television Archives - Womens Post

Feminism February 15, 2018

Former PM Kim Campbell denounces sleeveless anchors

In a tweet on Feb. 13, former Prime Minister of Canada Kim Campbell made a comment about television news anchors and their choice or wardrobe. “Bare arms undermine credibility and gravitas,” she said in the social media post, referring to female broadcasters who choose to wear sleeveless outfits.

I am struck by how many women on television news wear sleeveless dresses- often when sitting with suited men. I have always felt it was demeaning to the women and this suggests that I am right. Bare arms undermine credibility and gravitas! https://t.co/plBRrrtqKV

— Kim Campbell (@AKimCampbell) February 13, 2018

The article Campbell references is a blog post written by Dr. Nick Morgan, a speaking coach, on his own private website. According to Morgan, a sleeveless outfit for women or a casual looking t-shirt for men will mean people won’t think you are as smart as you are. “We humans are pretty simple creatures,” he writes. “If you show up in front of us with skin exposed, we’re going to think about your body. If you’re wearing lots of clothing, we’re going to think about your mind.”

The blog post goes on to suggest people should spend “real money” at “a high-end fashionista place” prior to an interview or speaking engagement. Morgan mentions a study that compares photographs of naked and half-naked women and asks people about how competent they think they are. Ironically, the article was then tweeted out by Informed Opinions, a handle that aims “to ensure diverse women’s perspectives and priorities are equitably integrated into Canadian society.” That is how Canada’s former PM found the piece.

Let us first address the research — wearing a sleeveless dress is different than wearing a bra and nothing else. Therefore, I don’t think the study referenced in the original article provides enough context for the statement made by both Morgan and Campbell. To do so proves that society objectifies women to such a degree that showing shoulders or your arm is essentially equal to a woman being stark naked while presenting the news. Most people would agree this is a ridiculous statement.

The public response to Campbell’s support of this statement was mixed. While it is true that most women are judged 60 per cent by how they look rather than what they say, that way of thinking is not something that should be perpetuated.

What interested me the most was the response from television stylists, who actually urge women to lose the traditional blazer or pantsuit for something more personal. There were others who argued that blazers and long-sleeve shirts were more professional, but the general consensus was that clothing wasn’t an indicator or success or capability. Here are some examples of the response:

This article is not only ridiculous claptrap about how “showing skin makes people think about your body” (?) but is also classist AF. I am a stylist for women on the news and the fight to get them our of a blazer is real. Please stop policing women’s choices.

— LVL (@LeahVanLoon) February 13, 2018

I train people for TV appearances and always recommend both women and men wear long sleeves and formal clothes for credibilty in interviews. That being said, news anchors and some politicians already have that credibilty, so clothes matter less.

— Christine Hearn (@LilleVenn) February 13, 2018

I worked at Sun News Network, with sleeves and without. I’m proud of my work there. And continue to take pride in my work today, at @globalnewsto both in sleeves and without.

— Caryn Lieberman (@caryn_lieberman) February 13, 2018

I am a lawyer, which has some of the most antiquated traditions of any profession. And guess what? I wear sleeveless shirts to the office year-round, because MY SHIRT SLEEVES DID NOT GO TO LAW SCHOOL. You know who cares? No one. You’ve dated yourself here and should be ashamed.

— JaysLadyA (@JaysLadyA) February 13, 2018

Featured Image: Kim Campbell poses nude behind robes in this Barbara Woodley photograph from 1990. (Barbara Woodley/Courtesy Museum of Civilization)

What do you think? Let us know in the comments below!

Living November 22, 2017

How to manage your child’s development in a digital world

How much TV is too much TV ? While this answer can vary for adults who indulge in binge-watching sessions of their favorite show, the same should never apply to children. Many parents often seek the advice of pediatricians on how early to expose your children to the lights and sounds of the readily-available electronic babysitter.

There are television shows, You-Tube videos, and even apps on your phone that can be used to keep a toddler or infant at bay. However, children under two years old should not be exposed to screen-time, including “educational apps” or Face Time. This long standing recommendation comes from the Canadian Paediatric Society. In June of this year, the CPS released new guidelines on screen-time for young children after finding that too many children under the age of four are sedentary —something that is often caused by excessive screen time.

