Random Thought Of The Day | There From Here

Attend the Premiere Screening of “Walk With Me” at the Arena Stage

January 31, 2012 By Chanelle Schneider Leave a Comment

Margaret Mead said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”

Four years ago Tanisha Christie and Ellie Walton started on the path to creating a documentary fraught with inspiring tales of thoughtful, committed citizens who believed in their power to create change.

On Thursday, February 2, 2012 the completed project, “Walk With Me”, will have its first screening at the Arena Stage in Washington, DC at 8pm.

Against the backdrop of historical moments of social change, “Walk With Me” is an expressionistic documentary that follows three women who use theater to inspire, stir and animate our democracy. Journeying with them while they work in prisons, community centers and schools, we see how theater can ask and answer critical questions: How do we fight injustice? How do we reclaim our personal and collective history? And, how do we inspire positive change in each other? “Walk With Me” shares that the personal creative act is a political one revealing that one person – one artist – can make a difference.

This may be the first screening of this film, but these two ladies are not newcomers to this world. Ellie Walton recently received the Mayor’s Arts Award for Outstanding Achievement in Arts within the Washington, DC community. Tanisha Christie spent many years in the Washington, DC community as an actor-educator-director. She was formerly the Assistant Director at DC’s Living Stage Theater Company/Arena Stage. She now lives in New York. Both were inspired to make this film by their mentor, the late Rebecca Rice who is featured in the film.

Check out the “Walk With Me” trailer

Walk With Me Teaser from Ellie Walton on Vimeo.

Suggested ticket price is $20 but no one will be turned away. Please pay what you can.
Seats are limited, so please RSVP here to reserve a seat: ayaartsandmedia@gmail.com

Q & A will follow the screening.

The Mead Center for American Theater (Arena Stage) is located at 1101 6th Street, SW, Washington, DC 20024 or the Waterfront-SEU Station on the Green Line.

Filed Under: featured, Random Thought Of The Day

Generation Y: Welcome Back Home?

August 22, 2011 By Chanelle Schneider 3 Comments

The following is a guest post by Cristin McGrath.

I’ve always been proud of my independence and ambition. I never thought I’d consider moving back home. My senior year of high school was the last time I lived with my parents for more than a few days. As of August I’m back for a return engagement.

Society has attached a nasty stigma to the notion of adult children living with their parents. After college it seemed most of my friends flew right back to their comfy, cheap nests when the job market was still poor, when their dream firms didn’t extend offers, when their chosen fields and expected salaries didn’t materialize. I, on the other, less frugal hand, took an internship that didn’t pay me nearly enough to afford my studio apartment in West Philadelphia (or life alone, in general). While I was technically living under the poverty line, I saw stars – literally and figuratively – during my stint as an intern with the Philadelphia Eagles. The brand recognition I earned from working with a professional sports team was too impressive to pass up.

After the internship’s honeymoon phase wore off, I realized student loans didn’t care about brand recognition and whether or not I saw literal or figurative stars. My loan obligations were steadily piling up while I earned less as a literal and figurative star-seeing intern than a Burger King cashier. Something didn’t add up. I decided enough was enough and began the stressful and disheartening task of finding a new job. The figurative stars later aligned perfectly as a contact I met via Twitter told me of an opening with an agency. I’d finally found a new job and a spot above the poverty line.

Three unpaid college internships and countless student loans did their damage, however. My new salary and benefits still don’t allow me to save money and continue with my lifestyle, already something less than extravagant. Asking my parents for help was the last thing I wanted to do, as my independence has always been important to me. Fortunately, they both recognized my struggle with poverty-ridden pride and offered the move home as a temporary solution (the “temporary” is my addition).

I have established a January 1, 2012 deadline to move out (again), to reestablish my independence. By then I will have a nest egg and be ready to kick myself out of my parents’ nest. A timeline for my departure is the only way I can mentally prepare myself for my return to the nest. I wanted to do it all on my own, and will, but us GenY’ers must know when our time in the wild has proven too dangerous to continue alone. The global economy is in distress. Debt – the country’s, our parents’, ours – is threatening our ability to take flight. So don’t be discouraged if the nest beckons. It’s warm and welcoming there.

The preceding was a guest post by Cristin McGrath.

