A smarter Rachel Ray

Houston activist/Pride Parade marshal Fiona Dawson braves the Oprah scandal —and the Internet critics

Houston activist Fiona Dawson is making a pitch to Oprah.
Oprah's contest has been plagued by controversy, but she's still the queen ofall media.
The OWN network is trying to make another star.

"When people ask, 'Where are you from?' I typically answer West Texas," Fiona Dawson states, her striking face and British accent filling the screen.

This is part of the video audition Dawson submitted in hopes of getting her own show on Oprah Winfrey's TV network. Not surprisingly given her background as a non-profit crusader in Houston, Dawson describes her potential show as something that would embrace and tackles issues of all people.

"NOW with Fiona" is pitched as show that celebrates and presents diversity. Dawson's goal is to win Winfrey's “Your OWN show: Oprah's Search for the Next TV Star" contest. The one that's recently come under fire with accusations that it's being rigged to produce an African-American host winner.

When Oprah announced that she would step away from her talk show after next season, everyone wondered if there was something up her sleeve. Then, Oprah announced that she'd be working with famed reality TV producer Mark Burnett to find the next TV star. Oprah has made household names out of Dr. Phil, Rachel Ray, Dr. Oz and Nate Berkus. Oprah's even turned her close friend Gayle King into an OWN on-air personality.

Fiona Dawson hopes to join that list of Oprah-blessed super successes.

Dawson has been working and volunteering for non-profits almost her entire adult life. She is the co-chair for the HRC Houston Federal Club where she helps raise and maintain over $350,000 for lobbying on Capitol Hill for the election of "fair-minded candidates" at the national and state level. Dawson also helps education and awareness programs across the country.

She was honored with Outsmart's Gayest and Greatest Awards in 2006, 2007 and 2008 when she was awarded Female Volunteer, Female Fundraiser and runner-up Female Community Hero respectively.

She pitches her show about diversity by presenting two issues of discrimination. The most engaging one is about how women aren't allowed to drive in Saudi Arabia, but they can fly an airplane. These women pilots have to be chauffeured to the airport. Dawson hits her potential audience with the question, "Wouldn't you love to go meet that very first pilot in Saudi Arabia and ask her, 'When are you going to get your drivers license?' "

A viewer comments, "I, too, want to hear about the airplane pilot without a driver's license!"

Another issues Dawson would like to explore is the economy, specifically housing market studies showing that there is still a racial bias in lending.

"That means African-American's and Latino's (getting a loan) is disproportionately harder," Dawson says. "There is also the civil rights issue of our time, which is important, the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual and Transgender) community. That community faces discrimination, in central law, state law, and local law. But, it's a fully inclusive diversity show."

Dawson assembled a group of local friends to create a professional film and a video wiz to produce the video for the pitch. "It was her concept, her script, her talent that made that video come to life," says one of the friends.

Like Oprah, Dawson's already gained some appreciation and hate. A commentator wrote, "Sorry honey, you don't have a talk show host voice. Your idea is great for a segment or series not a whole show."

When asked to respond Dawson tells CultureMap, "I believe everybody has a right to their opinion, but that doesn't necessarily mean we have to agree with that opinion. But, I was happy to see she actually saw the video."

Dawson still has to fill out a questionnaire for the video, but it's already slowly gaining more and more viewers.

"Please watch the video, it's only three minutes long and it could help put another notch in Houston's belt," she says.

Dawson also hopes the profile she gained as a former Female Grand Marshal for the Houston Pride Parade (which takes place tonight) will inspire even more people to watch the video.

Meanwhile, Oprah fights back against the rigged contest accusations. The controversy started when one's video submission spiked up by 300,000 votes in 20 minutes while some charge that the contest leader's votes actually fell. Now, it's come out that the whole thing may have been the result of an Internet spam attack.

There's no doubt about Dawson's love for Houston though.

"I tell people it's hot and cheap," she says in the video — and when Dawson says it, it sounds really good. People can vote for Dawson — who is trailing the leader by more than eight million votes — here.

Watch Fiona Dawson's show pitch:

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Movie Review

Chris Pratt fights for his innocence in popcorn thriller Mercy

Photo courtesy Amazon Content Services

Chris Pratt in Mercy.

It seems like every other movie set in modern times being released these days includes either a reference to or a plot revolving around artificial intelligence. In the real world, the benefits of the technology compete with its downsides, but when it comes to movies A.I. is almost always seen as a threat, including in the new film Mercy.

The audience is thrown headlong into the slightly futuristic story involving LAPD Detective Chris Raven (Chris Pratt), who finds himself strapped in a chair in a sparse room, being told that he is on trial for killing his wife. Turns out he’s in a court dubbed “Mercy,” which is overseen by an AI judge named Maddox (Rebecca Ferguson). By the rules of the court, Raven has 90 minutes to provide reasonable doubt of his guilt, or he will be executed on the spot.

Raven is in a multi-pronged quandary: Not only does he believe he’s innocent despite a trove of evidence pointing to his guilt, but he’s also the poster boy for the law enforcement side of the equation, having arrested the first man who went to Mercy. Anger and disbelief for Raven turn into acceptance, which then turns into him tapping into his detective skills, scrutinizing every shred of evidence the court provides him in a desperate attempt to save his own life.

Directed by Timur Bekmambetov and written by Marco van Belle, the film is a relatively propulsive thriller despite having a so-so story and even worse acting. The film is told in real time (with a few fudges here and there), so the concept alone of a man trying to prove his innocence in a short amount of time provides good intrigue. Bekmambetov’s use of digital elements as Raven scrolls through files or calls potentially exculpatory witnesses like his partner, Jaq Diallo (Kali Reis), keeps the film visually interesting.

On the other hand, the swift viewing of videos and documents by Raven, not to mention the high degree of cooperation by Judge Maddox, opens up more than a few plot holes. The filmmakers try to explain away a few leaps in logic by having Raven falling off the sobriety wagon the night before, but they can only use that excuse for so long. They also have the AI judge experience technical glitches along the way, errors that seem to point toward a wider conspiracy until they’re completely forgotten.

More than anything, it’s difficult to get over the wooden acting of Pratt and the misuse of other usually reliable actors. Pratt has no real presence, especially when he’s confined to a chair, so any emotion he tries to conjure up comes off as contrived. Ferguson is done no favors by a role that shows only her upper body and has her alternating between robotic and oddly sympathetic. Reis earned an Emmy nomination for True Detective: Night Country, but has little to do here, a fate that also takes out Chris Sullivan as Raven’s AA sponsor.

If you’re okay with turning off your brain for a little while, Mercy can be an enjoyable watch. But if you find yourself scrutinizing why characters make the odd decisions they do, or the wishy-washy way the film approaches AI in general, then you’re likely to find the whole thing lacking.

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Mercy is now playing in theaters.

movies film chris pratt rebecca ferguson movie review