Children between two and five are should only be online less than one hour a day, and this is with the proper supervision of the parent or caretaker. This means parents shouldn’t simply hand the device over to their child and walk away. Many parents of young children choose not to expose their children to television or any of these digital devices over fears of what the child may absorb from the media.

Children’s minds need to be enriched, but this can be done through proper family time, meaning parents should put down their own devices and focus their time on the child. Time spent reading and doing interactive physical activities, like building blocks and flash cards, will be more beneficial than an electronic device, which is more distracting.

Michelle Ponti, is a London, Ontario pediatrician who is a part of the team that wrote the new Canadian guidelines and concluded from the study that screen-time does nothing for infants and toddlers.

” The youngest children cannot learn from screens. They are not developmentally ready to transfer what they see on a screen to real life.” Ponti said.

While studies have shown that high quality educational shows, for instance Sesame Street, can be good for a pre- schooler’s educational learning ability, the concern comes from how much time is spent in front of the screen. These electronic platforms cause the loss of one-on-one contact with children, resulting in loss of proper eye contact, hyper activity, distracted tendencies and other learning issues. Most of the negative observations arose after children watched more than two hours of television.

These small changes can have an impact on future behaviour and development of your child. Indeed, some situations may seem overwhelming, but parents should keep in mind that handing off a screen to your child has no educational benefit.

The CPS guidelines are a bit different from those across the border in the US. The American Academy of Pediatrics made a special exception for cases including Skype or Face-Time, which doctors may not necessarily categorize as screen-time.

Nevertheless, both US and Canadian pediatricians agree that parents today need to consider more than 10 years ago, when screen-time from electronic devices were limited or almost non-existent. You should also consider how your own parents may have practiced learning activities with you. This often included learning blocks, books or bouncy chairs.

Remember to minimize screen-time and be a healthy model for your child as they develop in a digital world.

What are your thoughts ? Comment below

Entertainment November 17, 2017

Baking Minute: dessert week with the Canadian Baking Show

This week was dessert week on the Great Canadian Baking Show – and that meant pies, tarts, and meringue. By the end of the 45 minutes I had this intense craving for something super sweet.

The first challenge was to make an elegant pie or tart. The word “elegant” was key in this challenge as the judges expected dainty presentation. Most bakers used the “blind bake” method for their crusts, where they cook it prior to putting the filling inside to ensure the bottom doesn’t get soggy. I had never heard of this method, and will definitely try it the next time I make a pie.

The bakers really put their all into these desserts. Linda Longson from High River, Alberta, made a beautifully decadent raspberry chocolate pie that captured the audience and made the judges’ mouth water. “I want to dive into that pie,” Bruno Feldeisen said, and rightly so. The pie was decorated with white chocolate curls.

Every pie showcased a little bit of the baker’s personality. There was a pie representing the northern lights, a rustic apple pie, a mile-high lemon meringue, and a pi pie (that turned out to be more of an ode to chaos theory – poor messy James).

The best part of this challenge was watching the bakers. Linda, who I can only assume is a speedy baker as she is always hanging around helping others, points out that Terri Thompson’s pie crust is starting to rise. “You may want to poke some holes in your crust Terri, it’s starting to rise,” she says. In no other baking show, at least that I have witnessed, has a competitor been so kind to another. Her piece of advice probably saved Terri’s pie from disaster.

The technical challenge was a fondant fancy. This involved a dozen equally-sized sponge cakes with jam in the middle. The icing was a cream fondant that had to be evenly spread on the top and four corners of the cake. Bakers had to top it off with a small flower. This challenge was particularly difficult, and many bakers had a hard time with the icing. The icing can’t be spread, so it must be drizzled on top so that it overflows down the sides. But, if you don’t have enough or you have too much, it can cause a mess. The bakers did well enough, at least when compared to last week’s disastrous Montreal Bagel.

