Hair pulling and rants against the Kardashians are probably not the first things you’d predict when asked what to expect on an episode of Sean Hannity’s Fox News show “Hannity.”
On-air at FNC for 18 years, Hannity’s recent social media push might be giving his viewers a deeper glimpse into his personality for the first time.
A segment called #AskSean has become a weekly fixture on the show, with Sean answering Facebook and Twitter questions written to him at that hashtag.
“Love the feedback and being able to interact with viewers – adds a greater connection with the audience,” Hannity tells Lost Remote about the segment that launched in January.
On last night’s show, Hannity revealed how dumbfounded he is with some peoples love for certain celebrity families rather than important issues.
“No!” Hannity answered @_asyouwish_ on whether he ever gets sick of politics. “I don’t think enough people care. I don’t understand people care more about the Kardashians, more about Honey Boo Boo.”
“Because it lets them turn their brains off,” Fox Business Network’s Dagen McDowell told Sean. “Watching the Kardashians, some people are getting something turned on,” she added. McDowell has been the one asking Hannity the social media questions for the first month of the segment.
“That’s not the part of the brain I’m talking about!” Hannity responded.
Another question from @rawallace19 about Sean’s time working in the South drew out a “really bad” southern accent: “How y’all doing, good to see you…y’all come back and see us,” Hannity said in his best attempt at a southern accent.
And then there was the inaugural @AskSean answer, which involved some hair pulling.
“Pull it…pull hard,” Hannity told McDowell after Facebook user Ted-Elizabeth Calhoun asked if his hair was real.
A little hair pulling and rants against celebrities are just a few of the trademark moments that social media users have produced on “Hannity.” Sean’s embracing of social media on-air adds to the trend of cable news shows straying from the normal formula of talking to the audience to set aside time to talk with them.
With the assist from social.