A self-proclaimed dating journalist has launched a new digital show that features interviews with Dallas singles about their dating lives.
DALLAS — Not all heroes wear capes.
Some tuck microphones discreetly into little red espresso cups, put on their favorite brightly colored workout set and hit the Katy Trail to ask singles about their dating lives.
Elsbeth Weempe, 30, is a self-proclaimed dating journalist.
“A dating journalist is an investigative reporter on who’s dating who…all the things about dating and how men approach women these days and how women approach men. Just the whole dating game,” Weempe said playfully.
Earlier this year, she launched ElsBeats on the Streets on social media. The digital show features short clips of Weempe interviewing singles in Dallas about everything from the last time they went on a date to what they believe makes dating so difficult and what they’re looking for in a potential mate.
She hits the trail, sometimes venturing to other events and settings, with her little red espresso cups and conducts her interviews as if she’s sharing a quick sip with a friend.
“I’m just amazed that so many people have agreed to be interviewed about their most personal thing, which is dating and relationships,” Weempe said. “I think people are hungry for real in-person communication, and they want to give themselves a shot because people don’t give each other chances behind the app.”
She figured there would be some interest in her videos. What she didn’t expect was for her videos to bring in tens of thousands of views or for people to stop their runs on the trail to take photos with her while she’s looking for interview subjects.
“I wanted to talk about dating because it’s such a hot topic, but I didn’t think it was this hot of a topic,” Weempe said. “I’m interviewing people and showing people’s genuine side. You catch them mid-walk, shirt off, very authentic…in the wild and it’s raw.”
And it’s that authenticity Weempe believes viewers are attracted to in a seemingly overly-saturated era of dating shows filled with people who may be looking for love but are almost certainly looking to gain social media fame.
Featuring everyday people with everyday jobs who simply want to go on a date, and maybe even make it to a second date, has proven to be endearing to many.
It’s also created space for people to make connections.
A few months ago, 24-year-old Peter Fisher was running on the Katy Trail with his dog when Weempe asked if he’d be interested in doing an interview.
“I had just moved to Dallas, didn’t have a lot of friends and initially wanted no part of it,” Fisher said. “I just kept going and said, ‘No, thank you. Have a good day.’”
But mid-run, Fisher said he had a change of heart and went back to do the interview.
“I think it was, like, an act of God,” Fisher said.
Fisher’s interview about his dating life got more than 147,000 plays on TikTok and a slew of comments, including one flirtatious comment from a young woman named Payton — who is now Fisher’s girlfriend.
“We have been together for almost two months now, and I am so in love,” Fisher said.
Weempe said it’s become commonplace for her interview subjects to go on dates with people who reach out to them following their exposure on her channel.
“They get hundreds of [direct messages], especially guys,” Weempe said
When asked if she considers herself somewhat of a matchmaker, Weempe admits that she sees it “in a way” but is adamant that her focus is on interviewing people, and she wants people to connect and figure it out on their own.
“People are hungry for in-person communication, so with these interviews, I hope to show people…approach people. Take the risk. Don’t be scared. Just take the risk and do it, make a conversation,” she said.