Lifetime Revamped

Throughout it's life time, Lifetime, the television network that markets women, has been known  as the "Estrogen Channel".Synonymous for depicting the 'scorned women', Lifetime's dramatic made for tv movies, although the target of many jokes, has been a staple for American television.

However, the emergence of other women targeted networks such Oxygen and WEtv, Lifetime's ratings  have been dropping for a number of years.

So what's a ailing network to do? Remodel itself of course.

Lifetime is no stranger to remodeling, below are tag lines Lifetime featured for the last 30 years:

"Lifetime Medical Television" (1984-1993)

"Television for Women" (1994–2006)

"My Story is on Lifetime" (2006–2008)

"Connect. Play. Share." (2008–2012)

"Your Life. Your Time." (2012–present)

The newest remodel "Your Life. Your Time", that launched May 2nd, in my opinion, has been the biggest programming revamp since 'Medical Television' was Lifetimes focus. In attempts to get the ratings up "Your Life. Your Time." claims to target the modern women, for which managing her time, has now become the biggest issue of her day. The message struck an immediate cord with Nancy Dubuc, network CEO, and the other women managing the network. Dubuc herself, who is currently juggling multiple television networks (including Lifetime and A&E) could definitely relate.

The new “L” logo (shown at top) is not the only change Lifetime has made, remodeling it’s entire line up of shows to include more racy, fast paced shows.

Shows such as the Client List, which stars Jennifer Love Hewitt, as a masseuse, whose clients expect more than just a massage

And their new reality show staring Bristol Palin, focusing on her life from the after math of being a teenage mother, and daughter of Sarah Palin.

Big names also involved in the shows relaunch line up include Queen Latifah, Courtney Cox, Renee Zellweger and Demi Moore. The shows in their line up (aside from the out of place America’s Most Wanted) do all sound promising. I don’t exactly love the logo, logo that instead of an L, appears to be a yin-yang sign gone wrong, however I can definitely say I am excited to see how Lifetime fairs with their relaunch, especially compared to their competing networks like Oxygen, whose Bad Girl’s Club, sadly, has attributed to much of Oxygen’s success. 

Can you be a fat actress? (part 2)

Fallen Chubby Champs (continued) 

FALLEN CHUBBY CHAMPS (CONTINUED) 

So I started this "Can you be a fat actress" post, with a specific structure in mind - Name the women that have succumbed to the pressures of the media to lose weight, then name those who haven't - "The Real Chubby Champs". But alas, my blog hit a snag when I realize there are no "Real Chubby Champs".... at least not anymore. Any women in television or the media that has made a name for herself, and at one point was considered chubby, has lost weight in order to fit in with what American society expects it's celebrities to look like. 

However in the middle of writing this blog I realize that I am not being fair. All these women I've listed below are amazing, and losing weight is not an easy task. Furthermore, I commend them for stepping into a realm bias for size two women, as themselves, and prevailing as full figured women.

The fact that they later lost weight does not diminish this accomplishment in any way. It does however speak to a bigger problem -A problem not with the women themselves wanting to lose weight, however a problem with society expecting them to. 

Every women wants to lose weight, in fact I'm on a diet at right now. This isn't a random fixation that we all have, but for most a need subliminally injected into our self-conscious. It's a poison imbedded in our minds -That we have to be thinner to be attractive. I'm not going to sit here and say this is "man's" fault for objectifying us and treating us like all were good for is sex, because at some point we have to take responsibility for ourselves. We as women feel inadequate because we measure ourselves up against other women. These other, thinner women do happen to be the object of a lot of men's desires and fantasies, but we helped put them there, by one day buying into the image of a skinny woman as perfection. We make the fashion and the trends and we determine what's sexy.

The kicker of it all is that the women that we have built up in the media as pictures of perfection and aspirations actually have to live up to these ideologies ( or attempt to),  a institution that has led to some adverse effects.  Cases of eating disorders and self esteem issues are all too common in TV land.

There are women in television that have spoke out about the affects of a life in the limelight and the pressure to be perfect (and thin).

Tracy Gold, of the hit 1980s Growing Pains, and Demi Lovato, of her own popular Disney sitcom Sonny with a Chance, both admittedly battled anorexia as a direct result of the pressure they felt from being on television. 

