When Entertainment Meets Social Justice: 1000 Seconds with Lauren Dolgen

In Episode 7, "When Entertainment Meets Social Justice," Forrest sits down with executive producer and show creator, Lauren Dolgen. She's responsible for many of the reality TV hits you know and love: 16 and Pregnant, Teen Mom, Ridiculousness, Jackass, Punk’d...

The first question, Forrest always asks his guests before starting the clock is: do you remember how we first met? 🤔

Without spoiling too much of Lauren’s answer of how a consultant in Memphis and a show developer in LA's paths crossed... it was on the board of Power to Decide. 

Lauren’s work with #16andPregnant, without meaning to, had a tangible impact on reducing teen pregnancy rates nationwide. This has translated into discovering her superpower of combining comedy, drama, and social justice. 💪🏻Her work strikes the balance of delivering entertaining stories whilst also having the ability to make a real difference. 

🎯 Tune in to find out how she does it. 🎯

Thank you for tuning in! Please subscribe to keep updated on Season Two of 1000 Seconds! 

⏱ Learn more about Forrest's work at https://www.1000feathers.com/.

Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:01

Later, I was with another one of my bosses, a bigger boss, mentioned the show idea, and she was like, I love it, and we should call it 16 impregnant. So, you know, and she was the kind of person that was unafraid to take chances and to trust the gut. And I think that is not how the industry is as much as it used to be. You know, people are afraid to make waves, people are afraid to get fired. And so I don't know if you would have been able to take such a chance. If you're not willing to risk failing, then you're really probably not going to create the next new breakout.

SPEAKER_01 0:41

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 0:50

You're listening to the creator of MTV's unprecedented series, 16 and Pregnant, Lauren Dolgen. She is an accomplished executive producer, franchise, and show creator, and entertainment executive who, in her words, straddles comedy, drama, format, and social justice. Let's learn how she does it. This is 1000 Seconds, a podcast hosted by 1000 Feathers co-founder and president Forest Nolan.

SPEAKER_04 1:18

All right, we have made it to episode seven of 1000 Seconds in our second season. Uh, my guest today, Lauren Doljen. Lauren, how are you? Welcome to 1000 Seconds. I'm so glad to have you here. Thank you for saying yes.

SPEAKER_02 1:35

Hi, Forrest. Thank you so much for even asking me and thinking of me since uh I know our worlds don't always uh intersect.

SPEAKER_04 1:45

They don't. You know, it's interesting. I mean, as as we were talking about off-camera, you are the second guest of ours this season who fits in this LA creative mode, right? Which couldn't be further from how my brain functions and operates. But I've had a really good time like connecting dots and tying things together. I I've really been looking forward to this conversation in particular. I'm gonna, you know, maybe tell on myself a little bit along the way. But when I first met you, I had this like little bit of a fanboy experience here. I mean, some of the shows you've been involved in, it's just really cool stuff. Nearly three decades of experience, Lauren, which makes you a veteran creative executive like me. You probably also cringe a bit inside when you hear people say you have three decades of experience doing anything. I'm like, wait, how can that be if I'm only 27 years old? Uh right. You you landed at MTV right out of college, if I'm not mistaken, and have just been working, creating, and developing content and teams ever since. You've done really cool stuff at MTV, Viacom, Vice, BuzzFeed, Paramount. I mean, just a really interesting journey. But I'm curious, sort of, how you introduce yourself today, right? To somebody like, hi, I'm Lauren, and this is what I do, or this is what I'm working on. Like, what's your version of the intro?

SPEAKER_02 3:06

Well, that's really funny because right now I'm a little bit at a crossroads of pivoting a bit. So the entertainment industry is not as uh, let's say, vibrant as it was six years ago.

SPEAKER_04 3:22

You could say that about consulting too, by the way, but that's a different podcast.

SPEAKER_02 3:26

Well, yeah, I think it's true about like almost whole industries, basically, right now. So but it kind of aligned with the timing just emotionally for me. And I've been sort of heading more into volunteer and nonprofit work, which has been really fulfilling for me in a lot of ways. Um but on the on the entertainment side, I'm still developing projects. So basically, I'm an independent TV, unscripted TV producer, so focused on reality TV, documentary, follow docs, that kind of thing. I did I've done like a lot of like game shows and competition shows, things like that. But for me right now, I'm basically just developing a few show ideas. And then if I really, really feel passionate about it, then I will take it out and pitch it out in the world.