Cristin McGrath is a creative and passionate communications specialist with experience across both traditional and emerging media. Her young but vibrant career has focused on building brand images for impressive organizations across the music, entertainment, technology, and sports industries — her expertise in the fields of social media and events management has enabled her to successfully aid in the operation of press departments with the Philadelphia Eagles, Sony Music Entertainment, MTV Networks and Dell. Most recently, she has transitioned into the world of agency PR with Vault Communications.

Cristin graduated in 2010 from Temple University with a BA in Strategic and Organizational Communication. She will be living (temporarily, of course) in the Poconos with her parents until January 2012.

Filed Under: Guest Posts, Stories Tagged With: generation Y, GenY, linkedin, living at home

#GenYChat 6/22/11 Guest Host: @UndecidedBook

June 22, 2011 By Chanelle Schneider Leave a Comment

Topic: Indecisiveness

Is it better to think with your heart or with your head? When trying to come to a conclusion about a heart-wrenching decision, the moment of pause always comes immediately after you’ve set your mind on a solution. “But what if…?” “And, if I do that, then…?” You ponder and ponder and ponder only to decide to do…nothing. Why is it so hard to make one decision? Not every decision is heart-wrenching, of course. However, the ones that are make coming to one set resolution very difficult for a variety of reasons.

“When asked if they had decided NOT to buy a product or service in the past year because they disagreed with the social or political values of the company that provides that product or service, roughly a third of Millennials (35%), Gen Xers (34%), and Boomers (36%) say they had boycotted a company in the past year.” Source: MILLENNIALS: A Portrait of Generation Next

Making a decision is always contingent upon a choice. Choice implies two or more distinct possibilities for a resolution. More often than not the choice is between a rational and an irrational resolution – the decision you should make versus the decision you want to make. In cases where more than two options are present, decision-making becomes that much harder.

Is it really this hard, though? Are we just making excuses in order to justify taking a longer time to get to the decision we knew we were going to make? Do we really have to try on every pair of taupe high heel in the store?

Where do we learn our decision-making skills? Is someone at fault? Did Boomers and Generation X raise children (Generation Y and Generation Z) who are tragically indecisive?

“Millennials often prefer to make no decision than the wrong decision. I think it has to do with fear of closing doors on possible opportunities more than indecisiveness, per se.” Source: Bah, Humbug! Why Are Millennials So Cheap?

Guest Host!

Shannon and Barbara Kelley co-authored “Undecided“, a book that explores the role choices have in our decision-making. Shannon will be serving as guest host in #GenYChat tonight at 9pm ET where we will discuss the following questions:

Q1. What steps does a woman take to make a decision versus the steps a man takes? #GenYChat

Q2. When making a retail purchase, what impacts your decision-making? #GenYChat

Q3. Have you ever decided to do something against your better judgment? What was the result? #GenYChat

Q4. How do societal or cultural expectations of you affect your decision-making? #GenYChat

Q5. How are your decisions affected by what impact they will have on future generations? #GenYChat

Q6. There is knowing better and doing better. What is scary about doing better? #GenYChat

Q7. How do you decide it’s time to either forgive a friend or let them go? #GenYChat

Q8. How does teaching a child that they can have it all affect their decision-making as an adult? #GenYChat

Q9. Is there anything that you can chase that will make you happier once you have it? #GenYChat

How to Participate in #GenYChat on Twitter

If you haven’t participated in the chat before, but have insights to share, please do the following to participate:

If using Twitter.com:

Type “#genychat” into the search field
Reply and ReTweet but add “#genychat” onto your tweets in order for everyone participating to see your tweets

If using TweetChat:

Sign in through OAuth. (note: Please read this information about using OAuth to give third party applications access to your account)
Type “genychat” into the search field (The “#” is already provided)
Click Go
Reply and ReTweet. TweetChat puts the hashtag in for you so you don’t have to

If using TweetDeck:

Click the + symbol to add a column
Type “#genychat” into the search field. A column will appear as the last column in your TweetDeck
Using the left arrow button, move it next to your Mentions column to better see and respond to your replies while in the chat
Click the Settings button
Click on the Twitter tab
Click on Auto include hashtags when replying
Click Save settings
Reply and ReTweet. TweetDeck puts the hashtag in for you so you don’t have to. (Note: You still have to add “#genychat” onto your own tweets in order for everyone participating to see your tweets)

#GenYChat begins at 9pm ET! Get in early for introductions and mingling. See you there!

