On the First Opinion Podcast this week, I heard an idea for a reality show that we need to shop to Bravo ASAP: “The Real Ranch Wives of North Dakota.”
I was speaking to Sandy Tibke, executive director of the Foundation for a Healthy North Dakota, and Josh Gryniewicz of Odd Duck, a communications consultancy, about how they teamed up to promote public health, including vaccination, in the state. They started with listening sessions held across the state, where they focused on hearing both concerns about and reasons for vaccination. At one such session, Josh overheard a ranch wife say to the people at her table, “This isn't what I thought this was going to be at all.” Another agreed, saying, “I had come here to pick a fight.”
Josh and Sandy’s cross-country listening tour was wilder than you might expect, one that involves cowboys and an axe-throwing nun — and in the end, they helped defeat several anti-vaccine bills in North Dakota.
But back to Bravo. “We decided that if, if this didn't work out, we could do ‘Ranch Housewives in North Dakota’ reality TV,” Josh said. (I prefer my name for our hypothetical show.) As a longtime consumer of reality TV, I know a good idea when I hear it. Andy Cohen, let’s talk — out of the goodness of my heart, I won’t even charge a finder’s fee.
Recommendation of the week: As we head into Thanksgiving week, I’d like to share my go-to dessert recipe: super-easy, buttery, delicious blondies from Smitten Kitchen.