SPEAKER_04 4:18

I love it. I love it. As a bit of an aside, right, as you're talking about sort of the the creation part of this, the list of shows you are responsible for or connected to, it's really incredible. And I was reading back through in advance of today's episode. I I know you best and knew you first for your work with 16 and pregnant and teen mom, those two shows in particular. We'll talk about that a lot more in a minute. But then I started reading and I saw shows like Jackass and Robin Big and Punked and Ridiculousness, right? Like I'm sitting here thinking to myself as I'm getting ready for this episode, like I'm of a certain age, right? And take this in the spirit it's intended. You are responsible for a lot of lost hours of my 20s. Like, I spent an awful lot of time I might never get back consuming shows you were connected to. I mean, I I don't I haven't really fully processed that yet, but but it's a it's interesting side note nonetheless.

SPEAKER_02 5:17

Well, I used to kind of like brag that like for for my work, I would rock teenage minds as a living. And so I appreciated that. Look at how good you turned out.

SPEAKER_04 5:27

Yeah, well, you watched all that stuff, but you in fairness, I was sort of into my early to mid-20s, so maybe had like you know, prefrontal cortex more fully developed, whatever the case. But I I still spent plenty of time consuming. Like, let's not let's not kid ourselves. I sort of tip my hand a little bit. You and I are connected professionally. We serve on a board together. Um, but I do ask all of my guests, do you remember how we first met or when we first met? I mean, do you have do you have any memory or connection worth sharing as we get this episode kicked off?

SPEAKER_02 6:02

Well, I do because um I met you similar to this, just basically on a Zoom. Yeah, right. About about two years ago, and you were interviewing me for the board position. So we had a really nice conversation. It is the first board I've ever been on. So I was very in, you know, a little nervous and a little intimidated. Also, it's in a in a space in a sector that I'm not, uh, I don't really have experience in. I was very relieved and put at ease when I talked to you because you just really made me realize like I'm not there for that reason. I have a different purpose on the board, which is, you know, I come from media and everyone else comes from, you know, very different sectors than than I do. So it was very comforting the first time I I met you.

SPEAKER_04 6:51

So oh well, that's that's kind. I well, I spend a lot of time in rooms with people, and I'm not sure that they always describe me as making them feel comfortable. So I'm gonna I'm gonna add that to the LinkedIn profile, I think that at least in in one circumstance that was the case. Lauren, we got a lot to get to. I want to talk about you, your career journey, a couple of the shows I've already teed up. We'll we'll get into this board service conversation a little bit too. That's a lot to think about and talk about in in 1,000 seconds, but we'll do our best when we get back.

SPEAKER_03 7:24

Set your timers because Forrest 1,000 seconds with Lauren Doljan starts now.

SPEAKER_04 7:31

All right. So so Lauren, I asked you to introduce yourself earlier. I mentioned your career journey from you know MTV and BuzzFeed and Paramount, all the things. But I also noticed in your LinkedIn profile, you describe yourself and your interests as, quote, straddling comedy, drama, format, and social justice. I'm not sure that's a like overly common combination of interest areas, but in your mind, I know from knowing you, all those things go together. I mean, how do we how do we get from comedy to social justice in the in the same sentence?

SPEAKER_02 8:09

You're right. It's very rare in my industry that uh someone can be described as that, especially since I'm not intentionally making like David Attenborough style documentaries. You know, my career started very normally in TV, and I was a production assistant on, you know, various shows, and then eventually kind of transitioned into working in unscripted TV, which is basically reality, documentary, follow doc type of shows. And it's true, like I first really started focusing on, I was doing a lot of like cheesy dating shows, um, dance competition shows. And of course, you mentioned Jackass. That was the first pilot I ever worked on as becoming a development executive. And so the last 23 five years, 25 years of my life has been working with those guys because that show became a lot of different spin-offs. So in my career, most people kind of would view me as comedy and you know, a little bit of these outrageous shows. But it wasn't until 2009 when I read this article about the teen pregnancy in the United States that I basically came up with a show idea that sort of highlighted that arena, that space. And I don't know, the happy accident was that a lot of people had takeaway, very useful takeaway from that show. And so that's kind of where the social justice kind of thing came in because I realized very clearly how through entertainment you can really create a message that doesn't need to be really on the nose. I didn't need to be telling the audience, don't get pregnant, don't do this. It was more of a here's the show, here's there's these people's stories. It was intentionally made entertainment forward. It was not supposed to be a preachy teaching tool. And because we approached it that way, it actually became more effective. When you think of teenagers and young adults, I mean, most of the day they are talked at. They are told what to do and how to think and how to behave. And so this show was more like, oh, here's the circumstance and what it can look like in a variety of situations.