Filed Under: GenYChat Topics

#GenYChat 6/15/11: @CoachJennie Discusses Living Audaciously

June 15, 2011 By Chanelle Schneider Leave a Comment

“Who would have thought the kids would start taking over so soon? Or that they would even want to? They were supposed to be slackers, cynics, drifters. But don’t be fooled by their famous pose of repose. Lately, more and more of them are prowling tirelessly for the better deal, hunting down opportunities that will free them from the career imprisonment that confined their parents. They are flocking to technology start-ups, founding small businesses and even taking up causes–all in their own way. They are making waves on the Web, making movies in and out of Hollywood, making money, spending money.”

Read more

The article goes on to say: “Slapped with the label Generation X, they’ve turned the tag into a badge of honor. They are X-citing, X-igent, X-pansive. They’re the next big thing. Boomers, beware! It’s payback time.”

Read more

Thought that was about Generation Y, didn’t you? Stepping back into the archives of Time magazine will show that each generation is described in much the same way. Each generation is lazier than those prior; each generation is more dedicated to living the lives their parents didn’t live; and, each generation is wont to cast off the stereotypes put on them by previous generations.

The proliferation of these stereotypes causes the eye-rolling, the *sighs*, and the “get off my lawn” mentality that prevent healthy communication. When we are trying to determine who we will become in life, the people we should speak with are those that have been there. Jennie Mustafa-Julock (@CoachJennie on Twitter) understands how healthy communication can spur ambition. The Audacity Coach, Jennie helps people who “…know what [they] want, but this ain’t it.”

Jennie, often a participant, will be serving as guest host in tonight’s #GenYChat. We will discuss the following questions:

Q1. What do you want to be when you “grow up”? Is that what you do now? #genychat

Q2. What’s your top-secret/so-not-telling/seriously-don’t-make-me-say-it AUDACIOUS DREAM? #genychat

Q3. Is having an AUDACIOUS DREAM an example of #GenY entitlement? If so, is that okay? #genychat

Q4. If money/time/family pressure/gravitational forces were NO object, how would you achieve your DREAM? #genychat

Q5. If your friends or family provide support along the way, do they get a say in your choices? Why or why not? #genychat

Q6. What excuses do people make that sabotage their DREAMS? #genychat

Q7. Which is scarier: Fear of Success or Fear of Failure? Why? #genychat

Q8. How do you push through the procrastination + fear to actualize your DREAM? #genychat

Q9. How can you show that you are ready + willing to do whatever-it-takes to achieve your dream? #genychat

How to Participate in #GenYChat on Twitter

If you haven’t participated in the chat before, but have insights to share, please do the following to participate:

If using Twitter.com:

Type “#genychat” into the search field
Reply and ReTweet but add “#genychat” onto your tweets in order for everyone participating to see your tweets

If using TweetChat:

Sign in through OAuth. (note: Please read this information about using OAuth to give third party applications access to your account)
Type “genychat” into the search field (The “#” is already provided)
Click Go
Reply and ReTweet. TweetChat puts the hashtag in for you so you don’t have to

If using TweetDeck:

Click the + symbol to add a column
Type “#genychat” into the search field. A column will appear as the last column in your TweetDeck
Using the left arrow button, move it next to your Mentions column to better see and respond to your replies while in the chat
Click the Settings button
Click on the Twitter tab
Click on Auto include hashtags when replying
Click Save settings
Reply and ReTweet. TweetDeck puts the hashtag in for you so you don’t have to. (Note: You still have to add “#genychat” onto your own tweets in order for everyone participating to see your tweets)

#GenYChat begins at 9pm ET! Get in early for introductions and mingling. See you there!

Filed Under: GenYChat Topics, Random Thought Of The Day Tagged With: career, failure, family, fear, GenY, genychat, get a job, get there from here, help, job search, linkedin, middle class, motivation, my passion, parents, success

One Drink Stands: How Do You Date in the Digital Age?

