Features: Joy Daily

I met Joy Daily through the wonderful network that is Twitter, in 2008.  She was actually one of the first people that I followed.  Like most new people to Twitter do, I followed her because she was pretty, had a lot of followers, and seemed like somebody who would be interesting to read about.  Luckily, my ignorance paid off! lol  Joy really is as relevant to media as she is gorgeous.  She really is a one woman media machine that is not afraid to roll up her sleeves and get her hands dirty.  As you will read, Joy not only puts her face in the front of her multimedia website, JoyDaily.tv, she does all the work behind the scenes as well.  

Joy Daily recently made Blog and Internet headlines with her documentary on the Hip Hop industry's obsession with light skinned women.  A great watch, and an even greater discussion piece, she definitely had everybody talking.  When I asked Joy if she would participate in our website, both Harvey Champagne and I, were super excited to send her these questions.  As usual, she put her all into the process and gave us meaty answers.  I hope you enjoy this in depth Q&A:

SWNYC:  When did you realize you wanted a career in media?

JD:  I realized I wanted a career in the media when I first began to talk! No bullshit, I remember stealing every show I was ever apart of, from my first fashion show when I was 3 years old, to stealing the lead role in my preschool play when I was 6 years old. I hosted a morning show in elementary school, I won speech competitions in Middle School, I did TV Production in High school and that's where I discovered Joy Daily.

SWNYC:  How much work goes into what you do?

JD:  A lot of time and energy goes into producing a REAL video. I am not in the habit of slapping things together like some do on the Internet because for me the aesthetics of a video are just as important as the content. The fact that I do it ALL when I am producing a video also makes it very tedious. I do my own hair, make up, wardrobe, lighting, script writing, shooting and editing. And all of those things can be time consuming but the most difficult of them all is usually the editing process which I dread. I still find it difficult at times to watch and listen to myself which is crazy!

SWNYC:  How did you feel about the reactions to Complexion Obsession?

JD:  The reaction I got from Complexion Obsession was AMAZING. I knew this was a story that many women of color needed and badly wanted to hear. I knew that some would not like to hear the truth about our internal racism. I knew my story would touch the hearts of men and women of all races because people know that its not fair. I still have a last chapter of the Complexion Obsession Saga to be released and when I do I know that this documentary series will revolutionize the way that people internalize beauty standards from our media.

SWNYC:  Did any of the negative reaction get to you?

JD:  I loved the negative reactions I got just as much as the positive ones! The goal of a good producer/ director is to evoke emotions, it doesn't mater if they are good or bad. I did find it interesting how others viewed my complexion which was something I didn't expect. Some who were dark questioned my intentions because to them I was too light skinned to care. While those who were light skinned called me a hater because I was too dark skinned. Many bashed me for wearing a blond "weave" which was hilarious. I didn't realize how much people paid attention to my appearance until releasing Complexion Obsession.

SWNYC:  What's next for Joy Daily?

JD:  There is soooo much on the Horizon for me this year. I have my own Live Talk Radio Show (powered by streetmarketradio.com)  that broadcasts every Friday night from 10:30 to 11:30pm on my site. I also have a brand new Live Talk Show (powered by shovio.com) that airs Mondays from 7 to 8pm. I'm entering the world of live interactive web casts which is going to fun and exciting for me. I hope to transition my multi media presence on the net to Television and Radio in the future. I also will be finishing up Complexion Obsession and moving on to produce more documentary series for the web. I also would like to show my love for the gay community by producing a piece that speaks to the struggles that they have to overcome still today. My site www.JoyDaily.tv is my outlet and unlike other sites I wish to make the news rather than just regurgitating the same blogger garbage you see on everybody's website.

SWNYC:  Why do you love NYC?

JD:  I love NYC because like my Jamaican Uncle always says, Its the Center of the Universe! You get to meet the most powerful and influential people that you would never have the chance to run across anywhere else in the world. I love NYC because no matter what you are into there is always someone even weirder than you so everyone can be comfortable in their own shoes. I will always call New York home no matter where I am in the world because the opportunities are endless. Like everyone says if you can make it in NY you can make it Anywhere!

You can catch up with Joy Daily through these links:

www.JoyDaily.tv
www.Twitter.com/JoyDaily
www.Facebook.com/JoyDaily
www.YouTube.com/JoyDaily

For your viewing pleasure, here are Part's 1 and 2 of Complexion Obsession: