Reality and unscripted television are often anything but that. Join us in demanding that producers add a mandatory disclaimer before and after each episode, underscoring that episodes are for entertainment purposes only, and the content can be edited, manipulated, and presented in any order for storyline purposes. https://sign.moveon.org/petitions/add-a-disclaimer-to-all-reality-television-programming 

Today’s episode of Eyes Wide Open is one I've been wanting to record for a while. I’m joined this week by Sarah Rice, who you may know from The Real World: Brooklyn. 

After her reality TV experience, Sarah decided that she was going to fight the good fight and became a registered associate marriage and family therapist who is now completing her requirements to become a licensed therapist. She is also a podcast host, leading conversations on Brain Candy, This Changes Everything, and Things We Got Wrong. 

Sarah changed her career path a few years ago when she decided to go back to school to pursue a master's in marriage and family therapy. She experienced the negative impacts that reality TV can have on an individual from firsthand experience, and she wanted to be able to support cast members after they go on these shows. I’ve had several people try to connect me with Sarah ever since starting the UCAN Foundation, (The Unscripted Cast Advocacy Network), and I’m excited to finally welcome her to the show.

So Sarah and I have a really fun conversation about her experiences with reality TV and some of the changes that we want to see in the industry, as well as her work with therapy and counseling. This episode will help you look at reality TV with your eyes wide.

Find Sarah here:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/imsarahrice/ 

Brain Candy Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-brain-candy-podcast/id591085268 

This Changes Everything Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-changes-everything/id1640548625 

Things We Got Wrong Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/things-we-got-wrong/id1644016492 

Solutions Counseling & Family Therapy: https://www.solutionsoc.com/sarah-rice 

Find Nick Thompson here:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nthompson513/ 

Website: https://www.engagewithnick.com/ 

UCAN Foundation: https://www.ucanfoundation.org/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@EngageWithNick 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickthompson13/

This episode takes a look behind the scenes of reality TV production, with first-hand insight from Lori Brown. Lori was on the cast of Canada's Farming for Love, which is their equivalent of FOX’s Farmer Wants a Wife. 

Lori was cast for season one of the show, and she did not have a great experience. In fact, she did not finish filming and decided to leave before the experience was complete. In this episode, she’ll share why she chose to leave the set of Farming for Love and how the on-set conditions impacted her mental health. We'll also dive into what was going on when the cameras weren’t rolling, including instances of exploitative/inhumane treatment and the arguments that she had with producers.

Farming For Love finished airing in Canada last month, so Lori is fresh off the experience. This episode will help you better understand the impacts of manipulation and editing, so that you view reality TV with your eyes wide open.

Find Lori Brown here:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/officiallorib/ 

Website: https://loribrownphotography.com/ 

Find Nick Thompson here:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nthompson513/ 

Website: https://www.engagewithnick.com/ 

UCAN Foundation: https://www.ucanfoundation.org/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@EngageWithNick 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickthompson13/

Today on Eyes Wide Open, we’re joined by Eli Weinstein. Eli is a licensed clinical social worker and therapist who specializes in couples and parenting, and joins me today for a conversation focused on men’s mental health.

We dive in on the importance of human connection and the people that inspired him to become a therapist. Eli has become a pretty reliable friend to me, and his empathy, compassion, and curiosity is really genuine. In today’s world we are all very focused on ourselves, Eli’s care for helping others is really refreshing.

In this episode, Eli and I talk all about men's mental health. We’ll cover everything from the stigma surrounding it, choosing a therapist, why you would choose a male or female therapist, and so much more. 

I hope this episode helps you learn a little bit about men's mental health to help you go through life with your eyes wide open.

Find Eli here:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eliweinstein_lcsw/?hl=en 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eli-weinstein-lcsw-95a0a26a/ 

Website: https://www.eliweinsteinlcsw.com/ 

“The Dude Therapist” Podcast: https://www.eliweinsteinlcsw.com/podcast 

Find Nick Thompson here:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nthompson513/ 

Website: https://www.engagewithnick.com/ 

UCAN Foundation: https://www.ucanfoundation.org/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@EngageWithNick 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickthompson13/

Today on Eyes Wide Open, our guest is Matthew Blades. Matthew is a self-care expert and motivational speaker, but before that, he spent 27 years as a morning show radio host.