April 12, 2011 By Chanelle Schneider Leave a Comment

MTV Skins Episode

Would Baby Boomers (ages 47-65) balk at the sexual mores of Generation Y (ages 18-30)? Baby Boomers who came of age during the Summer of Love in 1967 expressed a desire to shed the traditions of their parents and freely love who they wanted, when they wanted. Some argue that this revolution resulted in an attitude of sexual entitlement by men. Deny them and be considered a tease or a prude.

Generation X would pay for their prior generation’s promiscuity in the form of Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD’s). The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) officially recognized AIDS in 1981. While some of the Boomers at the tail end of the generational timeline were giving their love away, unprotected, the GenX’ers were jumping on the contraceptives bandwagon. The notion that “wrapping it up” could prevent unwanted childbirth put even more pressure on women to “give up the rhythm”. Still, listening to the music of the time, one could argue that men were, at least, romantic. This is less true today.

Since it takes more than a professional life to be a whole person, I’m so glad that @ShannonRenee, a relationship marketing professional, agreed to be this week’s #GenYChat guest host to talk about her experiences as a self-proclaimed serial dater.

I’m 42. I’ve been dating for 26 years. I’ve dated short, tall and everything in between. I’ve dated Black, white, Latin and some more. I’ve dated fine-as-hell, unattractive and alright. I’ve dated rich, poor and making it middle class. I’ve dated MD, MBA, PhD, BS, JD and GED. I’ve dated preppy, dandy, thug, biker and bohemian. I’ve met men in church, at work, the book store and the car wash. Men have hit on me at bars & restaurants, the theater and night clubs. I’ve speed-dated for 3, 8 and 10 minutes. I’ve done Single Volunteers and online dating. My family has set me up and friends have fixed me up. And with all of this…I could’ve had a V-8 and saved myself time, energy, money and heartache.

Whereas men once courted women, came to their door, met their parents, and made you feel special, now you’re lucky if you can get them to put their iPhone down long enough to start a conversation. Is dating in the Digital Age made more or less difficult by Social Media? Can you trust the people you flirt with? How long do you have to “know” them before you start flirting? What if things go bad?

According to one report on TheTechJournal, more than 20 percent of an online divorce lawyers case list was because of an affair that started on Facebook. However, not all of them involve sexual relations, “The most common reason seemed to be people having inappropriate sexual chats with people they were not supposed to. Source

As Generation Y comes of age and looks for love as every generation that has come before, the common gripe is that men want one thing and women make it too hard to get it. Divorce rates are increasing and people under 30 are prolonging their education and delaying marriage. With the proliferation of men getting caught cheating on their wives, many women are left wondering if it even makes sense to marry. Should we just go from relationship to relationship, distancing ourselves from our biological instincts to settle down and have children? Or, does it make more sense to be uncommitted and free?

Shannon says, This mindset, saving or waiting for a husband before this or that is silly.

What do men think about relationships?

This is just a sampling of tweets that caught my eye from men on Twitter. It does not reflect the entirety of male opinion.

There is a discussion about relationships every day on my Twitter stream, so let’s bring the conversation to #GenYChat on Wednesday, 4/13 at 9pm ET. Keep in mind that #GenYChat is for all ages; and, we welcome the insights of every generation so that we may learn from one another.

Leave a comment and let us know which of the following questions you’d like to discuss during the main portion of the chat from 9PM-10PM ET. We will select 8 questions for the main hour.

Every man’s favorite question: Why are you still single?
What is your definition of a friend?
Are you looking for a long term relationship? Why or why not?
Are there different types of dating?
Does emotional intimacy matter? What is the difference between sex and love?
If you’re not attracted to someone, can you *just* be their friend?
You’ve said Happiness is not your end goal in life. What is your end goal in life?
Are you happy even when you’re not dating?
You discuss personal topics sometimes. Why don’t you protect your tweets?
Have you ever been in love?
Have you dated/Would you date someone you met from Twitter?
Have you ever looked for love on Twitter?
How can someone you’re interested in dating gain your trust?
Are we too focused on finding love?
Have you ever lost interest in someone based on their social media habits?
What is the biggest mistake we make in trying to find love?
Do you still believe in love?
What role do women play in making relationships harder?
What do men and women do on Twitter that are major turn-offs?
What do the movies get wrong about relationships?
What happens in Vegas stays on…Facebook? How do you handle dating in the Digital Age?
What does it take to get married and stay married?
How do you feel about women approaching men?
Is the quality of conversation on dating websites the same as Twitter?
Social flirting. Do you engage.? Do you still flirt if you’re already dating?
How much is too much online interaction with the opposite sex?