The showstopper challenge was a pavlova, a meringue-based dessert named after the Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova. This meringue is then topped with a whipped cream and fruit. It’s a tricky dessert because the meringue can crack, especially if there isn’t enough time to cool the base before applying the cream. There were quite a few excellent pavlovas. My personal favourite was that of James D’Entremont from Halifax. He may have struggled with the first few challenges, but his pavlova had beautiful swirls in it and was beautifully decorated with blueberries and a sugared berry leaf. I was also impressed with Verdana’s yogurt whipped cream.

At the end of the show, the bakers sat side by side, holding hands as the hosts revealed the names of the star baker, and the person leaving the competition. The star baker of the episode was Linda, while Corey Shefman from Toronto, Ont. was sent home following a few mishaps with his pastry and meringue.

What was your favourite baking minute? Let us know in the comments below!

Entertainment November 9, 2017

Baking Minute: bread week with the Canadian Baking Show

The second episode of the Canadian Baking Show focused on one of my favourite things — bread! The bakers were challenged to make some of the most difficult and technical kinds of bread, while still including a unique and personal flare on their creations. I was excited to watch this episode as bread is, unfortunately, not something I have mastered.

The first challenge was to make Focaccia, a fluffy Italian flatbread seasoned with oil, herbs, and various vegetables, meats, or cheeses. It’s a delicate bread — the dough must have even air pockets and too many toppings can turn this dish into a pizza. I was enthralled with Julian D’Entremont’s baking this week. His use of Nova Scotian dulse, a kind of seaweed, was really inspiring and representative of his hometown of Halifax. I loved that other bakers were trying it out while their breads cooked. At the end of the day, I think the unofficial winner of this particular challenge was Sabrina Degni, whose Focaccia was inspired by her Italian grandmother, and Linda Longson, who used rosemary-infused oil and sea salt for an absolutely gorgeous and simply delicious bread.

The technical challenge was, of course, the Montreal-style bagel. I thought this challenge would be easier, but I’ve since learned that bagels are deceiving. First you have to kneed the dough, but not over-kneed it. Then boil it in honey water. Then dry it. And then FINALLY you cook it. There are so many ways it could go wrong, even the bakers from Quebec had a hard time. The judges wouldn’t even try James Hoyland’s bagel as it was raw. Poor guy.

The showstopper challenge was to create a bread centrepiece with a sweet filling. I have to say, there is a huge difference between how these bakers performed last week and this week. Maybe it took them a while to get used to the cameras being in their faces or to get used to the tent-in-a-field atmosphere, but the final products of this challenge were a lot more put together and clean than the cake challenge in the premiere.

What was even better than the final product was the reaction of the bakers. When the judges cut into the bread and they saw how it looked in the inside, whether a bunch of even layers of filling or swirls of fruit. They were so proud! While there were a lot of amazing creations, my personal favourite was Julian’s, who made some mouth-watering cinnamon buns with a Kraken in the middle. Oh, and he also had fried bread as tentacles!

There has been some criticism about the judging of the Canadian Baking Show, and I do agree that at times it can get repetitive, especially during the technical challenge where they just keep repeating the words “crispy”, “soft”, and “chewy”. But, I was rather impressed with the commentary in the Focaccia challenge. The judges gave advice to the bakers, patiently explaining what went wrong and what went right. I’m hoping the judging gets a bit more creative as more contestants leave and there is more television time for this part of the show.

The winner of bread week was Sabrina, who rocked all three challenges and created a really unique centrepiece with a weaved bread basket. The person who left this week was Sinclair Shuit of London Ont. (hometown of Winnipeg), whose centrepiece pear puff pastry wasn’t cooked enough to please the judges.

Next week is dessert week…God help me!

Let us know what you thought of the episode in the comments below! In the meantime, I’m going to go and eat a muffin…or some french toast…or maybe just a whole loaf of bread.

Women of the Week November 6, 2017

Woman of the week: Nneka Elliott

Sometimes if we’re lucky enough, we have that one person in life whom we aspire to be like. For Nneka Elliott, it was her grandfather. He was the Chief Magistrate to Anguilla, a published author, and a violinist. He inspired her to pursue music, the arts, and to be the next Prime Minister of Canada. While Elliott didn’t really follow that path, she did pursue the Arts. You may have seen her doing the weather on CTV news or reporting and anchoring at CP24. Today she is a lifestyle entrepreneur who creates digital content.

