You Can't Ask That is a documentary series of interviews that was inspired by reddit's AMAs. The show brings on members of specific minority groups who are willing to talk about themselves and...
You Can't Ask That is a documentary series of interviews that was inspired by reddit's AMAs. The show brings on members of specific minority groups who are willing to talk about themselves and their experiences and then asks them questions submitted from people online--often ones that would be considered impolite, inappropriate, or invasive.
Though that description makes it sound like the show is exploitative, it is actually anything but. The people going on the show are doing so willingly and are using it as an opportunity to be honest and open about who they are what their lives are like. The show does a great job at broadcasting the voices of members of often overlooked or maligned populations.
One of my favorite things about the show is how well it humanizes its subjects. It lets them speak for themselves, doesn't railroad their answers, and simply uses the questions as jumping off points for their perspectives and self-disclosure. Over the course of an episode you get to know the interviewees and see their individual personalities come out. There are moments of humor and courage just as there are moments of sadness and pain. Altogether it ends up giving a very complete picture of the individuals it presents rather than a one-note one. I also appreciate that, because it has multiple interviewees per episode, you get to see the diversity that exists within a category or identity. The show ends up being not only very informative, but a wonderful empathy tool as well.
This link goes to the Canadian version of the show, and I linked it because it has episodes available for streaming worldwide, though the show actually originated in Australia and has run for four full seasons. The Canadian version is specifically centered on people with disabilities, whereas the Australian version casts a wider net and includes other categories of people as well (e.g. refugees, gambling addicts). Unfortunately, the Australian episodes are not available for worldwide streaming, though they are well worth watching if you have access to them.
Oh cool, I didn't realize the show was available for worldwide streaming anywhere. I watched it on CBC Gem a few weeks ago and was tempted to submit it here, but seeing as Gem is only available in...
Oh cool, I didn't realize the show was available for worldwide streaming anywhere. I watched it on CBC Gem a few weeks ago and was tempted to submit it here, but seeing as Gem is only available in Canada, I decided against it. I definitely second the recommendation since, as you said, it's not exploitative at all... it's very respectfully/tastefully done and focuses primarily on disability education and outreach. It's great.
I was excited to find out Canada was doing their own version since I'd watched the Australian one and wanted more! Now I have new episodes to go through! It's such a simple and effective format...
I was excited to find out Canada was doing their own version since I'd watched the Australian one and wanted more! Now I have new episodes to go through!
It's such a simple and effective format that can be replicated anywhere, so I'm hoping other countries follow suit--not just because I'd love to watch those as well but because I think the locality of it is important to its message.
You Can't Ask That is a documentary series of interviews that was inspired by reddit's AMAs. The show brings on members of specific minority groups who are willing to talk about themselves and their experiences and then asks them questions submitted from people online--often ones that would be considered impolite, inappropriate, or invasive.
Though that description makes it sound like the show is exploitative, it is actually anything but. The people going on the show are doing so willingly and are using it as an opportunity to be honest and open about who they are what their lives are like. The show does a great job at broadcasting the voices of members of often overlooked or maligned populations.
One of my favorite things about the show is how well it humanizes its subjects. It lets them speak for themselves, doesn't railroad their answers, and simply uses the questions as jumping off points for their perspectives and self-disclosure. Over the course of an episode you get to know the interviewees and see their individual personalities come out. There are moments of humor and courage just as there are moments of sadness and pain. Altogether it ends up giving a very complete picture of the individuals it presents rather than a one-note one. I also appreciate that, because it has multiple interviewees per episode, you get to see the diversity that exists within a category or identity. The show ends up being not only very informative, but a wonderful empathy tool as well.
This link goes to the Canadian version of the show, and I linked it because it has episodes available for streaming worldwide, though the show actually originated in Australia and has run for four full seasons. The Canadian version is specifically centered on people with disabilities, whereas the Australian version casts a wider net and includes other categories of people as well (e.g. refugees, gambling addicts). Unfortunately, the Australian episodes are not available for worldwide streaming, though they are well worth watching if you have access to them.
Oh cool, I didn't realize the show was available for worldwide streaming anywhere. I watched it on CBC Gem a few weeks ago and was tempted to submit it here, but seeing as Gem is only available in Canada, I decided against it. I definitely second the recommendation since, as you said, it's not exploitative at all... it's very respectfully/tastefully done and focuses primarily on disability education and outreach. It's great.
I was excited to find out Canada was doing their own version since I'd watched the Australian one and wanted more! Now I have new episodes to go through!
It's such a simple and effective format that can be replicated anywhere, so I'm hoping other countries follow suit--not just because I'd love to watch those as well but because I think the locality of it is important to its message.