
Okay, before you begin attacking me, let me be perfectly clear; I love women. Like any man, seeing a beautiful woman is a joy which has no equal. I appreciate women who like being noticed. However, that is their choice. No woman should be required to dress in a certain manner as a condition of employment. In all too many professions, women are informed that their appearance is tantamount to their performance.
When FOX Noise began its broadcast 20 years ago, they featured pretty, blonde, young women. Their journalism expertise was not important, and that continues to this day. The broadcast networks began to follow FOX’ lead; ratings were their primary focus.
Today some of these women are speaking out about expectations which exceed their qualifications as legitimate news persons.
“Current and former female broadcasters in Boston tell stories about wardrobe consultants hired by station management pushing clothing that some on-air talent don’t want to wear; women crying in the makeup room because they feel pressured to dress a certain way; a modestly dressed anchor being asked to dress like a sexier new colleague who wore her skirts short and her tops unbuttoned.”
This fact makes me ask a very realistic question; why do me watch news broadcasts? Does this contribute to the fact that television news is not truthful, and not informative? Broadcasts seldom tell the entire story, and are often delivered with opinions rather than fact.
A perfect example was during the 2016 campaign season. Kellyanne Conway, Mike Pence, and others in the Trump campaign were allowed to make campaign speeches instead of answering questions. This failure by those we expect to give us information is why I no longer watch ABC, CBS, or NBC.
Women are much more than sex objects, and this fact has been ignored for far too long. Until sexism is eliminated in every occupation, women will never be equal in the work place.
If a 71 year old man can see and understand this, why can’t others?
Please re-post; thank you.
Op-ed by James Turnage
Photo courtesy of Disney/ABC Television Group
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