In his radio career, Matthew would take every opportunity he got to get into bigger markets and advance his career, but along the way learned that he had not healed inside from some childhood wounds. He began experiencing panic attacks and depression, and felt like he wasn't an active participant in his own life. Matthew realized he wasn't filling his own cup or giving himself the tools and the time to make sure that he could show up as his best self. 

Today, Matthew uses his learning and experiences to teach people the importance of self care through media and motivational speaking. As a male, it's often difficult to talk about mental health because there are still stigmas around it, and I really appreciate Matthew’s authenticity in doing so.

In this episode, we learn a little bit about healing our childhood wounds and incorporating self-care routines into our everyday life so that we can go through life with our eyes wide open.

Find Matthew Blades here:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mathewbladesmedia/ 

I Needed That Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/i-needed-that/id1658648577 

Learn From People Who Lived It Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/learn-from-people-who-lived-it/id1600310521 

Website: https://www.learnfrompeoplewholivedit.com 

Find Nick Thompson here:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nthompson513/ 

Website: https://www.engagewithnick.com/ 

UCAN Foundation: https://www.ucanfoundation.org/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@EngageWithNick 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickthompson13/

Get ready for a wild conversation! This week on Eyes Wide Open, we’re joined by Stephanie Davison. You may know Stephanie from 90 Day Fiancé in 2021, where she was engaged to Ryan Carr. 

Stephanie’s 90 Day Fiance experience was wild behind the scenes, and her storyline was complete and total fabrication. She began speaking out about this before the final episodes even aired, resulting in her being barred from appearing on the tell-all episode. In response, she hosted her own tell-all live event on her Instagram profile, where she shared what the on-set conditions were really like.

Stephanie first reached out to me with a message of solidarity when we launched the UCAN Foundation. She shared that she was sexually assaulted on set, exposed to environmental harm from the locations they filmed in, and also the fact that she and Ryan actually broke their engagement during a COVID-related break in production.

Stephanie’s story is the antithesis of how horrible reality TV production is, how unethical it is, how fake it is, and how they will exploit you, mistreat you, misrepresent you, and hold you to physical harm, all so that they can get their pre-prescribed storyline.

I am grateful for Stephanie being so brave to share her story today, but I hope that this helps all of you do what it does for me, and that's view reality TV with your eyes wide open.

Find Stephanie here:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stephanie_90day/?hl=en 

Find Nick Thompson here:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nthompson513/ 

Website: https://www.engagewithnick.com/ 

UCAN Foundation: https://www.ucanfoundation.org/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@EngageWithNick 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickthompson13/

Today on Eyes Wide Open, we sit down with Rachel Wright, a non-monogamous queer woman and licensed therapist who specializes in sex and relationships. 

When Rachel and I connected initially, I thought we were going to discuss her work as a therapist, but we ended up getting into a conversation about what she sees as a therapist in reality TV, including her take on The Ultimatum: Queer Love and the impacts that show had on the cast members and the LGBTQ+ community.

We also talk a little bit about tools to help regulate internet hate and how cruel people can be. Rachel shares an experience she had opening up her life to the public eye and sharing some genuine information that would really probably help a lot of people, but how reading the YouTube comments of people judging her life and projecting onto her experience made her upset.

We're going to schedule another episode so we can learn a little bit about Rachel’s experience as a non-monogamist, being a queer person, and psychotherapy, but for right now, let's get into this conversation so that you can watch reality TV and interact on the internet with your eyes wide open.

Find Rachel Wright here:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewright_rachel/ 

The Wright Conversations Podcast: https://rachelwrightnyc.lpages.co/podcast-listen/ 

Website: https://rachelwrightnyc.com 

Find Nick Thompson here:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nthompson513/ 

Website: https://www.engagewithnick.com/ 

UCAN Foundation: https://www.ucanfoundation.org/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@EngageWithNick 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickthompson13/ 

Today on Eyes Wide Open, we’re joined by Rushi Kota. Rushi is an actor who you may recognize from his recurring appearance on Grey's Anatomy and Never Have I Ever, as well as his recent Hallmark Original Movie, Make Me a Match.

As a member of SAG, I wanted to talk to Rushi a little bit about the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes. We go in-depth on what actually is being fought for, where the strike is currently, and Rushi’s activism and willingness to stand together with writers and actors. 

My work with the UCAN Foundation is focused on unionizing and organizing reality TV professionals, and as such I think it's important for all of us to know what's going on with these studio executives. We need to start having these conversations collectively as an entertainment industry, because what's happening across all of Hollywood is incredibly exploitative. 

