Browsing Tag

TV

Weight Discrimination is Something to Size Up

In preparation for my presentation at Western’s ‘Flaunting It’ conference next Friday, I revisited a paper I wrote last year about weight discrimination. My research focuses on how this affects hiring practices and employment, but it certainly affects overweight people on a larger scale.

In some developing countries, people are starving and malnourished due to poverty, but obesity rates are increasing around the world exponentially. Fortunately, people are taking note of these statistics, such as the producers of MTV’s I Used To Be Fat. The show completed its first season earlier this month after introducing viewers to nine high school graduates who devoted their summer to losing weight. Motivating viewers to meet their weight loss goals is a positive step forward, but it does not change the fact that far too many youth are binge eating, out of shape and lazy.

Before reading Barry Popkin’s The World Is Fat, it never occurred to me that people have developed such a sweet tooth that youth are not only overindulging in soft drinks, but also adding additional sugar. For many overweight people, being weight is not a conscious choice; sometimes it’s merely a matter of genetics. Deliberately sweetening drinks like that is outrageous though. Even after government regulations ensured that all food and beverage packing include nutritional information people are ignoring this data, or at least dismissing it as unimportant. Education is an essential tool to discourage such unhealthy lifestyle choices. This is important for not only nutritionists, doctors, and food manufacturers to reiterate, but also fashion designers and advertisers.

On Tuesday afternoon, I had the privilege of listening to the inspirational entrepreneur, Ben Barry, who spearheaded the Dove Campaign for Real Beauty, once again. Ben’s tenacity helped him convince Sears Canada to include models in their catalogue that resemble their customers, unlike the twigs who typically posed for their glossy pages. Since then, he continues liaising with fashion and marketing executives to help them sell products to their target demographic by hiring models who customers can identify with. The average soccer mom does not look like a toned size 2 woman with flawless skin and Ben asks advertisers to recognize that and promote their products accordingly.

As someone who started a business at age 14, Ben strongly believes in the potential of youth entrepreneurship and youth’s ability to inspire others and make great changes in the world. With Ben’s message in mind, I have changed my opinion about the MTV reality show because even if those nine kids inspired 100 people to start exercising, that’s better than nothing. Their reunion episode for the season finale allowed the participants to reflect on the show and prove to audiences that they have since created a social network amongst themselves and offer each other ongoing support. This is what people truly need: support, friendship and motivation. Whether this comes in the form of fat acceptance amongst hiring managers who should change their attitudes about candidates’ physical appearances, or clothing manufacturers that should produce high quality clothing that flatters overweight people, everything counts.

Ben Barry, November 2008, Queen’s University

 

Mazel Tov to the Cast and Crew of Being Erica!

CBC just announced their 2011-2012 line-up today and Being Erica made the cut. Mazel Tov to the show’s creator and executive producer, Jana Sinyor, as well as the rest of the cast and crew. Thanks to Jana, millions of Canadian fans have been introduced to Erica Stange, a (fictional) hardworking Jewish woman from Toronto who has as many embarrassing moments growing up as the rest of us. The show’s success can also be measured by the fact that an American adaptation of the show for ABC is in the works.

Here’s the list of other returning shows to look forward to next year:

22 Minutes
Battle of the Blades
Being Erica
Best Recipes Ever
Doc Zone
Dragons’ Den
the fifth estate
George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight
Heartland
InSecurity
Little Mosque on the Prairie
Marketplace
The Nature of Things
Republic of Doyle
The Rick Mercer Report 
The Ron James Show
Steven & Chris

According to Maclean’s, new programming pickups for the 2011-12 season include Mr. D, starring Gerry D and produced by Topsail Entertainment; Michael Tuesdays and Thursdays,  featuring the writing and acting talents of Bob Martin and produced by Rhombus Media; the co-production Camelot, from Take 5 Productions; Kevin O’Leary in Dealer to Leader, developed by Wide-Eyed Entertainment in conjunction with CBC; and Cover Me Canada, produced  by 11 Entertainment.

MTV Drops Lauren Conrad’s Reality Show

The fact that MTV has decided not to pick up Lauren Conrad’s documentary reality show about working in the fashion industry because it is supposedly too “high brow” for MTV viewers says a great deal about the network.

After discovering Lauren and her friends during their high school years in Laguna Beach, MTV transformed a blonde girl from California into a Hollywood starlet. Lauren was for The Hills what Carrie Bradshaw was for Sex and the City – the girl that every girl either wants to be or wants as their best friend.

Since her television debut, Lauren has become a role model for millions of youth and inspired fans to pursue their dreams. The Hills co-star Stephanie Pratt shares this sentiment and acknowledged the potential of Lauren’s now cancelled show, adding that she “was really shocked [after hearing the news] and thought it would have been great for kids to watch.”

Without Lauren returning to reality TV as planned, who does MTV want their viewers to emulate instead – Ke$ha? Lindsay Lohan?

In her statement to the press, Lauren reiterates that it’s a shame that MTV doesn’t think their viewers are “savvy enough to appreciate” her show. I suppose that means MTV viewers can expect to see renewals of current MTV reality shows such as Teen Mom and I Used To Be Fat instead, as they don’t require much critical thinking. After all, how savvy must one be to sit on a couch and watch as a fashion designer selects fabrics, makes sketches, or sells dresses?

RT @muchmusic has a new #trending TV show.

MuchMusic is continually increasing their social media presence, such as by making their New Music Live (NML) show a trending topic in itself this past week. With their latest show, #trending, now on the air, Shit My Dad Says is less distinguishable as a Twitter-inspired TV show.

The pink graphics on the show’s webpage explicate that it’s a show geared primarily towards female fashionistas who admire MIT grad Liz Trinnear’s style. During her first “shopping haul” segment, Liz shares some great fashion finds with viewers, such as tie-dye tights and jewellery.

Their new show also has an interactive component, wherein they invite viewers to submit their own 5 minute-long videos about what’s trending in fashion and beauty.

#trending reminds me of other local shows that tell viewers about new places to find the coolest knick-knack or accessory, so I’m curious to see how MuchMusic maintains interest on a national scale.