SPEAKER_04 10:38

Most of our listeners probably know this. Uh, but for those who don't, I before I got into the consulting world, I spent nearly two decades in adolescent health, right? And that sort of spanned give or take from like late 90s to 2015, 2016, give or take, somewhere in there. So these shows that you're talking about were sort of right in the the heart of that journey for me. And I have real memories about these things. I mean, you you spent about 20 years at MTV, right? And and again, I plenty of accolades and things, but these two franchises, Teen Mom and 16 Impregnant, at least sort of from my perspective, the there there may be some jockeying here, but our sort of two of the more successful franchises and more famous, I put in quotes, things may be worked on. I I mean, first of all, I need to say thank you for this, right? Like this is a it was an incredible contribution to the field. I am curious, though, in the sort of creative piece. I mean, I understand you reading an article thinking maybe there was something we could do, but did you really have a sense that we could produce a franchise and a and a show, a reality show, maybe if I if that's the right word? It might not be, you might correct me on the genre here, but uh a reality show that actually had an impact, a measurable impact, a research-based impact on an issue. I mean, when when you were in the creative phase, did you have any idea that we could actually make change or or you were just making a show? I don't I don't mean to make light of it. I'm just curious.

SPEAKER_02 12:18

No, dude, you're totally right. I was just trying to make a show. Yeah, yeah. I mean, I think like ultimately, like at least for me, I'm so neurotic. I never like go into something intentionally thinking this is gonna be the biggest hit. Like you never really know if something's gonna connect to the audience or not. So in entertainment, as in a lot of different industries, you have to have a thick skin because basically your idea generating constantly, pitching ideas that people are like, no, no, no. And then if someone says yes, well, the audience might say no. You know what I mean? So like you really just have to be able to keep kind of fighting that. But I went, I went in again, entertainment forward. I basically saw this article and I was like, this is happening to our audience. If it's not happening directly to them, someone in their school or their friend to let's tell this story. And so I mean, really, I wanted it to be a good show, dramatic and entertaining, and to capture the audience. I don't think any of us realized that there would be this real true byproduct that was an effective teaching tool. And you're right, there was a study done, I think around 2014. We had nothing to do with the study that basically directly connected viewership of our shows to the drop in the teen pregnancy birth rate. So it dropped 5.7% according to the study.

SPEAKER_04 13:51

I wouldn't remember the 5.7 part, but I I remember very well, like we as a field have always been interested in data and impact and outcomes. But back in that 2010 to 2016, 17 phase, it was there was like an obsession with science and evidence and research. And there were some of us, I, you know, I have blurry memories. I can't remember which side of the fence I was on. That was like, really? A show on MTV had a substantive impact. Are you sure? And then the studies were done, and it was like, yeah, yeah, here are the data. Here here is the proof. Fascinating stuff. I also, I mean, I partly know this because I'm doing the math in my head, partly know it because you and I have chatted briefly about it. We're now what, 16, 17 years out. So the children of teen moms, the children of the the young women highlighted on 16 and pregnant are now of that age themselves. You still have a connection to some of those folks, yeah?

SPEAKER_02 14:50

Well, it's crazy because I think originally we went into the show, we 16 and pregnant was the first series. So that series was designed to be one girl's story per episode. So you wrap it up in a nice little bow. We start filming while they're pregnant, you go through the birth, and then a few months into parenting. But because the show was so successful, my boss was like, come up with a spin-off. Like, let's let's think of something. So, so even like not just the girls, but like all of us, all the executives and producers, we were just anticipating this one type of show. But because people connected to it, we decided to pick a few of the teen moms and to continue with their stories. And which is crazy because now 17 years have gone by. The last episodes, um, new episodes aired this summer. And in those episodes, the kids that were born in the first season of 16 and pregnant turned 16. And it is a really unusual thing in television, but also in unscripted television to have a show where you are really following someone for that long. That is incredible. It's like real housewives that happened, you know, but not for all the cast members. So it really is a unique thing. I mean, the girls are now in their 30s, they're like 35 and 37. I mean, it's it's wild.

