Los Angeles Mediator Jerry Lazar Brings Mediation to Reality T.V.
(right: mediate this??)
Reporter Greg Katz reports in today's Daily Journal, that Two L.A. Mediators Are Shopping a TV Pilot That Would Showcase Their Art -- one of whom is Settle It Now's friend local mediator and magician Jerry Lazar of the Fight Nicely Blog. Excerpt below.
Jerry Lazar and Richard Klinger recently have been shopping around a pilot for "The Peacemaker," a show that would spotlight mediation.
"Its time has really come," Klinger said.
The idea for the show took shape after a speech Lazar made to the Southern California Mediation Association.
Lazar, a former host and producer for the E! television network, went on his usual rant: "The American public has a glut of judge shows. Why aren't there any mediation shows?"
After the speech, Klinger, executive producer of the "Jane Fonda's Workout" video series, approached Lazar and asked whether he had ever tried to put together a mediation television show himself.
They shot the pilot in December.
It opens with a host in suit-and-tie describing the mediation process and explaining that mediation offers a way out of conflict "without the expense and heartache of litigation."
The host then introduces the case of Javier and Elena, a young couple ending their "green card marriage," who are at odds over the jewelry and car Javier had given Elena as gifts.
In a conference room, the two hurl insults at each other, much to the chagrin of the mediator between them, who reminds them that "a bad settlement is better than a good judgment any day."
It doesn't ease Elena's mind.
"He makes me out to be nothing but a whore and liar," she says indignantly.
As the mediation goes on, it emerges that Javier is still living with his mother and that Elena has been cheating on him.
The situation is based on a case Klinger once mediated. Though the disputants in the pilot are actors, if the show makes it to the air, it will feature real-life disputants who will have to waive confidentiality, the producers said. . . . .
I apologize if Mr. Lazar is a friend, but this is ridiculous and offensive to the profession.
http://ckamediation.com/wordpress/?p=229
Chris,
Is it the Jerry Springer photo I posted with the news item, the very IDEA of a mediation reality T.V. show, or the particular dispute depicted that you find offensive?
And, do you respond the same way to reality T.V. shows such as Judge Judy? Is there something about mediation that makes it more of a sacred cow that the judicial process?
Always interesting to watch our own reactions when our own profession (and professional identity) is on the chopping block, no?
Vickie
As my post from last week states, I find the very idea of a mediation reality TV show offensive. These shows thrive on intense conflict, mostly artificially induced by conniving producers. Judge Judy, Jerry Springer, and even Oprah and Dr. Phil get ratings because people want to see the cat-fight or the shocking revelation of infidelity or child molestation.
A mediation "themed" reality show It's anathema to everything that mediation is about - RESOLVING disputes, not exacerbating them for ratings.
Chris,
I'll ask Jerry if the parties' conflicts will be artificially induced and fires flamed. I'm not saying they won't be. I'm just saying that the evidence is not yet in.
In any event, the pilot's not yet sold so we may not yet be going to hell in a hand-basket.
Cheers!
Vickie
Thanks for your post, Vickie! Rest assured we're not going to artificially fan the flames -- not only would that be antithetical to the underlying premise of this show (http://fightnicely.blogspot.com/2008/05/mediator-mary.html), but I've personally conducted enough mediations to know that's hardly necessary to bring out drama!
However, I must object to Mr.Annunziata's absurd notion that mediators should "avoid conflict and confrontation."
He must be joking! Conflict and confrontation is at the heart of what we do. Avoid it? Hardly! We must confront it head on.
Not to argue semantics, but conflict and confrontation, in and of themselves, are not bad things at all. They are the essence of life. We can't always agree with each other, nor should we! It's how we RESOLVE conflict that matters. Mediation is an ideal way to do that. My purpose is to educate Americans so that they don't resort to the two most common ways of resolving dispute -- litigation and violence.
Look at it another way -- conflict and confrontation are inevitable. All those Judge Judy cases are going to happen, no matter what. BUT what if America saw ANOTHER way of resolving those cases? So that the next time they got into a confrontation themselves, they didn't reflexively call a lawyer or a cop, or threaten violence, and instead phoned a mediator?
All we're trying to do is educate people to the existence of mediation, and make them aware that they can get their issues settled more quickly, less expensively, and with far less anguish than heartache than if they explore the traditional venues.
Think of how that would improve business for mediators everywhere!
I should think that a practicing mediator would welcome such a daily public service announcement with open arms!
As for our show, we're portraying mediations as they really happen. And, yes, if people are in mediation, I think we can safely assume that there's a conflict involved. And, yes, sometimes the parties get confrontational. That's the nature of the beast.
But a good mediator facilitates constructive communication and gently guides them away from finger-pointing and name-calling, and toward forward-looking collaborative solutions to their problems.
What exactly is the harm in that?
I question the temperament and judgment of a mediator who labels new ideas "ridiculous" and attacks them before he even tries to understand them! Hopefully now you can assess this new TV show with an open mind...
I'll leave you with this quote, from my very first blog post: "Fighting is a necessary and useful component of real life; differences of opinion are a good thing. So the primary goal of this blog is to teach a new generation how to engage in battle constructively, not destructively. In short, how to fight nicely."