Filed Under: GenYChat Topics Tagged With: Boomer, dating, GenX, GenY, genychat, relationships

Non-Profits and Social Media – GenYChat Topic 1/19/11

January 17, 2011 By Chanelle Schneider 2 Comments

For this week’s #GenYChat on Non-Profits and Social Media you are getting insight into the questions ahead of time, as well as resources to aid in the discussion. #GenYChat is at 9pm ET on Wednesday 1/19.

According to a survey done by Ventureneer and Caliber,

• Nonprofits using social media have more tolerance for failure. Trying something new, even something as widely used as social media, usually involves some risk and those unwilling to risk failure are unwilling to try social media.
• Nonprofits that aren’t using social media generally do not describe themselves as innovators. They are more likely to let others test something new before they try it.
• Nonprofits that aren’t using social media are more likely to be organizations that want a
rock-solid case for any new undertaking

Social Media Today also provided an analysis of a Non-Profit Benchmarking Report noting that:

Looking at how survey respondents use commercial social networks, the most popular role is for traditional marketing—to promote the non-profit’s brand, programs, events or services—with 92.5% of survey respondents indicating this role as the purpose of their presence on commercial social networks.
The second most popular role is for fundraising (45.9%). Program delivery (34.5%) and market research (24.3%) via the social network are utilized, but less frequently.

Special Guest Host!

Trained in Public Relations, Keisha J. Reed decided that she wanted to make a bigger impact on the community that she resides in and work for the nonprofit sector. A product of nonprofit programs that impact inner-city children, she understands the importance of the presence of these programs because they helped introduce her to arts and culture. Martha’s Table, Say Yes and Girl Scouts are just some of the programs that Reed has contributed to.

Questions

Q1. What is the benefit of social media for non-profits? #genychat
Q2. Is there a difference in business strategy for non-profits vs. for-profit organizations? #genychat
Q3. Does the “fearless” stereotype work in favor of GenY’ers in the non-profit industry? #genychat
Q4. How can a consultant explain the monetary value in investing in social media to a non-profit? #genychat
Q5. How can non-profits appeal to each generation without pandering to them? #genychat
Q6. What metrics determine the success of a non-profit’s social media engagement? #genychat

How to Participate in #GenYChat on Twitter

If you haven’t participated in the chat before, but have insights to share, please do the following to participate:

If using Twitter.com:

Type “#genychat” into the search field
Reply and ReTweet but add “#genychat” onto your tweets in order for everyone participating to see your tweets

If using TweetChat:

Sign in through OAuth. (note: Please read this information about using OAuth to give third party applications access to your account)
Type “genychat” into the search field (The “#” is already provided)
Click Go
Reply and ReTweet. TweetChat puts the hashtag in for you so you don’t have to

If using TweetDeck:

Click the + symbol to add a column
Type “#genychat” into the search field. A column will appear as the last column in your TweetDeck
Using the left arrow button, move it next to your Mentions column to better see and respond to your replies while in the chat
Click the Settings button
Click on the Twitter tab
Click on Auto include hashtags when replying
Click Save settings
Reply and ReTweet. TweetDeck puts the hashtag in for you so you don’t have to. (Note: You still have to add “#genychat” onto your own tweets in order for everyone participating to see your tweets)

Filed Under: GenYChat Topics Tagged With: genychat

Mentors: Boomers, Gen X, and Gen Y Discuss Benefits on GenYChat 1/12/11

January 12, 2011 By Chanelle Schneider Leave a Comment

GenYChat Topic 1/12/11

#GenYChat is tonight at 9pm ET. We will be discussing mentorships with a specific focus on their benefits to each generation. With the evolving workplace many professionals are scrambling to understand, train, and retain new talent. Mentors are the key to that process. Without someone experienced in the company to provide insight and guidance, new hires are left to find a way on their own, which can have advantages and disadvantages.