SPEAKER_04 16:22

I have literally, it's it's off camera, but written on my whiteboard right over here embrace your market, produce what they need, do it better than anybody else. And in some ways, that's what you were just describing, right? Like we found this thing and we just kept going. And like, what's next and what's the follow-up? And the the market is with us, so let's keep moving. There's some connective tissue here, right? As we're talking, selfishly, I could talk to you about the show itself for a long time, but I I want to go back just to the sort of idea creation piece, right? So you have a wildly successful career as a creator and a developer, and you you're constantly coming up with new content. When you think about messaging to other creators, I mean, those people might be in Hollywood, they might be uh somewhere in Middle America trying to solve homelessness, they might be in a lab somewhere trying to cure cancer, but it all comes down to an idea, sometimes a big bold idea. So, what's your advice, Lauren, as a creator? What do you say to all those people with a crazy idea that don't have any idea how to even start, how to get a crazy idea off the ground?

SPEAKER_02 17:28

Well, the thing first is you have to trust your gut and also be willing and unafraid to take risks. Because when I originally pitched the show concept, my boss said no to it because it didn't fit into the current mandates that our bigger boss was looking for. We were doing shows like The Hills, which was like really cinematic about beautiful people living these charmed lives. And we were doing a lot of competition shows and things like that, and it just really did not fit in at all. So I understand why she why she said no. Later, I was with another one of my bosses, a bigger boss, mentioned the show idea, and she was like, I love it, and we should call it 16 and pregnant. So, you know, and she was the kind of person that was unafraid to take chances and to trust the gut. And I think that, you know, right now, especially that is not how the industry is as much as it used to be. You know, people are afraid to make waves, people are afraid to get fired. And so I don't know if you would have been able to take such a chance. If you're not willing to risk failing, then you're really probably not going to create the next new breakout deal.

SPEAKER_04 18:51

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 18:52

It's hard to live by, but I get it, man.

SPEAKER_04 18:55

And I I have to tell you, like, it's interesting. We have spent most of this second season of 1000 seconds talking to creators, innovators, developers, right? By some definition, either in their community or their career, and folks like yourself that have made a career literally in the creation and development of new content. The one constant across all of these conversations has been creating space for failure. And it's interesting because I I you hear it, right? But to actually talk to like wildly successful people who are talking about failure and about the number of times people have said no to me, that resolve, like that's a that's a really interesting characteristic. Meanwhile, you know, I've spent most of my career in the nonprofit sector where we are just absolutely allergic to failure and talking about things that don't work. It's it's the the sort of third rail, right? Like, don't ever admit that didn't work, or you might not get funded again. It's it's just really fascinating to me how this differs. Your take on failure sort of comes from where? The the intrinsic part of, yeah, I've heard no a hundred times, but I'm still gonna get to yes. I mean, what sort of personality traits does that require?

SPEAKER_02 20:11

My dad was a pretty stubborn person and just an incredibly hard worker. He he was also in the entertainment industry, but in a very different capacity. So in some ways, he taught me more to be neurotic. And I feel like that that kind of pushed me to just really always be working hard. And then at a certain point in my career, I just started to listen to my gut instinct and to realize that, like, oh yeah, I am actually here and they are keeping me in this position or elevating me to the next position because I should they want to hear my opinion, they want to hear my voice. And you know, in a lot of situations, it's very intimidating to do that. But if you have pushback, you know, you have to be willing to take that risk too. And if someone says no, then great, at least you've put it out there. But I don't know. I mean, I think that maybe it was 16 and pregnant was one of those moments where I realized that about myself, which was, oh, wow, I really should trust my gut because you know, I just have this feeling. I if I tell this other boss about it, if she says no, that's fine because she I felt like she was a bigger risk taker and understood the mission for MTV more. But I do think failure is part of the mission. You you can't you can't avoid it.

SPEAKER_04 21:34

Yeah, you know, it's it's interesting. I mean, I wouldn't have had any reason to think of it in this way until you just said it. But had you only ever pitched that bold idea to one person, the franchise would have never happened.

SPEAKER_02 21:46

Yes. And it's funny because uh, once I had learned that from that experience, and then the show ended up being successful, I had another project that I had in development, not something I created, but something. Who's a professional skateboarder created and I had done two series with him previous to this, but he pitched me this show called Ridiculousness. And I basically had to beg my bosses to make this pilot. Was another lesson in just like gut check because that show ended up being on. I mean, they just it was been on since 2000. Oh my, I don't know. Anyway, 2014 or something. I think that's a good one. But still, an extended run, regardless. But basically, there was like 2,000 episodes that they produced. I mean, 2,000. I can't even tell you how rare that is.

