Clay Shirky argues (I think wisely) for the idea that we are growing as an international (first world?) society is growing into one where we will stop just watching media, and will expect to be interactive with our media. He thinks the wave’s about [...]]]> This is via Making Light, who in turn got it from Warren Ellis.

Clay Shirky argues (I think wisely) for the idea that we are growing as an international (first world?) society is growing into one where we will stop just watching media, and will expect to be interactive with our media. He thinks the wave’s about to break.

Video and transcript behind the cut.

Video (embedded – obviously):

Transcript.

There’s a new show on Lifetime that actually makes me want to watch it, because while it seems like it might focus on hourglass women, it also focuses on real bodies, real women, and the host, Carson Kressley, and [...]]]> Got this via my friends’ shared Google Reader items, who got it via a The Pretty Pear post.

There’s a new show on Lifetime that actually makes me want to watch it, because while it seems like it might focus on hourglass women, it also focuses on real bodies, real women, and the host, Carson Kressley, and the rest of the show (editing, certainly, though I’m not of sure the agenda of all the creative talents involved) make it a priority to get the women involved in the show to love their bodies. In the premier episode, which you can watch online on the linked site (How To Look Good Naked). Layla starts out talking about losing weight (40 lbs) and ends up (after 5 days with the host), modelling nude and asking folks to rate her nude picture (a picture with all bits hidden but curves accentuated) on the street, to her face, albeit with cameras on them, so I assume most of these strangers were on good behavior. Also, she ends up saying that she plans to diet no more, which is a bonus.

Given the 30 minutes or so of the premier, there were no really heinous language or concept gaffs I saw, and mostly it was about a pretty woman overcoming society-instilled self-imposed and internalized barriers to looking and feeling hot (which reminded me a lot of the kinds of things misia has taught in her body-acceptance classes, though obviously done up for TV and Hollywood with a bit of extra glam/flash). It is a reality show, though, so be prepared for the host/show taking some privacy liberties that would have pretty much anyone not used to the lens and the stage crawling out of their skins with anxiety. I assume that she signed away rights to control of her image to at least a certain extent when deciding to participate in the show at all.

Also, beware that the language is not as overall empowering and supportive in the flash interface that talks about overall fashion sensibility (though I’ve never really been impressed with the fashion world in general that way). I don’t remember the host talking this way to Layla in the premier video, but the flash fashion guide for different body types does use the phrases “problem area” and “slimming” in a lot of the copy. Not as good a job as the video clip.

Overall, I was quite impressed by the premier. A solid, good effort, with no gaffs I saw. I am curious as to whether the whole show will be as accepting/empowering.