  

I'm not sure at what point we stopped believing that full figured women like Marylyn Monroe (who was a size 14) were sexy, but they do say that everything comes back around, in this case however I believe we're too brain washed to turn back now. I just find it a bit sad that most times we as women don't love ourselves for just who we are and that is what we truly need to get back to; A sense of self love.  

Jennifer Hudson

Queen LatifahAmerica Ferrera 

Kelly OsbourneStar Jones

Kristie Alley

Oprah Winfrey

Roseanne Barr

Can you be a Fat Actress?(part 1)

It isn't a secret that in Hollywood your looks are everything. It also isn't a secret that no matter how much we say "big is beautiful" no one really believes it. Or do they?
We can claim to have an appreciation for a nice round rump, and tummy rolls, but one of the only things that sells more than sex, is skinny people (and skinny people having sex I suppose).

Admittedly, our acceptance of 'round' people in the media has come a long way in the past 20 years, but no where near as far enough to accurately depict what real Americans look like. And I guess, who wants to see real Americans?

But as a women, I at least want to see women bold enough, fierce enough, to be in their own skin and love themselves, whether that's a size 5 or size 25. I want to look at the screen and see women who look like the people in my life, who beat out the skinny bitches that were considered prettier because of their waist size, even though they were less talented. The Chubby Champions.

For every 100th skinny bimbo however, there does arise a Chubby Champion, and then America gets to them, tells them they are fat and that they don't measure up (or down...?) to their peers, subsequently they are less famous than their thinner co-stars.

FALLEN CHUBBY CHAMPS  

One of the most recently fallen chubby champs, and inspirations for this blog is the ever so lovely Raven Symoné. Admittedly one of my idols, she gained her original success as Olivia on the Cosby show, and in the early 2000s the star of her own hit television show on the disney channel, That's So Raven. I recall reading plenty of interviews from Raven, in her, That's So Raven days, as well as many interviews prior. She was constantly harrassed by the media for her weight, however she never backed down - unwaivering she praised her curves , considering herself to be "thick and fabulous". So why in the hell did she lose all the weight?
When I first saw her pictures I was disappointed.
A bit of disappointment still lingers, however after Raven shared her weight loss secrets on The Wendy Williams show, I suppose I understand. (click either for video interview)
Raven states on the Wendy Williams, that her weight loss is attributed to her lack of stress. She goes on to explain that when she was 15, and the star of her own show, she was under a great deal of pressure, having to be the star of her own show. Raven states that while "normal 15 year olds were worried about who was going to invite them to the prom I was worried about like taxes and stuff". Which of course could put anyone under stress, then the added pressure of being a fifteen year old role model for thousands of young girls, probably didn't help. It does however seem convenient that her weight loss came around the same time as her new show launch on ABC's State of Georgia. Ironically however her character Georgia Chamberlain, is cast at Raven's original size, therefore she must wear padding for the part.
Hopefully the producers will keep the concept of the 'chunky' lead and Georgia won't have a sudden miracle drop in weight. 
As for Raven she sticks to her guns. ‘I was beautiful before I lost weight. Egotistically speaking, I thought I was amazing.’This is how all curvaceous girls should feel about their bodies. Sad to say I will miss the chubby Raven as a role model for chunky girls like myself, but now I suppose I have to learn how to  love Raven for what's inside, because that's what matters, Right? 

Actor's Corner: Danny Deadwyler

I had the unique privilege of having an interview with a very talented actress, Danielle 'Danny' Deadwyler. She most recently starred in Gospel Music Channel's (GMC), A Cross to Bear. 
As Erica, a very troubled alcoholic young mother.

Danny is a very well spoken talent, and I hope to see her in much more in the future. I hope you all enjoy reading this interview as much as I enjoyed giving it.

Interview with Danny Deadwyler

You received your BA in History from Spelman College and your MA in American Studies from Columbia University, neither, of which have much to do with acting.

So have you always had a passion for acting and performing? Or did you most recently develop this interest in college?

Performance art has always been a part of my life.  My mother put me in dance school at Marlene Rounds at five years old, which eventually lead to me being educated/performing with Gary Harrison Studios and Total Dance Theatre, which also included theatrical performance.  Artistic expression was always integral in my youth.  I just happened to also want to be aware of my world from a more critical, academic perspective/milieu.  I actually believe my academic background has balanced and deeply influenced my performance skill.  I think smart artists are imperative and that’s who and how I try to behave, perform daily.  It wasn’t until I was post-graduate school with a few years of professional work stuffed behind my ears did I definitively seek the life of a full-time actor/artist.