A 2008 Spherion Emerging Workforce Study found that only 43 percent of workers felt job satisfaction. Further,

Training and continuing education are cornerstones to retaining top talent. Workers’ success depends on how many new skills they can develop along their career path. This may include classroom instruction, lunch and learns, or mentoring programs where workers can learn from one another. Mentoring can also be a part of the on-boarding process, which can kick off a new employees’ educational path, and allows mature employees to share their knowledge and experience with future leaders of the company.

The Spherion Emerging Workforce Study reveals top drivers for retention, and although healthcare benefits (78%) and compensation (75%) are viewed as the most crucial to retaining employees, according to surveyed workers, retention is more than salary and benefits. Employees need to believe that they are part of the fabric of their employer’s workplace culture, while achieving their career goals and building a satisfying career path.

Special Guest Host!

Mark Babbitt is a passionate advocate for emerging Gen Y talent, entrepreneurship and mutually beneficial mentor relationships. Babbitt is Founder and CEO of YouTern where future business leaders find mentors among today’s dynamic innovators. A lifelong entrepreneur, mentor and speaker, Mark’s diverse background includes two successful online recruiting start-ups and a decade of experience as CEO of a Silicon Valley marketing firm.

How to Participate in #GenYChat on Twitter

If you haven’t participated in the chat before, but have insights to share, please do the following to participate:

If using Twitter.com:

Type “#genychat” into the search field
Reply and ReTweet but add “#genychat” onto your tweets in order for everyone participating to see your tweets

If using TweetChat:

Sign in through OAuth. (note: Please read this information about using OAuth to give third party applications access to your account)
Type “genychat” into the search field (The “#” is already provided)
Click Go
Reply and ReTweet. TweetChat puts the hashtag in for you so you don’t have to

If using TweetDeck:

Click the + symbol to add a column
Type “#genychat” into the search field. A column will appear as the last column in your TweetDeck
Using the left arrow button, move it next to your Mentions column to better see and respond to your replies while in the chat
Click the Settings button
Click on the Twitter tab
Click on Auto include hashtags when replying
Click Save settings
Reply and ReTweet. TweetDeck puts the hashtag in for you so you don’t have to. (Note: You still have to add “#genychat” onto your own tweets in order for everyone participating to see your tweets)

Filed Under: GenYChat Topics Tagged With: genychat

Haiti365: Remembering the 2010 Haiti Earthquake One Year Later

January 10, 2011 By Chanelle Schneider 1 Comment

The 2010 Haiti earthquake was a catastrophic magnitude 7.0 Mw earthquake, with an epicentre near the town of Léogâne, approximately 25 km (16 miles) west of Port-au-Prince, Haiti’s capital. The earthquake occurred at 16:53 local time (21:53 UTC) on Tuesday, 12 January 2010. By 24 January, at least 52 aftershocks measuring 4.5 or greater had been recorded. An estimated three million people were affected by the quake;[8] the Haitian government reported that an estimated 230,000 people had died, 300,000 had been injured and 1,000,000 made homeless. They also estimated that 250,000 residences and 30,000 commercial buildings had collapsed or were severely damaged.

One of the best aspects of Twitter is the ability to gather voices globally on one topic. Many events have brought together my oft divided Twitter timeline, but the 2010 earthquake in Haiti was especially unifying. Nowhere but on Twitter could you find so many people discussing the tragic events of that day. In order to stay up to date, I followed @RAMHaiti that day. I never stopped following and feel as though Haiti has always been in my thoughts.

There is so much that still needs to be done for the people of Haiti. How many more donations to Yele will it take? How did the donations help?

It’s easy to be skeptical of online activism campaigns, though. Some will argue that it’s taking the easy way out. Some will say that someone who goes to Haiti cares more than someone who texts in a $5 donation. They may have a point, but I believe that it’s better to have many $5 donations that can provide the aid needed than a few people on the ground.

UNICEF is promoting the Haiti 365 program to give a voice to Haitian children, the next generation who are taking on adult responsibilities now. Many have uploaded a video message pledging their support.

DONATE

$10 – a year’s supply of water purification tablets

It can be difficult to have politically charged conversations on Twitter. Objectivity is not always present. I hope the one year anniversary of the Haiti earthquake doesn’t devolve into battles of words and is, instead, remembered with reverence.