I hope that this helps you understand the SAG strike, the WGA strike and what we're trying to accomplish with the UCAN Foundation so that you can view all of these things with your eyes wide open.

Find Rushi here:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rushikota/ 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/rushikota?lang=en 

Find Nick Thompson here:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nthompson513/ 

Website: https://www.engagewithnick.com/ 

UCAN Foundation: https://www.ucanfoundation.org/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@EngageWithNick 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickthompson13/

Today on Eyes Wide Open, we’re joined by Josh Green, an IndyNXT race car driver, for a fascinating conversation about racing and the high-pressure world of professional athletics.

One of the things that is super interesting to me about Josh is the fact that he is already so successful at such a young age. Josh started go-kart racing at age 9, and by the time he was 12 years old was racing competitively. He spent his high school years (and now his college years) focused on racing as his career. This lifestyle has required a lot of sacrifice and has come with a lot of pressure from stakeholders and coaches, and Josh shared with me the impacts that has had on his mental health, performance, and overall wellness. 

Josh and I are going to discuss what these pressures look like, what his experience growing up in racing has been like, and also learn some of the things that he does to maintain his mental health and keep himself focused. 

This episode really helps us understand the pressures of performing, especially in your formative years can really have a profound impact on all aspects of your life. Next time you watch a race or interact with someone who's performing, I hope you go into that with your eyes wide open.

Find Josh Green here:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshgoesracing/ 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/josh-green-b9729918b/ 

Website: https://www.joshgreenracing.com/ 

Newsletter: https://www.joshgreenracing.com/blog/ 

Find Nick Thompson here:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nthompson513/ 

Website: https://www.engagewithnick.com/ 

UCAN Foundation: https://www.ucanfoundation.org/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@EngageWithNick 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickthompson13/

Today, I’m joined by Brittany Corinne Hatch, who was a cast member on America's Next Top Model Season 8 back in 2007. 

Ms. Hatch has been through a lot and come out a strong survivor. We recently connected through my work with the UCAN Foundation, and she shared with me some of the experiences that she had as a reality TV cast member and the physical and mental trauma that the show has inflicted on her and the people in her life, including other cast members.

It should be no surprise that the treatment of the cast of Top Model was largely exploitative. Cast members had their mental health weaponized and used against them, a practice that the UCAN Foundation is working to stop. This type of abuse was happening in the industry 17 years ago, and we're still wrestling with the same exploitation, legal threats, and lack of mental health support that made the environment on set so toxic.

We have to band together and allow people to share their stories, and we need to force change in reality TV production so it can be produced ethically. It is ruining people's lives. I hope that hearing Ms. Hatch's story will help you look at reality TV production with your eyes wide open.

Find Corinne here:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/corinnehatch/?hl=en 

Website: https://www.intoabook.com/ 

Find Nick Thompson here:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nthompson513/ 

Website: https://www.engagewithnick.com/ 

UCAN Foundation: https://www.ucanfoundation.org/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@EngageWithNick 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickthompson13/

Today our guest is Keila Dolle, an actress, filmmaker, and comedian who hosts the “Crying Behind Sunglasses” podcast, which I was recently a guest on. After hearing a little bit about her story and her background, I learned about her advocacy for mental health and wanted to have her on the podcast to discuss it.

Keila grew up with a younger brother who was autistic, and seeing the challenges that he experienced growing up neurodivergent led her to firmly believe that everybody deserves to be seen and be recognized. Additionally, Keila is very open about her own anxiety and experiences with panic attacks. These two factors influenced her to become a mental health advocate and help others realize they are not alone.

In this episode, Keila shares about her volunteer work, which started doing at a young age and continued to where she is now. She also shares what her advocacy looks like in practice, and where she's planning to take the rest of her life.

I hope this episode helps you better understand what it's like to experience anxiety and panic attacks, as well as what it takes to show up and give back to the world by advocating for what matters to you. 

Find Keila here:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/keiladolle/ 

Listen to the “Crying Behind Sunglasses” podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/crying-behind-sunglasses-with-keila-dolle/id1517523921 

Listen to Nick and Keila on the “Crying Behind Sunglasses” podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/staying-sane-after-love-is-blind-with-nick-thompson/id1517523921?i=1000615329989 

Website: https://keiladolle.com 

Find Nick Thompson here:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nthompson513/ 

Website: https://www.engagewithnick.com/ 

UCAN Foundation: https://www.ucanfoundation.org/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@EngageWithNick 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickthompson13/