Jolene initiates a bill and promotes anti-voyerism law
Fighting to protect women and children
Do you remember hearing about “upskirting” and “downblousing”? This is a hobby for some people, including the perpetrator who was filming up my dress while I was at a public event with 300,000 people.
I saw his hand in my purse, backed up, and then chased him. My boyfriend tackled him. Apparently, he was filming up my dress and toddlers’ skirts too. There was no law against it, so I fought for one. Now all the states are protected.
This experience is a solid baseline of how difficult it is to share the value of being kind to people of Asian descent. Here are a few of the articles and videos of the 100+ stories. This was before social media in 2001.
Good Morning America with Diane Sawyer
In 2001, this was my first national news show. The producer called me because it was a big story. I had an unlisted number, but they found it anyway. Protecting women and children and speaking up is crucial, and I was taught to stand up for justice and fight. However, did I want to be the enemy of thousands, maybe millions, of perverts who are angry that people know about their hobby? Would I be in danger? Would my new clients see my company title, “Fun Specialist,” and think of adult entertainment instead of corporate team building? There was a lot to think about in just a few minutes.
Good Morning America called me around 2 PM and asked me to take a 2 AM flight to New York for a live taping and be in the studio at 6 AM. So, there I was… At some point, I should share the whole experience on my podcast.
The Today Show with Katie Couric
In 2002, I was at a balloon twisting conference in Austin, Texas, when I got the call to do the story. They had heard from a woman in Florida who saw me on a TV show. She recognized the same act when it happened to her and managed to get a law passed.
The Today Show crew hired a remote team to capture my story. In the video, I wasn’t feeding ducks at the lake; I was making intricate twisty balloons with a bunch of extroverted people. The story was accurate, but staring off into the lake in contemplation wasn’t what I was actually doing.
Having done many interviews, you get a peek behind the scenes.
MSNBC Lester Holt Live
During remote interviews, you’re often in a dark, closet-like studio with a headset that might be falling out of your ear. You’re not speaking to anyone you can see; you’re just listening to a delayed voice in this dark sound room. Being live by yourself in that setting is incredibly awkward, to say the least.
Today, 14 years later, we use Zoom, and as a speaker, I regularly speak to people I can’t see. However, back then, it was unusual. In this particular interview, I wasn’t given a time frame or any information about the interview, so I had no idea how much of my story to share. Now, having done many interviews, I know how to handle crisis interviews and which questions to ask.
MSNBC Donahue & Fox - Greta Van Susteren
During my interview with Donahue, back when he was still relevant, I joined remotely along with a lawyer I’d never met. This experience highlighted a significant issue: the lack of effective communication between different systems. You would think the lawyer would want to talk to the victim who’s out there championing the cause, but as far as I knew, I was alone on this journey. I would have appreciated some information or support.
Apparently, I did a good job on my own, but having a team and the right knowledge would have made the experience more pleasant.