While driving around recently I was listening to (over terrestrial radio, no doubt) an episode of This American Life.  Stef Willen, a young production assistant, was talking to host Ira Glass about her experience working for a reality TV show. It seems a production assistant in this context is a poorly paid "go-fer."  So, Willen told Glass about how she, the poorly paid go-fer, went and hired an UNpaid go-fer to serve as her underling.  Willen placed an ad on Craigslist and 21 people applied.  Yeah, 21 people wanted to work for free as the assistant to a bottom-of-the-rung assistant.   Her point?   Willen wanted to teach everyone a lesson and get back at the system. According to her, no one at the network was taking her ideas and professional ambitions seriously.  Willen was nothing more than a cog, so she plotted a way to "show them."

I won't spoil it. 

While listening to this story I was smiling.  I loved her gumption. Rage against the machine. Stickin' it to the man. Amen sister.  When I first tuned in, I wanted to snottily dismiss this as "Well, you're working in reality TV.  What did you expect?"  But I couldn't-- because the statement Willen was trying to make is quite universal: how many times have you felt like no one gave a crap about your work, let alone about you? Are you spending time looking for the euphoria you felt on your first day?  You may ask yourself, well, how did I get here?  Same as it ever was... 

I think the under-appreciated production assistant would have put up with a lot if she felt like someone cared. I liked what she had to share. I cared.  Willen was interviewed on a respected national radio program so clearly her boldness and innovation was appreciated, elsewhere. 

 Maybe yours will be too.

Chantal de la Rionda edits this blog