Elliott grew up as a little girl with ambition, always in front of her camera recording her own shows, taking part in drama classes, piano, acting and of course, the violin. Growing up in the tiny island of St Vincent and the Grenadines, Elliott said having an active imagination was necessary, as there was not a whole lot to do.

However, her time in St Vincent was also shared with her second home and original birthplace of Canada. Born in Montreal, Elliott moved to the islands when her parents split, but would regularly return to Toronto for vacations.

“I was at a crossroads in terms of my identity as a young kid growing up in the Caribbean, but also had these western influences,” she said.

Elliott enrolled in the radio and television program at Ryerson University and, being one of three black people in her year, felt at times it was important to work that much harder. “It was a very competitive program to get into and a lot of people had prior experience,” she said. “I worked at a radio and television station in St Vincent and I had some experience, but not like working at Rogers, like a lot of these kids were doing.”

She started volunteering for the now defunct Toronto One, where she was an audience coordinator, CBC Sports Awards, and was even the training assistant director on Da’ Kink in my Hair, which aired on Global Television network in 2007.

While in her third year of university, Elliott began her summer internship at CFRB Radio. Her persistence and dedication turned that internship into a part-time job. Elliott knew her goal was to make it on-air so she relentlessly bothered her boss to listen to her demos and sought advice from other anchors at that time.

“It was just an obsession. You have to be obsessed. Just put on blinders. I knew it was something I wanted to do and eventually he was like, ‘ok let’s try you’ and I started doing weekend anchoring at CFRB.”

Elliott worked there three days a week, while being an RA on residence, a student ambassador, and any other thing she had going on. Looking back she didn’t know quite how she did it all.

After graduation in 2006, Elliott got a job at the Weather Network as early as January 2007. In a short span of time, Elliott moved from an on-call broadcaster to full contract. She always kept in mind that is key is to not be complacent. It was a similar story for Elliott when she decided to pursue a job at CTV News.

“I called up the head of CTV News at the time and said, ‘it’s Nneka here from the Weather Network,’ he didn’t know who the hell I was, but I just said can you just take 10 minutes out of your day to tell me what you’re looking for in someone at CTV? A lot of what we spoke about was my extra curricular activities, because it’s important to have a life outside of work. He said, ‘we’re not looking for anyone right now but CP24 is hiring a weather person’ and the rest is kind of history.”

Elliott started off at CP24, Canada’s 24-hour breaking news network in 2008. For the next three years, Elliott was the familiar face coving breaking news around the city and sometimes reporting in studio. In 2011, Elliott took a break to start a few side projects. She founded a venture called Media Huddle to mentor upcoming media personalities that wanted to make it on air.

“People want to be in news because they want to tell stories, but things are changing so much as the money is spread thin in television. The models are changing and it’s harder and harder for journalists to specialize in any one thing,” she said.

“You don’t really become known for anything and I just wanted to be known for something. I’ve been telling people’s stories for so long and I forgot my own. I had this obsession with how I thought my career was supposed to be and I never came up for air.”

Elliott made the decision to leave CP24 in 2016 to rebrand. She got opportunities based on the way people thought she was, as seen on TV, and it was time for her to become her own person. Elliott decided to launch her own blog. She also began to focus a lot on her Caribbean roots.

“I love Carnival. I love food and I love fashion inspired by the Caribbean, so that is why the bulk of my content is about the Caribbean.”

Elliott even launched an online talk show that is specifically aimed at the Caribbean diaspora.

Speed Round: Q&A

Q: What’s your favourite fashion piece?

A: A good pair of jeans, my go to is a jeans and a top.

Your favourite Caribbean dish?

I’m a pescatarian, so I only eat fish but I love fried fish and roasted breadfruit. I also love Buljol, it’s a pickled salt-fish dish.

What do you do for fun?