You have also done quite a bit of theatre, what aspects of your acting, if any, do you feel have carried over into acting for film and television?

I believe the core of the emotional connection to characters/entities stems from the same place- the emotion you create when live on stage or enduring take after take for a film or TV show is created from the same place in the brain.  However, you carry a greater volume of focus and adrenaline when you have to perform a role 8 times per week for the duration of the production (which can anywhere from 2-3 hours per night).  There is a different temporal experience from film/TV to theatre.  Both, I find liberating in the act of; they are different processes of connecting to your peers/cast and crew/production team.

What type of roles do you gravitate towards? Or do you let your roles gravitate toward you?

I’m not necessarily producing large-scale works of my own where I declare the roles I will perform.  So in the search to stay employed and working with companies/production companies I respect, I tend to gravitate towards what is most appealing to me, pending what kind of shows companies’ seek to produce.  I have a bit of a baby-face and look younger than I am-which some say is beneficial in this industry- therefore, I tend to get cast in youthful roles, teen or children, young adult/women.  And the personalities of the characters range from naïve/innocent to tomboyish to young and sexy.

I anticipate a bit more raw characters in my future, the down-trodden women, those redemptive women roles that are not squeaky clean.

What has been your favorite role thus far?

I cannot say I have had a favorite role.  There is something to being an actor, one who accepts everything about individuals or can easily see how someone can think like that, because that ‘s what we have to do in order to actually inhabit/imagine another person’s mind state.  You have to say yes to everything and everyone, and because of that I love everyone, imperfections near and far.

In the film, A Cross to Bear, you play Erica Moses, who from what I’ve gathered is a homeless drug addict with a 15-month-old child. What were some of your challenges coming into and preparing yourself for this role?

She wasn’t a drug addict. She was an alcoholic and a critically wounded young woman (which stemmed from childhood trauma and abandonment).  Challenges lie in preparing for the heartache you take on when embodying something like child death, repeated trauma.  Those were the difficulties of Erica’s life and you live with that headspace as long as you’re filming and for some time after.  I have a toddler son and utilizing sense memory to trigger certain performances were very difficult to recover from.  You learn to embrace a darkness and that’s not easily dispensable.

You worked with Kim Fields on the set of A Cross to Bear, an actress and director, who has been in the industry for over thirty years. How was that experience and did she give you any advice on acting or the industry?

It was great working with Kim.  On-set was more of an act of totally embracing the role.  She more-so taught by doing.  I learn by observation.  She showed me true professionalism.  How to maximize performance, vibe with the director, etc.

Separately from what Kim may have shared with you, what advice would you give to women wanting to get into the industry of film and television?

I would tell women interested in film and television to be completely wild, playful and free of heart.  This industry can be challenging, full of a difficult repetition of rejection.  However, wild hearts can function in a rich way in the industry though.  Also, create for yourself, with whatever resources you have.  Creativity is malleable and ad infinitum.

Disney = Girl Power Part 2

So what happened after Disney’s supposed unisex shows disappeared? They were all about the girl power. After Lizzie Mcguire (January 12, 2001 – February 14, 2004) came a slew of shows based around/about young girls, in various positions of power.

Kim Possible (June 7, 2002 – September 7, 2007)

An animated show about a crime stopping teenage girl aided by her best friend Ron, a bumbling clumsy teenage boy.

In addition to a catchy theme song, Kim Possible could do no wrong. Alright maybe she was a cartoon, but they made it a point to make her a powerful person equipped with semi-lethal gadgets and butt kicking moves. Opposite of her, was her side kick Ron, whose main attribute to the show, was shamelessly loving Kim, and his second best friend, Rufus, the naked mole rat.

That’s So Raven (January 17, 2003 – November 10, 2007)
A show about a teenage girl living in San Francisco, with psychic powers to see the future.

This comedy, whose situations were pretty outlandish and impossible, gave Raven Symoné, a great avenue to revamp her career. Before That’s So Raven, she was known more commonly for her role as Olivia of the Cosby show. Although not attracting her original fan base from The Cosby Show, she soon adopted fans of her own, from her attracted by her unique fashion sense, as well as her funny antics, reminiscent of Lucille Ball. Who of course is an original power women of comedy. 

Hannah Montanah (March 24, 2006 - January 16, 2011)

A show, starring Billy Ray Cyrus’ daughter, Miley Cyrus. It's concept: a country girl turned pop star, relocates to live a normal life, while still living the secret life of a pop star.

