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Health & Fitness

Lunch with Ricki Lake

The Ricki Lake Show is debuting today on WDIV Local 4! Are you going to watch and join the conversation with #FriendsofRicki?

Recently, I ate lunch at WDIV Local 4 News studio with some local bloggers (Lauren Weber from Mrs. Webber’s Neighborhood and Elena Wollborg from Mommy in Timeout) and social media experts (Emily A. Hay and Betsey Murdoch from Hay There Media) while Paula Tutman interviewed Ricki Lake about the new Ricki Lake Show.

Do you remember Ricki’s first talk show that premiered in the 1990s? She was only 23 when that first aired! Ricki discussed how she has evolved as a person and how that she will have new life experiences as host of her new show, such as marriage, divorce, and motherhood. Also, her career has taken a fascinating turn that has involved producing a documentary called The Business of Being Born in which she takes a critical look at how the birthing culture in the U.S. is greatly influenced by profit. Through these experiences, Ricki said that she has a greater understanding of her authentic self.

I really like that she used the term “evolve” as opposed to “reinvent” because I feel “evolve” implies taking life experiences and processing them in order to understand the real you as opposed to throwing out your past and starting over again. I connected with what Ricki was saying about her life’s path because I feel this is something that I am personally trying to do. Ricki is open about her journey, and I am inspired by someone who is trying to figure out life, too.

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I also think what sets Ricki apart from other talk shows is how she maximizes the usage of social media. She has created an online group as well as a hashtag on Twitter, #FriendsofRicki. This is a way for people to continue the conversation about the show online. The Friends of Ricki Facebook fan page is also a great way to connect with other viewers. I also like that they have production meetings that are open to the public. That is right; you can log in and participate in one of their production meetings about show topics! I have never heard of such a thing, and I think it’s a great way to truly engage viewers. And if that’s not enough, the whole production team can be contacted on Twitter.

Breaking down the barriers and connecting with others are the two top reasons I love social media, and I am excited to see how this works in conjunction with a talk show. The Ricki Lake Show airs on Sept. 10 at 3 p.m. on Local 4. Do you think you are going to watch this show? I’d love to read your thoughts in the comments.

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