Working Girls Can't Win For Losing

On the right we have Campbell Brown. Although Brown was on the short list for taking over Katie Couric's job on The Today show, Radar Online reported earlier this week that NBC execs say she never had a chance because she isn't a mommy.

NBC brass concluded that Today's core audience of stay-at-home moms would have trouble relating to a female host without rugrats of her own, banter about kids and spouses being as essential a part of Today's mix as cooking segments and Al Roker. (In fact, Brown wasn't even an honest woman until April, when she wed Fox News analyst Dan Senor.)

In writing about the Brown disclosure in  the BROADSHEET Column in Salon.com ( subscription required),Rebecca Traister wrote:

Apparently, the "Today" show's female viewers, including a core of stay-at-home moms, "would have trouble relating to a female host without rugrats of her own." It didn't help that Brown is something of a looker, and that the network felt her less-foxy viewers might have been intimidated by her beauty.

On the left we have Meredith Vieira. who was forced to leave her prestigious job at 60 minutes  in 1991 because she couldn't negotiate a family friendly contract. Vieira is the mom to three teenagers and whose husband is legally blind, has MS and a couple of bouts of colon cancer. She premiered on TODAY last week.  This from The New York Times

"At 52, Ms. Vieira is that rare television woman who doesn’t seem afraid of her age, perhaps because even with sagging skin and rippling smile lines, she looks amazingly pretty and vibrant on camera. She wore a sober black pantsuit that was casually elegant, not stuffy. Her manner, warm and self-deprecating, is easy on the eyes and ears"

And in the center, Katie Couric.  Since her debut earlier this month on the revamped CBS Evening News we have heard about the legs, the botox, the clothes, From Andrea Peyser's review in the New York Post,

Her face was Botoxed beyond normal human endurance, proving that even pampered, overpaid news babes possess the courage to suffer for their art.

And for the first time in history that a female was allowed to deliver a network's evening news alone, Katie chose to wear an unfortunate white blazer - the result, no doubt, of some jokester lying to her face when Katie asked, "Does this make me look fat?"

And the day after Labor Day, to boot!

So much written about nothing. Nothing  or very little written about their qualifications.
Does anyone know anything about Charlie Gibson's wife or kids?  Has it been in a lomg marriage or is he a serial  husband? What about  Brian Williams? Does his wife have any diseases? What about his kids?  Do the men  get spa treatments? A little microderm abrasion? Maybe a touch of botox or are we encouraging a couple of smile lines on their faces to add to their gravitas?

I actually don't have a problem with people commenting on the appearance of TV anchors or how the job affects their family life  as long as men are given the same scrutiny as the women.

It is demeaning, discriminatory and insulting when women are not judged on the same criteria as men. So go ahead talk about insipid white jackets and botox and legs-- and now let's put that same micrsocrope on the men.

It won't happen because to do so would be to marginalize their effectiveness and professionalism. Hey you want to talk about Meredith's smile lines and Katie's Botox? Do it over it lunch. But spending all this oxygen  in the media on who has kids, who'sa more sacrificing mom and who is sexier is on the same level as Forbes hideous article on Why Men Shouldn't Marry Career Women.

While the insights about botox and kids may seem harmless and just part of our culture ( those mommys love to read this stuff), it is irresponsible on the part of the leaders in media to continue to perpetuate covering the fashion and appearance of women news professionals.

If this were just ignorance at play, it would be one thing. But these are smart boys. They know exactly what they are doing.  By encouraging the discourse on Katie's legs, Campbell's childlessness, and Meredith's sacrifice they are sending a message to everyone about the way women need to behave-- the way they, the boys want us to behave.

A couple of thoughts to reporters; How about saying no. No more stories about Katie's Botox if in the same article you don't talk about the other anchors appearances. No more stories about their Mommyness unless you talk about their coworker's daddiness. And no more comments on clothing unless you 're ready to do nightly critiques  on the choice of ties these anchors wear.

Comments

[Bill Harris]

I thought you might find Professor Piderit's blog of interest. I really found the linked suggestion regarding Gwen Ifill very interesting; that would have been a news show I'd watch!