Blond in the Hood

To Dream the Impossible Dream
Joanne Archer laughs her way into the spotlight

By Pam Wyne, Ridgewood Magazine, Spring 2006

Joanne Archer of Blond in the Hood Take a pinch of Oprah's sensitivity. Mix in a huge dash of Rosie's wit and humor. Stir in a local spin on people and places and the result is a recipe for success for Joanne Archer.

For the past six years, Joanne Archer has hosted and produced Blond in the Hood, blazing a trail where very few women in their 50s have dared to go. "No doubt about it," the energetic Ridgewood resident says of her local TV talk show. "This is my dream come true."

Blond in the Hood is her baby. She eats, breaths and sleeps it, coming up for air to prepare for her show and the local guests whom stop in for a "chat" on the show. Joanne literally jumped into the spotlight, finally quieting friends and family who for years told her to follow the dream—so she did just that. But this feisty grandmother will be the first to tell you that she has traveled on a path not frequented by many.

Back track to 25 years ago, when Joanne, divorced and a single mom worked 24/7 for 3M company in New York. "I was the first woman sales rep in the industrial tape division," she says of her early days. "Here I am definitely in a man's world, trying to make a living while raising my daughter along the way." A few years later, Joanne, a Manhasset, L.I. native, met John Archer—and she will tell you the rest is history. She credits John as "her biggest fan" and her 25-year marriage to him as her "longest-running job." Deciding to be a stay-at-home mom, Joanne and family moved to Ridgewood and quickly settled into a kid-busy life in the suburbs. But it was a chance encounter with a friend that gave Joanne the impetus to take that giant leap of faith.

"A friend of mine suggested that I become a hospice volunteer coordinator at Valley Hospital," she recalls as if only yesterday. "The program was looking for people who were willing to share compassion, humor and kindness, and I thought I can do this." So for a few years Joanne, armed with an arsenal of jokes and stories, spread good cheer among her patients.

"That experience changed my life," she says with clear conviction. She adds, "Here I am giving them permission to die. And the reality is that through their dignity and the way they approached life, they gave me permission to live. What I learned? Simply, the life is precious. You have to grab it—all of it."

At age 40, the spotlight began to beckon. When her daughter Shannon was a student at Ridgewood High School, friends encouraged Joanne to participate in the school's annual Jamboree, a variety show featuring RHS parents. "From that very first step on stage, I caught the bug," Joanne muses. "People were laughing at me. Me. And I thought, 'I like making people laugh.'" Taking what she learned from Jamboree, she enrolled in NYU's Comedy Writing Class. Her final exam: performing a stand-up routine at New York Comedy Club in front of a huge audience. The grade: A+. Joanne was on a roll. Friends and family, especially her parents, knew there would be no stopping her now. She spent the next few years producing local comedy shows and even taught a comedy workshop for Ridgewood High School students, the first of its kind in the area. It was while she was teaching her kids her craft that her dream suddenly became quite clear.

Joanne Archer and Academy Award winning documentary filmaker MaryAnn DeLeo "Now I am in my 50s and I want to be a TV star," Joanne says with an infectious laugh that is her trademark. But suddenly her laughter dies as she recalls, "Then in the next minute, September 11 happens and life changed for all of us in that instant. A few months later I gathered friends and family around the kitchen table and told them, 'okay, ready or not, I've got to do this.'" And so she did. With the help of close friends like Mary Pat Boron, Joanne created her show, Blond in the Hood. ("'Blond,' because I am one and 'Hood' because I want to bring my stories of incredible people from my neighborhood to yours," she says.)

The show set is simple. Shot in the comfort of the Archer home (at any time any room might be used for a segment), Joanne feels that the atmosphere most definitely puts her guests at ease. As well as herself. This season though marks the arrival of a new production team, Figure 5, and that brings the whole show to a new professional level. "I am not nervous in front of the cameras," she insists, "and the key for me is to be thorough in my research. I write all the questions and try to be ready for the unexpected."

Each week Blond in the Hood showcases a celebrity chat, many with the likes of Mary Higgins Clark ("a great and talented lady"), Harlan Coben ("my very first and best guest ever"), and Phil Simms ("very smart and savvy"). On any given show Joanne can be found in her kitchen cooking up a terrific party dish or two with resident show chef Michelle Dobson of Wyckoff, who hails from France. Travel tips, dog-training secrets and health segments are just a few pieces that fit into the puzzle. Often, Joanne will sit and talk with a local personality who shares perhaps a story of courage or overcoming a life-threatening obstacle.

Joanne is the first to admit that there is never a shortage of stories. "People are always sending in ideas," she says of the multitudes of emails and letters she receives on a regular basis. "And I really like that. It makes me feel connected to the community. People seem willing to open their hearts to me."

"What unbelievable fun," Joanne enthuses about The Blond. "I have the great honor of being able to tell the amazing stories of people making a difference. Of being a hero. Everyone is amazing and has an amazing tale to tell."

It was perhaps Joanne's initial contact with Taylor Price and his inspiring tale of courage and determination that eventually led her to take Blond in the Hood in a new direction. Almost two years ago, Taylor Price, an 18-year-old from Ridgewood, was left paralyzed from the neck down after a swimming accident. Vowing to not let his condition keep him from fulfilling his dream, he promised himself that one day he would get strong enough to be able to go to Georgetown University as he had always planned. So impressed with his fierce commitment to live life to the fullest, Joanne became inspired to create Everyday Heroes, Inc., an accredited, 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Joanne's vision is that through corporate and private donations and sponsorships Everyday Heroes, Inc., will be able to continue to showcase "everyday" people on Blond in the Hood who make a positive difference in their life and in the lives of others. One of the highlights for this year's season will be for the public to be able to nominate their "everyday hero" and to appear on an episode of the show.

Joanne with Taylor Price "What a difference Taylor has made in his life and in the lives of those he touches," Joanne says, almost reverently, when she speaks of the young man who appears on the season opener of Blond in the Hood. "He has taken such a personal tragedy and turned it into such a positive—going to college. And not just going through the motions but really taking part in the whole college and dorm-life scene. He has even appeared on Capitol Hill to help introduce legislation regarding workers with severe disabilities." She adds, "Taylor Price is a hero. He has faced life and despite his handicap is rushing right into it without fear. He is an everyday hero."

So with numerous notes to look over and guest stars to book for upcoming shows, Joanne Archer is never standing still. And she will tell you with a warm smile and a quick laugh, that life is here for the taking and she is determined to get her fill. Make no mistake about that.