Another very impractical show, that was primarily built on the fact that Miley was not just an actress, but a singer. And from their an entire franchise was built. From Miley Cyrus dolls, to a clothing line, purses movies. You name it, "Hannah Montanah"  was probably on it. 

Those shows are just to name a few, but the trend definitely continued with shows such as ANT Farm, Shake it Up,  and Jessie that are currently on the air.

Other shows that may have been considered universal such as Suite Life of Zack and Cody and 

Wizards of Waverly Place, are just a facade. 

Suite Life of Zack and Cody, having two different show runs (suite life, and suite life on deck) excelled the careers of not one, not two, but three women of Disney. A show about two twin brothers who live with their mother in a hotel, then on a cruise ship, has them as the highlight, but they are most definitely out shined in the real world of stardom

Brenda Song defined the role of London Tipton. The ditzy heiress everyone loved to hate. She was self centered and a snob. But her ditziness was enduring, and she has become one of the most memorable characters Disney has ever had. Landing her more roles outside of Disney, such as in the Academy Award winning Social Network. I have a feeling there will be a lot more roles coming her way.

Ashley Tisdale playing the sensible Maddie. Before Suite Life who was Ashley Tisdale? Just another extra. However The Suite Life, at one point was shown concurrently with the very popular High School Musical, in which Ashley Tisdale was a lead. All this publicity launched her career, and she is now a star in the CW's Hellcats.








The third career is that of Debbie Ryan, who recently launched her own show, entitled Jessie. And where are the boys? Still on that Disney Cruise ship. Which, I'm sure is a nice ride, but not nearly as nice as Tisdales or Song's.


The Wizard's of Waverly Place, which appears to be about a family of wizards, is really just the Selena Gomez show. Just watch one episode, and you'll see what I mean. However, it is not unjustly so. She's beautiful and has a great sarcastic energy and charm. This is the kind of role traditionally given to boys. "The wise-cracking" sarcastic brother role if you will, however this time the roles are switched. This has also launched her career into different avenues such as film and look worthy singing career.

Disney = Girl Power Part 1

In today's over sexualized over exposed world, it's easy to point the blame at what's being presented in the media, and specifically to our youth. And who's usually the front-runner for getting slapped with the "your actors are setting a bad example, for our girls" stick? None other than the Disney Channel. But truth be told, I believe Disney does a great job of presenting positive role models for young girls in America. Sure, some of their stars have been alcoholics, anorexics, pornography stars, and grandma's, but that's not Disney's fault. (Some of the above descriptions are exaggerated, but you get it)

The young women chosen to star in Disney's shows are people just like you and I, and are going to make mistakes, they just so happen to be in the public eye and their mistakes are broadcast everywhere. Disney can't be with them every second to make sure they are representing the company properly at all times, what they can do however is control what is displayed on their own network, which they have done an immaculate job, as fair as representing women. Almost....actually, completely to the point of alienating young men. 

In the past 10 years Disney has changed it's program's drastically. In the early 2000, featuring shows that appealed to both sexes. 

The Jersey - September 24, 1999 – March 23, 2003 

A show about a magical Jersey that transported a group of suburban preteens into the bodies of their favorite athlete while wearing it. 

There show was majority boys, and one girl to balance them out. I believe the magical element is what made it unisex 

The Famous Jett Jackson- October 25, 1998 – June 22, 2003

A show about a famous teenage actor from a small town, who moves his entire show back to his small town in South Carolina to live a "normal" life

Sound familiar to any current Disney fans? Yeah, that's because it's the same premise as Disney's oh so popular Hannah Montana. But that's irrelevant. I enjoyed this show when I was younger, although it centered around a boy who was an action superstar 1) Because he was SOO cute 2) Because they threw in the whole "best friend love story" and 3) Because he was soo cute!

But the point is this show related to both girls and boys alike, but then, there came Lizzie McGuirre, it was then I believe Disney realized they had something. One of their most popular shows, I feel like they found their definitive market. Young Girls. 

From there there have been shows surrounding young boys, and that appear to market to them, but they don't ever quite hit the bar. 

Shows such as: 

Phil of the Future June 18, 2004 – August 19, 2006

A show about a boy whose family is from the future, however trapped in the present day. 