My husband and I watch an obsessive amount of TV and I’d probably say walk my dog— see I don’t know if people find that fun?

Want to have these profiles sent directly to your inbox? Sign up for our weekly e-newsletter below:

Subscribe

Gay Post November 1, 2017

Kevin Spacey shouldn’t confuse sexual assault with sexuality

There is never an appropriate time to connect sexual assault with sexuality. News broke over the weekend that actor Kevin Spacey, known for his role in Netflix’s House of Cards, allegedly made sexual advances towards Star Wars Discovery actor Anthony Rapp when Rapp was 14.

The incident took place almost 32 years ago when Spacey was 26 and hosted a post-show Broadway gathering. Rapp was a child actor at the time and they were both performing on shows. Rapp attended the party at Spacey’s apartment and, being a child, he was bored socializing with adults. Rapp said he found a bedroom and started watching television. It is alleged that Spacey appeared in the bedroom doorway, visibly drunk, long after the guests were gone.

“He picked me up like a groom picks up the bride over the threshold . But I don’t, like, squirm away initially because I’m like, What’s going on? And then he lays down on top of me. He was trying to seduce me,” Rapp told the press.

Rapp said that, at the time, he knew that Spacey’s advancements were sexual and he was able to remove himself and left the apartment.

Not long after the accusations were made, Spacey posted a statement on his social media saying he was “beyond horrified” to hear of Rapp’s account of that evening. Spacey then went on to say he owes Rapp a sincere apology if he did behave in the manner in which he was accused. He said he was extremely drunk and did not remember the incident. Spacey’s apology was barely a paragraph long. In the same statement, he went on to address his own personal life, using this assault as an opportunity to highlight his normally quiet personal life.

Spacey said “As those closest to me know, in my life, I have had relationships with both men and women. I have loved and had romantic encounters with men throughout my life, and I choose now to live as a gay man. I want to deal with this honestly and openly and that starts with examining my own behavior.”

Kevin Spacey has just invented something that has never existed before: a bad time to come out.

— billy eichner (@billyeichner) October 30, 2017

In just a few sentences, Spacey was able to purposely dismiss the fact that he was accused of making sexual advances to a child and, worse, use the incident as an opportunity to come out of the closet. It is insulting and disrespectful to the LGBTQ community to use your sexuality as an excuse for wild drunken behaviour and deeply disturbing allegations of trying to have sex with a minor.

There is already a (very untrue) stigma surrounding sexual promiscuity associated with the LGBTQ community, despite the fact that lesbian, gay and bisexual people experience sexual violence at similar or higher rates than heterosexuals. Spacey’s “apology” further perpetuates this stigma, creating a correlation between sexuality and sexual violence that does not exist. This is dangerous and cowardly, especially coming from a man who now identifies as gay.

Spacey’s coming out was poorly timed and comes off as a poor cover-up for his inexcusable actions 32 years ago. Since the news broke, Netflix has cancelled House of Cards after next season and Spacey’s International Emmy Founder’s Award has been revoked. Many in and out of Hollywood shared their views on Spacey after this situation has come to light.

I’m not interested in Kevin Spacey being gay. I’m curious as to why we’re conflating sexuality w/ the molestation of a minor. Stay on topic

— Ashlee Marie Preston (@AshleeMPreston) October 30, 2017

pic.twitter.com/pg2PLnHpXt

— Zachary Quinto (@ZacharyQuinto) 30 October 2017

No no no no no! You do not get to “choose” to hide under the rainbow! Kick rocks! https://t.co/xJDGAxDjxz

— Official Wanda Sykes (@iamwandasykes) 30 October 2017

Comment below with your thoughts.

Entertainment November 1, 2017

VIDEO: Who else is excited for the Great Canadian Baking Show?

Tonight is the premiere of the Great Canadian Baking Show, the Canadian spin off of the U.K. television show of the same name.

Ten amateur bakers from across the country will gather in a tent in the middle of nowhere and compete for the grand title of Great Canadian Baker. In each episode, the bakers will compete in three rounds: the Signature Bake, the Technical Bake, and the Show Stopper.

