Overall, I get quite a bit from watching Red Table Top talk. I enjoy the show because you get to experience the world view of three different women within the same family. For example, when the subject of Gwyneth Paltrow Talks Sex discussed whether it was considered unhealthy to tell your daughter that first-time sex was painful. The conversation between Willow and her grandmother revealed how past experiences colour our thinking and decision making. It's essential to grasp that our environment influences our behaviour throughout our life from a young age. Firstly, it's tough to identify and secondly, it takes time to unpick it all to understand how that's impacting you, then do the processing work to learn and heal. It's a lifelong journey.
I did not get a sense that Jada was dissing Will about their sex life at all, as critiqued in other reviews here. For me, the conversation was about how it's hard to sustain a great sex life all of the time when you've been married to the same person for a long time. When you think about the ebbs and flows of life - having children, careers, family and friends, a long marriage is hard to sustain. I understood that Jada recognised that she needed to take accountability and communicate what she needed from Will regarding sex. It's not an easy subject for her, but she is working on it.
Another episode that I enjoyed was the conversation about race between Black Americans and Asian Asians. The show invited subject-matter experts who challenged the thinking around the table. It's vital to try not to take a narrow viewpoint when making assumptions about things, as you may not be truly aware of the whole story. It was good for me, as I learned to recognise my shadows and be kind to myself in that process.
I find the celebrity lens doesn't reflect normal society. For example, the episode with Bobby Brown and his hardship was terrific to hear, but then we're informed they all have their therapists. Getting therapy is very expensive, and not everyone can afford the treatment. I think it would be good to talk with people who aren't celebrities and come from various backgrounds (race, education, wealth, gender/gender-fluid) to understand their stories and how they've navigated through the issues. I mean, how many of us can afford to take two years out of life to do inner work? For me, this would make the show more relatable.
And sometimes, I feel the topics don't contain the depth required to help people understand the gravity of the issue. For example, the talk about narcissism only discussed this from an adult relationship perspective, not familial narcissism. It would be great to talk with Dr Ramani alongside folk who have grown up with narcissistic parent(s) to learn about their experiences growing up in that environment to get a 360 view of the issue. Also, invite other experts in this field, such as Dr Karyll McBride and Dr Elinor Greenberg, to hear different or similar perspectives in this area.
I did not get a sense that Jada was dissing Will about their sex life at all, as critiqued in other reviews here. For me, the conversation was about how it's hard to sustain a great sex life all of the time when you've been married to the same person for a long time. When you think about the ebbs and flows of life - having children, careers, family and friends, a long marriage is hard to sustain. I understood that Jada recognised that she needed to take accountability and communicate what she needed from Will regarding sex. It's not an easy subject for her, but she is working on it.
Another episode that I enjoyed was the conversation about race between Black Americans and Asian Asians. The show invited subject-matter experts who challenged the thinking around the table. It's vital to try not to take a narrow viewpoint when making assumptions about things, as you may not be truly aware of the whole story. It was good for me, as I learned to recognise my shadows and be kind to myself in that process.
I find the celebrity lens doesn't reflect normal society. For example, the episode with Bobby Brown and his hardship was terrific to hear, but then we're informed they all have their therapists. Getting therapy is very expensive, and not everyone can afford the treatment. I think it would be good to talk with people who aren't celebrities and come from various backgrounds (race, education, wealth, gender/gender-fluid) to understand their stories and how they've navigated through the issues. I mean, how many of us can afford to take two years out of life to do inner work? For me, this would make the show more relatable.
And sometimes, I feel the topics don't contain the depth required to help people understand the gravity of the issue. For example, the talk about narcissism only discussed this from an adult relationship perspective, not familial narcissism. It would be great to talk with Dr Ramani alongside folk who have grown up with narcissistic parent(s) to learn about their experiences growing up in that environment to get a 360 view of the issue. Also, invite other experts in this field, such as Dr Karyll McBride and Dr Elinor Greenberg, to hear different or similar perspectives in this area.