The shows lead is in fact about a boy and his awkward fight to fit in. However, the show slowly dissolved , like most teenage shows do, into a love story surrounding him and the girl next door, "Keely Teslow", played by Aly Michalka, who from there received plenty of attention from Disney and then some. First her own film with her younger sister, and endorsement for her music career and apparently her appeal spread. Soon after she gained a leading role on the CW's Hellcat's as well as credits as the 'best friend' role in Easy A, which was nominated for a Golden Globe. 

Another short lived 'masculine' show on the Disney Channel was the short lived 


Cory in the House January 12, 2007 – September 12, 2008
A spin off comedy about Corey Baxter, who moved from San Francisco to Washington D.C, with his father, who was hired as personal head chief to the president 


........................Alright, this show should have been called 'Raven's Little Brother'.... and really, who wants to watch an entire show about Raven's little brother. In fact, I bet if you pull up ratings, the episode that rated the highest was the one with Raven in it. I don't even know why they attempted this. 


As far as current Disney goes, current being in the last four years, the only shows that have been feature that have even the slightest bit of success for a unisex demographic would have to be Phineas and Ferb, which is a received great commercial success. Probably because there's nothing else on television quite like it. It has a very unique spunk, that I can't quite describe. 


The last of Disney's truly unisex live action comedy shows I would have to say was Even Stevens (June 17, 2000, to June 13, 2003). A show that truly held the appeal of the masses. It was above a slightly upperclass family in Sacramento, California, that centered around perfectionist sister, played by Christy Carlson Ramano, and a screw ball brother, played by Shia Labeouf. The only male thus far to come out of Disney commercially successful, staring in the multi million dollar Transformers series.

Women Behind the Scenes part 2- Debra Lee CEO of BET

As a black woman of today, conscious of how black people are viewed in the media and society in general, it is hard not to have a love hate relationship with the Black Entertainment Network (BET), especially during the early 2000s.

 I still remember watching BET’s infamous UNCUT, which featured edgy, almost pornographic music videos, late at night. Granted I was young, there are some images you don’t soon forget. Like a young black girl in a thong, no thicker than floss, shaking her ass to a song called Butter Face, whose lyrics comments on a girls appearance; suggesting ‘everything looks good BUT-HER FACE”. Crude? Yes. Disrespectful to African American Women? Most definitely. But who was to blame? Debra Lee, the CEO of multi-billion dollar network trying to make ratings or the audience keeping the ratings of this controversial programming up?

 A bigger question, how is it that one markets to an audience, like the black community, and please every one? Lifetime and Oxygen knows their audience is women. TNT focuses on action, SPIKE TV on men. So how is it that someone targets an audience brought together only by race?

 This is an issue Debra Lee, shares with Forbes, she struggled significantly with in the past. She not only represents herself, but an entire race.

 Many black affiliated organizations were up in arms over BET’s Uncut and many of their other music video programming like it. So much so that they picketed in from of Lee’s house. Graduating from Brown University, and Harvard law, Lee admits that often times she must take her mind set away from being a lawyer, and think about what is best for the company. She came into her role as CEO of BET, not intentionally, but from working her way up as part of a young BET’s law department. She also comments that it is a bad day in BET when she is thinking of original programming, because this is not what she does.

 There was a time, sad to say, that I avoided BET all together. However in the past few years there has been a considerable change in the programming. Lee states that BET now has a new standard. “Our programming filter now is: It has to have a message, can’t be derogatory and has to show positive images. That doesn’t mean that it’s unreal or fake” Lee states, that they still need to keep their ratings, and try to be as real as possible. They don’t aim to be the “Black PBS”. In particular I enjoy their formally CW, adopted half hour comedy-drama, The GAME - A fictional show focusing on football players and the women in their lives.

In growing up, I often found myself being one of the only black people in the room. I remember thinking I had to act a certain way, talk a certain way, to counter the image that was being portrayed of African Americans, through programming such as BET. Ironically, while I was trying not to be seen as a stereotype, Debra Lee was trying create positive images of African Americans with entertainment. Does the fact that I struggled with presenting a good image, because of part of her programming mean that she wasn't doing her job well enough?  Or is that just a problem with our society, in which we accept a culture as one way.

I commend Debra Lee because representing an entire race is not an easy feat, and I do enjoy the many positive reinforcements of black culture recently airing on BET, such as Black Girls Rock, and BET Honors, award shows honoring African Americans portraying positive images of our community.