"Are women less willing to speak their minds?"
My friend Cheryl Dahle (a woman with a great mind to speak) has alerted me that this is a question Salon and Lindsay Campbell and the newsvlog Moblogic have asked.
I think its the wrong question to ask if your goal is to have more women's opinions spoken in public. A more helpful question is: what helps women talk on camera?
I don't think it's so much an issue of women not wanting to speak on camera as the way in which they are approached. This is something I think about for The Heather Gold Show (tHGS) a lot. and I do believe that its more fruitful to have a goal of having more women (and people of colour, and any form of diverse viewpoint or experience you can think of) on camera sharing their thoughts with others.
I hope on tHGS itself its much easier to talk because
-there are snacks
-there is no microphone in your face
-you're sitting on a couch
-there are other people talking
-the whole show is uploaded so you don't have to worry about being taken out of context
-another chick is (vulnerably i hope–me) making her thoughts known
-I am not professionally attractive
-I'm listening (seriously..i really listen :-) and there is a whole room of people listening.
I really like moblogic. But it seems set up to grab quick clips. tHGS is 60-90 minutes. Smaller bts come out of a more nuanced conversation.
If you have a desire for a longer, more nuanced conversation, that would be tough to convey to the people you're interviewing for moblogic, unless they already know the show and find it to be nuanced.
If someone I didn't know (caveat: I do know Lindsay, and have worked with her, and would certainly talk to her) pointed a fuzzy microphone at me and asked my opinion in public I would assume:
-it was for television
-I will be made to look like an idiot by an editor or producer if it will get higher ratings
-the structure of the show depends on conflict and I will not be there to respond to an attack
-my appearance may be mocked
-my thoughts will be ignored or mocked
So, to simple ask "Are women less likely to speak their mind?" Misses the entire point. In law school I was frustrated the few of my female classmates spoke in class. Years later I can now see that it would have been more useful to wonder why law school was structured the way it was, if it's goal was inclusion. Now I ask the same goal of the media..which is why I'm making my own show. Because there are so many voices and conversations I'm craving. And I'm still learning how to help people feel comfortable on camera.
Listening is an art that takes a great deal of practice. From my experience, women can more easily than men when you're not really listening to them.
What helps you feel comfortable speaking in public / being on camera as a women?
April 11th, 2008 at 2:29 pm
heather,
i LOVE your post.
very smart and thoughtful.
my goal was to get conversation started and wonder the same things I wonder everyday silently out in the open.
i learned a lot from the experience.
for the record, no one's ever come at me with a microphone seeking a soundbyte, but I relish the idea. come and get me, media of the world, i'm ready to rant. :)
April 11th, 2008 at 4:11 pm
I think you have part of the answer but it is more complex. You also have to factor in what that women is doing at the point you intercepted her for the "man on the street" interview.
Many women are multi-tasking so they literally don't have time. Another is factor is that for some women you have to fight through a lot of internal gunk to believe what you have to say has a value. If you are not sure and you don't trust or feel comfortable with the person on the other side of the microphone then that would reduce the amount of participation.
With a professional crew you have a camera person, sound and the interviewer. That is overwhelming.
Now if you set up a safe place and invite women to talk – you will have no problem getting them to yak it up. The street is not necessarily a safe place.
April 11th, 2008 at 10:04 pm
Hey Heather!
Although I agree with some of your valid points about "What helps women talk on camera?" I totally DISAGREE with your traditional approach on how to do that.
I should know from first hand experience what it takes to get a women to open up and talk on camera. Since, I do a weekly show about SEX and Relationships called "The Gerry T Show" where every week I interview random women to talk to me on camera.
I think that Lindsay Campbell of Moblogic who I've met and hung out with is VERY GOOD at what she does. The problem lies not in a fuzzy microphone in your face, or being overwhelmed by a camera person, or the interviewer, or even being offered snacks while sitting on a comfortable couch in some studio.
The problem or the challenge lies in getting the RIGHT person in front of the camera. Either the person you're interviewing has it, or they don't. Its that simple!
From watching that video "Are women less willing to speak their minds" I could tell right away what was going to happen before it happen.
Don't worry Lindsay and Moblogic you learn from your mistakes, and failures are the lessons of success.
Just keep making it happen!!
April 12th, 2008 at 5:30 am
When I'm out on the street interviewing people, I usually ask them if I can interview them first, then I start recording.
I wonder what would happen if I went out into the street and asked each person if I could interview them?
"Can I ask you a question?"
An interesting idea.
April 12th, 2008 at 3:43 pm
Steve,
Asking if you can interview before hand kills the whole spontaneity factor. People are generally passive, and unless they really like your demeanor, they would rather be say no. I have been interviewing people on the streets gorilla-style since 2003, most of the docs can be see on http://www.innomind.org
The key to engage with passer byers on the streets are:
1. Your mood (must be naturally happy, no artificial American smiling)
2. Eye contact before you make a step towards the potential interviewee
3. The walking speed of the person (if they're walking fast that means that they're busy with their chores and will not change their priorities for you)