Filed Under: Random Thought Of The Day Tagged With: Haiti365

OWN – The Oprah Winfrey Network Will Not be a Ratings Failure

January 1, 2011 By Chanelle Schneider 1 Comment

Peter Lauria made a prediction about the success of Oprah Winfrey’s OWN Network.

OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network will be a ratings failure.

As powerful and beloved as Oprah Winfrey is, one person does not a network make—unless you are Keith Olbermann and MSNBC, but that’s another story altogether. Already there’s been a lot of attention surrounding the Jan. 1 launch of OWN, most of it related to the managerial, financial, and programming problems that have beset the network since its conception in 2007. It’s easy for people to “live their best life,” as Oprah’s motto goes, an hour a day, or even on their own time when they can read O magazine, but no one has the stamina to be their best selves 24 hours a day, seven days a week. And Oprah and Discovery Communications, the talk show host’s partner in the network, didn’t launch OWN for it to be a mid-tier cable channel. They want it to be B-I-G. It won’t be. Despite launching in 85 million homes, the widest distribution ever for a cable network debut, Caris & Company Analyst David Miller expects OWN to lose $25 million this year and not reach breakeven until mid-2013. On the ratings front, our bet is that OWN won’t be a top 30-rated cable network at year’s end.

I couldn’t be more disappointed to read this right now. While many detractors will ask why a new year has to bring on new changes, many see a new year as an opportunity to shed the failures of the previous year and move on to success. A new year is akin to starting back at one. It’s not just a new month. It’s a new month in a new year where you get to set the course for meaningful change. If nothing else, think of a new year as a placebo that makes you act like you’re healed. I stand firm in my belief that this year will bring more changes to our global culture than we could ever imagine.

Few motivational quotes and feel-good trite statements about my power within actually get me to take action to improve my life. It’s for this reason that I am ridiculously excited for this network and its shows. Viewers will have an opportunity to learn from others who have been where we are. We will get 24 hour access to stories about how we can get there from here.

There has been a pall over television for some time now. Scripted and unscripted Reality TV has dominated our culture, but very few shows have represented my reality. Television executives are doing a disservice to those of us who still believe in the power of people. As her shows evolved, Oprah Winfrey represented someone who believed in positivity and had the power to make it happen. The OWN network is her step forward and the legacy she will leave on us.

It is time to move on from programming geared toward our animal instincts. The OWN network will fail because no one has the stamina to be their best self all day, every day?? I hurt for you and your jaded disbelief in the human ability to reach into ourselves and be the good people that we are innately. The years between 2001-2010 turned me into the worst version of myself. I lost faith in people. I stopped believing in love. I disconnected from all emotion because it hurt too much.

I hope young people will watch OWN because, like #genychat, we will be able to learn from the generations that came before us. Besides, almost all of the programming that is geared towards our age group belittles our generation. The most popular shows don’t speak to our ability to be better people. They don’t teach us about saving money, or show people struggling in their college courses. They show people partying, being disrespectful, fighting, drinking, and having anonymous sex. I am sick of the whole genre.

You can find the OWN network channel using the Channel Finder.

In 2011 I will make changes every day, all day to be the best version of myself again. The next ten years of my life will be better because I’ve decided to own my life and take it where it’s supposed to go.

If You Really Knew Me is one of the amazing shows that, if MTV keeps it on the air, has the potential to change even more lives.

If You Really Knew Me – MTV Shows

Like a reality version of The Breakfast Club, each episode of If You Really Knew Me takes place at a different high school, and follows five students from different cliques as they go through the life-changing experience of Challenge Day, a one-day program that breaks down the walls between cliques, and completely changes the way students view their school and each other. Watch the amazing transformation each week as new students open up for the first time and try to change by revealing who they really are, behind the cliques and the labels. Is it possible to change your life, and maybe even your high school, in one day? These students are going to find out… on If You Really Knew Me.

Filed Under: Random Thought Of The Day Tagged With: get there from here, OWN

BloggerSaturday – List of This Week’s Blog Posts

December 18, 2010 By Chanelle Schneider Leave a Comment

It’s that time once again for this week’s roundup of blog posts that caught my eye on everything GenY. Look at that; I made a rhyme. Lol. [Read more...]

Filed Under: BloggerSaturday Tagged With: blogchat, genychat