Showtime triad members open up in a long radio interview

KPFA (San Francisco)

Anthony and Vanessa of the triad in Showtime's just-ended Polyamory: Married and Dating series were interviewed on KPFA public radio last night. Listen here or download:

Radio Chronicles - August 26, 2012 at 6:30pm

Click to listen (or download)

(30 minutes long; starts at 1:30. Available only until September 9.)

They express delight with the series's director-producer and with the effectiveness the series has had for outreach and education, despite the limitations of the reality-TV medium. Vanessa: "This is a show that is trying to start the conversation, not to be any kind of completion."

They get a better chance here than they did on the TV series to let loose with their smartness and depth. We also hear more of their revolutionary/political side. They ought to consider going on the college lecture circuit.

Here is how they were introduced to us on the show's Episode 1:



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Also last night: The show's San Diego quad held a public viewing party and Q&A discussion in a downtown theater. Photo and comments.

Note: If you missed any episodes, they'll be available via Showtime On Demand only through November 6th.

Nielsen ratings for last week (from USA Today, Aug. 28, 2012):

The fifth-season finale of HBO's True Blood drew 5 million viewers, down a tick from last summer's finish, while The Newsroom ended its freshman season with a series-high 2.3 million. Showtime comedy Episodes wrapped its second season with 414,000 Sunday, while its reality series Polyamory's finale was loved by 209,000 in late night Thursday.

Don't know if that number is good or bad for the show's chances for a Season 2. As late as 11 p.m., on a paid channel? Nothing at all on Showtime made Nielsen's Cable Top 15 last week....

Update Sept. 12: Anthony gives a long interview to ModernPoly.com. Excerpt:

...Jessica: What would you recommend to someone that wants to get involved in polyamory activism?

Anthony: My recommendation might be a bit controversial in two ways:

First, I recommend that you do see activism as a duty, not just a taste, because when something is as foreign to mainstream media and acceptance as polyamory, it causes unnecessary suffering and isolation for people who can't find psychologists who get them, can't get advice from friends, are continually fighting off bigoted judgments and legal discrimination, and generally struggling for legitimacy. The only way to change that is if more and more of us come out. You can help just by bringing it up. When people are talking at the watercooler or a party about sex and coupling and marriage they will usually assume monogamy, the way everyone assumed heterosexuality only 20 years ago. Speak up for poly. Ask questions that get them thinking, like "why is falling for her so tragic and problematic? Why not date them both?" Just getting conversation going is so vital.

The other piece of advice is not to overlook the revolutionary potential of polyamory in terms of deconstructing the kinship structures and family organization that are so essential to the functioning of capitalism. Capitalism succeeds only when people are obsessed with property relations, and are kept in safe seperate units that don't interact a lot (nuclear family, friends, co-workers, etc.). Poly tends to cause these categories to bleed, and to naturally encourage more sharing and prizing of community.... Think how an increase in popularity of polyamory might affect the world economically, politically, culturally.

Aside from that, again, look online and join one of the many groups or sites who would love volunteers or contributors. But [...] the most important work you can do is just being out and getting conversations going.

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