Tuesday, March 10, 2009

I Was Asked to Appear in a Show About OCD!

It's true!

I got an email from a production company called Pink Sneakers Productions yesterday. They are casting for a show tentatively titled "Life Chronicles" that will appear on TLC. They wanted to cast me! How funny! I was flattered.

The email, written by a production assistant, said, "I came across your blog and I really appreciate your openness and honesty. You seem to have an incredible story, and someone whose strength can be so inspirational to others."

"Each episode documents the day-to-day lives of people affected by different life experiences. One of our episodes will focus on obsessive-compulsive disorder. We are currently looking for people who have been directly or indirectly (family member of, etc) affected by OCD. We realize the sensitive nature of the topic and we think sharing the stories of people actively coping with this could help let others know they are not alone- that millions of people are dealing with this. This show is being produced to foster awareness and outreach."

Thanks, But No Thanks.
Fostering awareness is good, but I am not up for it, and here's why. Revealing that I have OCD to the entire world would change my life forever. I can have my blog, and help people anonymously, but I am not willing to share the OCD with everyone.

Plus, doing so, I'm sure, would trigger a bunch of new OCD worries for me. Before you remind me that I posted about not avoiding things on account of OCD, this situation is different. There is no personal benefit to going on television greater than the benefit I'm experiencing here, with you, in the shadows. It simply comes down to weighing options, and weighing options realistically is healthy, not ritualistic. I politely declined.

It's Not for Me, but Is It for You?
If you think you are up for participating, here is the contact info: casting@pinksneakers.net. I cannot attest to the legitimacy of this offer (I personally believe it not to be bogus, despite the rather basic website and not-very-formal casting flyer), so do your own due diligence before making any decisions. I don't know what that would entail, but I would think at least a phone call. An attorney, maybe? Not sure. It seems like there would be contracts involved should they use your footage, but like I said, I don't need to worry about all of that. You might, though.
Here is the website: http://www.pinksneakers.net/.

I know they have probably sent this email out to dozens of bloggers online, but I can't help but feel excited about the idea. I fantasized about it for a little while, then resigned myself to living a life without stardom!

7 comments:

  1. Ooooh! That is so cool, even just knowing that you had an opportunity to be on TV! I have always had a secret fantasy of being famous. (I suppose now it's not a secret anymore!)

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  2. Hi there,

    I found you via Kayla at OCD Lives Here. I guess at the very least it must have been flattering to have this request come in your direction. I don't think my Hubby would be interested in airing his OCD either. ;)

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  3. I got the same comment on my blog from the same company. I too fantasized about it for a while, then turned it down for the very same reasons you did. :D I kind of like this pseudo-anonymity blog life. Besides which, if they followed me around, I know I would have serious issues and have to practically burn my house after they left. ;D

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  4. I wrote a comment from my I phone, but didn’t say it went through. But I said you have the looks for TV, me I would be more of a radio guy ( :
    Being on TV may be a choice that has nothing to do with OCD. In this case I don’t see it as avoidance at all, just may not want to announce your OCD to the whole world. I personally enjoy a great “peace” with my friends and peers knowing I was diagnosed with OCD.

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  5. I would have trouble trusting some company with my life on camera. I don't think I'd have a problem having the world know about it as long as it was done in an appropriate way that I could approve of. What I'm saying is... I want to be in control! Go figure.

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  6. That is so neat. I understand your reasons though. I don't think I would want to be on PBS for a BPD documentary for the world to see. I'm not ashamed of it and I tell people if I feel they should know but it's my choice. I got an email from a production company regarding my videos I do on youtube. They told me to start sending all of the ones I created to them. I figured it was just some link that would lead me to a virus or something and didn't check it out. I just don't trust too many things online these days.

    oxox
    belinda

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  7. Anything can happen in post-production, and the way they cobble footage together into a 60 minute episode can dramatically affect the way a person's story is conveyed. Sounds like you all are with me--you don't want to fall victim to sensationalizing!

    Thanks for reading, all.

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