Dear Ricki Lake Show,
I am writing this blog letter in response to a twitter message I received from you earlier this week. You asked me what it would take for me to change my views on your show. You asked. It took me a minute. But I have an answer.
I am a stay at home mom to 3 crazy kids. My husband is a firefighter/paramedic and I work as an ICU nurse part time on the weekends. I am also working on my Master Degree. Yep. I'm nuts. I know.
My days are filled with Spongebob Square Pants, Sesame Street, algebra homework, alphabet practice, children's books, and a whole lot of love. Every now and then, in the middle of my insane day, I find a few minutes of quiet to myself. Sometimes, I like to channel surf.
On November 6th at approximately 1:19pm central time, I found myself sitting on my couch, sipping coffee and enjoying the peace and quiet that came with nap time. I flipped on the TV and started surfing. I came across your show and was immediatley disappointed. You see, while mother nature was destroying lives on the east coast and America was discussing it's immediate future with Election2012- you were having a pajama party. It seemed a little out of touch. Now, I will admit, my disappointment didn't allow me to watch for more than a minute. That's what lead to my twitter comment about your show.
~When did Ricki Lake get another shot at a talk show? It was a mess the first time around. Now we have to bare witness again? #WTF
Was my comment a little harsh. Yeah. But that's me. I'm pretty raw. I'm even more sarcastic. My husband tells me I need a filter. Its something I'm constantly working on. Sorry.
I cant tell you the last time I sat and watched a talk show. Mainly, because- like I mentioned before, my days are filled with other things. But. I do feel like there are plenty of talk shows on TV that do nothing to better anybody. In fact, most of them suck. Don't get me wrong. I like me some sucky TV every now and then. Its just, there is plenty of crap already available. Why not be better?
Why not focus on "real" reality? Real people. Real stories. Real issues. Real conversations.
As a woman, as a mother- I want to teach my children about compassion, charity, love, service, hard work, and dedication. I want to teach them to value education. I want them to ask tough questions. I want them to explore new ideas. I want my sons to respect women. I want my daughter to look up to me. I want to be a role model. I don't think pajama parties teach those lessons.
We as women are way more capable then pajama parties. We are capable of changing the world.
So. You asked me:
~What would you like to see on the new show to change your views?
I want to see inspiration. I want to see women working together to make a difference in the world. I want to see moms, like me, talking to other moms. Sharing. Laughing. Growing. Learning.
There is so much more to life than pajama parties. Lets not ignore life. Lets not hide from reality. Lets face it head on. Together.
That's what I would like to see. Hell- I would even
make my kids nap to watch that.
You said you'd listen....
Best of luck with your new show.
From Wisconsin, with love-
Mama Schuey