Why should you watch this show? I’m a huge fan of the original show — the Great British Baking Show — and in the video below I explain why it is the best cooking show on television right now. I’m extremely excited for the Canadian spin-off and hope they keep the essence of the original series in tact.

Every week, I will be reviewing an episode from the show, going through my favourite desserts, talking about challenge winners, and perhaps discussing the cuteness factor of the goats (or other woodland creatures that may pop up). Here is the introduction to our new series, “A Baking Minute”, or in this case, a minute or two.

Are you excited for the Great Canadian Baking Show? Let us know in the comments below!

Entertainment September 6, 2017

Hot and new fall TV shows to watch out for

September and October are a TV junkies’ dream, with the hottest new shows premiering across all networks.

Every year we are blessed with new shows that stick around for years — gems such as Empire, This is US, Scandal, Chicago Fire, The Blacklist, and others that are huge successes. While it can be hard to tell which new shows will make it, it’s always exciting to test them out and add them to your cozy evening fall lineup. Women’s Post has decided to compile a list of the most buzzworthy new shows, reboots, and spinoffs coming to your television screen this season.

NEW SHOWS

For The People: ( ABC/NBC) TBA

In true Shondaland style, this new drama follows a group of young lawyers navigating their first cases. Classed as the new look of justice this show offers up lots of drama and juicy cases.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-KjnaAd2sO4]

Alias Grace: ( CBC) September 25 2017

This highly anticipated show is based on the best selling novel by Margaret Atwood. The show follows a housekeeper in 1843 accused of murdering her employer.

The Good Doctor: ( ABC) September 25 2017

This media drama follows a paediatric surgeon with autism. The doctor will be portrayed by Freddie Highmore, who played Norman Bates from A&E’s popular Bates Motel.

Marvel’s Inhumans: ( ABC) September 29 2017

Based on the Marvel comic of the same name, this show offers a rare look into Marvel super-humans from a royal family that have decided to head back to earth.

Ten Days in the Valley: ( ABC) October 1 2017

This drama packed series follows a TV producer dealing with the disappearance of her child, revealing secrets along the way.

S.W.A.T: (CBS) November 2 2017

Two words … Shemar Moore

Me, Myself & I: (CBS) September 25 2017

This interesting take follows a man at three points in his life. This new comedic twist and storytelling looks promising.

Law and Order: True Crime ( NBC) TBA

This is the latest out of the classic Law and Order empire. Created by Dick Wolf, this show’s first season will feature a dramatization of the real life crime: The Menendez Murders.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xh01uHWc15Q

The Gifted: ( FOX) October 2 2017

Mutants have returned in this hot new fall show. The series is loosely based on Marvel’s X- Men and will have relation to some of the previous films.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTzW9rMcbzk

Life Sentence: (CW) January 2018

Despite not starting this fall, this show is still worth a mention. This feel-good comedy highlights the important part of living your best life possible. It follows a young woman who learns she is cancer free and no longer terminally ill.

SPIN OFF’S

Young Sheldon- A spinoff prequel for the popular TV show, Big Bang Theory

College-ish – A spinoff of Blask-ish

REBOOTS

2017 might be the year of reboots, and I’m not mad about it. Are you excited for Will & Grace and Roseanne?

Did we miss any? Let us know in the comments below which fall tv shows you are most excited for.

Entertainment September 6, 2017

Introducing Jodie Whittaker, first female Doctor Who

The next Time Lord will be a woman!

Fans of Doctor Who were surprised over the weekend with the announcement that Jodie Whittaker, an actress most known for her role in the BBC drama Broadchurch, will be stepping into the role of the thirteenth doctor! This makes her the first female lead of the 50-year-old television show.

The Doctor, an adventurer who flies around in his time-travelling phone box saving the world with a number of different companions, has always been a man — albeit an eccentric man. After such a long sting, I have to admit it’s hard to imagine the character as a woman.

And I’m not the only one who thinks so. The decision itself has caused a lot of controversy. Long-time fans have said they will no longer watch the show now that the lead is female. The Internet has blown up with sexist remarks and angry sentiments from fans completely distraught that the BBC has decided to change a long-standing tradition of making The Doctor a man. A bit of an overreaction I think.