SPEAKER_01 22:42

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 22:42

But, you know, I just knew that Rob was really special and he had this, you know, it wasn't, he wasn't reinventing the wheel. It was basically, you know, his version of America's funniest home video with his take and his point of view. And he just had like this really unique voice and it cut through. But I do think that it those two shows basically really taught me a life lesson in gut instinct and taking risks. I love that. Yeah. And and and knowing your place too. Because sometimes you also have to know when to cut bait. Like, you know, you can't hold on to an idea forever. You know, sometimes it's timing, sometimes it's just not the right idea. So you just have to, you have to know when to push and you also have to know when to pull back.

SPEAKER_04 23:29

It's it's such helpful insight for all of us, right? Even even those of us that aren't creating TV ready content, as it were. And in some ways, I mean, bring this conversation full circle. And I've got to wrap us up, but I'll I'll do so with this. Like we mentioned at the beginning of the episode, you and I serve on a board together. You mentioned sort of being in a season of life where nonprofits and and service are more central to your thinking. I mean, in some ways, that's also taking a chance and coming up with a new idea or reinventing a bit. I mean, why was this the right time for you to search out board service and to think about this type of pivot?

SPEAKER_02 24:09

It's interesting. I mean, I I'll just tell you that I got involved with Power to Decide about 17 years ago. So when we were starting to develop and cast 416 Impregnant, um, the president of the channel just really wanted us to focus on making sure we had the right experts in our corner. So we partnered with Power to Decide from moment one. So they just kind of kept us grounded. They kept us with the right information. And they never tried to water down the show or impact any creative. They were just really there as an incredible resource. So I had stayed working with them every single year, but also not just on our TV show, but we have these media luncheons and we have this sort of media advisory group. Oh, right.

SPEAKER_04 25:01

Sure, sure, sure. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 25:03

Always connecting power to decide with other people in the entertainment industry. To that way, it's just a resource to be able to speak on these issues with all the right, most current, updated, correct information, which is not a thing that goes on out in the world right now. There's a lot of missing disinformation. That relationship with power to decide was very important to me and has remained very important to me. And about two years ago, my sister was like, Why don't you ask if there's like board opportunities? Like, yeah, that's smart. But also, I have not been on a board before. So like I didn't really just like think of myself in that way. And it was just the most natural connection. And I really feel so good about the continued work and that I'm doing and knowing so much more now because I'm on the board. It just really fulfilling me in a in a really unique way.

SPEAKER_04 26:01

It's so important, right? I mean, this is like one of those say it louder for the people in the back moments. There are so many people out there that could and would and should be great board members, yourself included. And the nonprofit sector is in desperate need of leadership right now. And I mean that in all the different definitions, but especially at the board table. And we have far too many people that just for whatever reason don't consider themselves board members or have never done that thing or don't even know where or how to get started. I appreciate your articulation of holding on to a relationship for a length of time that ultimately led to this, right? So I mean, in some ways, the advice is like just get started. Start building that relationship, find the things you're interested in and connected to.

unknown 26:50

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 26:50

Again, I was so nervous and like intimidated because everyone on the board is from like healthcare, education, like I mean, things that I don't really have any exposure to. And really did like that first meeting, in-person meeting going in, I was like, but everyone was so open and and it really did make me recognize like that is not my role here. I'm here for a different reason. And so I'm not here to fill your the gaps that everyone else has in those fields. I'm here to to address the one that I can provide insight on.

SPEAKER_04 27:28

100%. 100%. And that again is applicable to to so many folks who are wondering where and how to start. It's like lean into the things you care about and and bring the things you're good at, right? And let's all sort of build that mosaic together, as it were. Lauren, I could talk for another hour about all these things. Sadly, uh 1,000 seconds goes pretty quickly. I'm so thankful you agreed to join us. Thanks for your time. I will see you at a board meeting soon, I'm sure, if not before. Uh, and in the meantime, be well.

SPEAKER_02 28:02

I really appreciate you. Thank you so much. This was really fun.

SPEAKER_04 28:06

It was great. I enjoyed it. Thanks.

SPEAKER_03 28:08

Bye-bye. Thanks for listening to 1000 Seconds, a podcast by 1000 Feathers. This series is produced by Renley Wilson with original music from Emily McNally and support from the entire 1000 Feathers team. Learn more at one thousandfeathers.com and follow us on LinkedIn and Facebook for future episodes.