Thursday, April 6

Katie Couric

Is the new CBS anchor. This is fantastic news, but something's been troubling me. Take this quote, for example:

"I think she can, I think she can work into it because she has like I said, the total package. She has the intelligence, she has the looks, she has the personality," Brown said.


When Dan Rather got the job, how many people were commenting on his looks?

I'm enough of a feminist to know that when people on the radio are talking about what a good job she'll do because she's "perky" and "cute", it's a backhanded compliment. This is a person who's had a great career. I think she deserves more than that.

Maybe it wouldn't piss me off so much if it wasn't a good ol' boy on the classic country station saying it. I don't think so, though. It pisses me off.

Love,
Sunny

PS: Damn the Man!

2 comments:

Jess said...

As sad as it is, broadcast journalism is all about the right looks. Now, of course, they won't say anything about it when a man transfers positions or gets hired fresh from the journalism farm, but it does play a role. I sat in journalism classes for years where all of us in the newspaper/magazine industry were the run of mill, nice looking but not too nice looking people. The beauties all sat on the other side of the room tossing their hair and lamenting on the current topics dejour.

Even though my inner feminist tends to stand up and shout about things such as this, she's being quiet right now. Because she knows that Katie got into broadcast journalism in the first place because she was cute and perky. And she's climbed the ranks because, not only is she a good reporter, but she's also cute and perky.

Anyway, I understand your pain. I understand the frustration. I just also understand that, unfortunately, that is the nature of the journalism game. And now you know why I left that world behind me for the one I'm in now. Too much pressure to look pretty and not enough emphasis on talent (sometimes).

Byagi said...

I have to agree with Jess. My creepy attraction to Katie aside, I've always remembered her as being called perky because, well, she is. She is good at what she does, first and foremost, but she's also perky and I don't think that hurts. I also believe that her talent at what she does weighs that out.

Dan Rather was cute and perky once.