I, for one, am excited to see where Whittaker takes Doctor Who. While it will be an adjustment, sometimes change is a good thing. There has been a call for a female Doctor Who for years, and honestly, if the BBC decided to hire another white male actor, there probably would have been just as much of an uproar from female fans.

But, I really don’t understand the controversy. Doctor Who, for the most part, has always been a gender-friendly television show. It was only a few seasons ago the writers decided to make The Doctor’s nemesis a woman, despite years of the character being played by a man. I don’t remember such negativity on the Internet when Missy showed up instead of The Master.

And then, there are the companions.

The female companions were always strong-willed characters that were able to keep the madman of a Doctor in check. They asked questions, never assuming the Doctor knew what he was doing, and stood up to him when he was being selfish or high-tempered. They were, and still are, critical parts of the show. Never has a female companion simply become the love interest. In a refreshing twist for a television show, romance is just not part of The Doctor’s charm. Even The Doctor’s wife had to work hard for a little bit of action, and she played a much larger role in saving the world than she did as a lover.

Then there was Captain Jack Harkness, who was the first openly non-heterosexual character on the show. His portrayal of bisexuality (although in 2017 terms he would probably best be described as pansexual) inspired so many people that he was re-cast in the role as the lead for the spin-off series Torchwood.

And finally, in the latest Doctor Who series, writers introduced the first female gay companion.

After all of these transformations, there was nowhere else for Doctor Who to go. Having a female Doctor was necessary and should give the BBC the opportunity it needs to bring a new and refreshing take to the show after the last 50 years. Personally, I think all fans should hold their opinions until they see Whittaker in action.

But, I’m still left with one question. Considering the companions of the story are the real heroes of Doctor Who: will Whittaker’s partner in crime be male, or female? Sure, a powerhouse double female act would be absolutely amazing — but who else is itching for a male companion with a female Doctor? Or better yet, an alien!

What do you think? Let us know in the comments below!

Entertainment August 4, 2017

Run With It celebrates 5 years on television

Christine Blanchette loves to run, so much so that she transformed that passion into a career.

Run With It is a local television program on Novus TV’s Community Channel via Shaw Media. Blanchette is the host and explores Metro Vancouver’s vibrant running scene. She interviews athletes, provides nutrition and wellness advice, and showcases a number of trails in and around British Columbia. In her free time, Blanchette writes for a few other publications, including Women’s Post!

Run With It is regarded as BC’s only running, fitness, and health shows. Women’s Post sat down with Blanchette to find out how Run With It started and where she wants to be in another five years!

Q: How did Run With It start?

A: I always had a passion for running and thought it would be great to have a show on running, fitness and health. My producer friend Doug Lucas suggested I send him my show idea, and we then put together a proposal and a pilot to submit to Shaw. It was accepted and the show first aired in 2013.

Why local cable – it’s a form of broadcast that seems to be disappearing?

Shaw was accepting show proposals and it would be great to have air first on cable. I believe we still need both traditional [broadcast] and social media to engage our audience or viewers.

Your show has been around for five years – what has changed since you started? What have you learned?

The TV landscape has changed in that fewer people are watching TV. YouTube has become more popular or building your show online seems to be the best to attract viewers or subscribers.

Who has been your favourite person to interview?

That is a good question. There are so many, but I would have to say international recording artist Bif Naked. She is engaging and a delightful person.

What’s your background? What did you do prior to Run With It?

I have been in broadcasting prior to 2013. I used to be a live host [and do] half hours interviews for a show called WestSide profile on Rogers TV. I’ve done freelance hosting and was also a production assistant. I did that for about 10 years. I also studied at BCIT part-time in the evenings.

What advice do you have for women who may not be super fit, who are thinking of taking up running this summer?

I think the key is to see your doctor first before starting to run. Find a program that will allow you to [transition] your running, like an interval walking-running program.

What are your hopes for the next five years?

My hopes are to keep building my show and have my show on network television.

Watch Run With It on Blanchette’s Youtube channel.