sure.

I don't watch TV so I've never seen one.

#whocares

I only use hastags when i am at an event, which i can admit that can also be annoying. But when i am watching a show and it says hey join the conversation #whateverthehelliamwatching

i just want the show to come back on and move on. I can understand why they think viewers would want to talk to other people about the show they are watching, but guess what, we know how to get a hold of our friends, or other fans, we dont need a hastag in the corner of the screen during the show and on commercial breaks.

No  
 
#idontcare 
#swag

I don't watch TV, the Bombcast was the first time I was made aware of any of this.

Like Jeff said on the Bombcast a while back, marketers ruin everything. 
 
They have gone way too far with the whole hashtag thing. It's just dumb.

Never heard of hashtags until today , and fortunately we dont have them on tv yet , or at least I havent seen them

I dropped cable a couple of years ago so I don't see much stuff as it's broadcast but, isn't the hashtag thing out of control period?

Workaholics uses about 5 different hashtags per episode. Literally the second they utter some sort of weird one-liner, the hashtag with that one-liner will show up on the bottom of the screen until the next one-liner is spoken.

Yes. It is if they think the popularity of a show is measured by how many people are talking about it on Twitter, and not how many people are actually watching it live (which is what really matters).

I still don't entirely "get" Twitter or the purpose of most people, besides celebrities, using it.

I've never seen it before.. I only watch downloaded TV shows though, and very few at that.

Popular things are often overused.

That and every company in the world having Facebook pages. I get it people like to be social but its getting to level that almost seems companies are like begging for attention.

I want to hear the Bombcast now!

#Kappa

@Hockeymask27 said:

That and every company in the world having Facebook pages. I get it people like to be social but its getting to level that almost seems companies are like begging for attention.

yeah and all that advertising companies do as well. its embarrassing. why on earth would they do it

@doobie said:

@Hockeymask27 said:

That and every company in the world having Facebook pages. I get it people like to be social but its getting to level that almost seems companies are like begging for attention.

yeah and all that advertising companies do as well. its embarrassing. why on earth would they do it

Ya but i'm talking about more when on a advertisement they also want you to use a hash tag and like their Facebook page. It seems a little much.

The point where hashtags went too far in television was the day a local news station started using them with their stories.

I'm fairly okay with stuff for certain fiction things, but, come on. It's the news. Not #news.

They went too far about two years ago.

As a marketer I understand why they do it but it becomes so trivial and pushy when so many shows do it for no reason. Its starting to scare me when people so it out loud to me. That is really the part where hashtags have gone too far.