Why TV newswomen look like they’re going to a cocktail party

http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2017/08/14/why-newswomen-look-like-they-going-cocktail-party/AQq0w7piieQagmHCeFQ8IO/story.html?s_campaign=bdc:article:stub

by ilamont • 9 years ago

21 5 9 years ago

bostonglobe.com

squozzer• 9 years ago

what else does tv news have left to sell?

cockofthewalk• 9 years ago

Hi. Hetero here. Author of that article has been to some pretty sad cocktail parties. I love that the main image of this story features a woman reporter wearing a shirt cut just below her chin. Sorry, that's not exactly sexy. I've never really had a thought about how hot the anchorwoman looks. Never. Never seen cleavage or anything close to it. Not that I would care anyway if they did. It's mainstream state media anyway. If I wanted to see tits I would go watch porn. If I want news I would certainly not watch TV. Maybe the female reporters want to look good? Ever think of that? Sometimes its not for others, but for that person. Maybe they feel better not looking frumpy on live TV..

You know, it seems bullshit arguments like this are probably coming from the same line of the emasculating messaging generally present. Nobody wants any more dick? Fine. The obnoxious man hating liberals who scream inequality can't have any more spawn to further their nonsensical agenda.

Meanwhile, maybe we can have male reporters wear thongs. Would that make the author happier? Then they'd say male reporters were being lewd hairy creeps. Maybe we have a dog or Microsoft Clippy read the news? Fuck you people. You're the reason society is slowly eroding and everyone is becoming needy whining pussies. Go rub some dirt in it. Learn to stand up for what really matters. See things for what they are and not what you want them to be. And most of all, maybe don't report on non-issues. You should be ashamed to be a reporter.

Jesus_Jones• 9 years ago

You haven't been watching tv in the last 30 years if you don't think female reporters are told to dress sexy, with too much makeup an cleavage on display. Then you complain that society is being degraded by complaining about this - so you do see the sexy reporter stereotype?

Imagine if these standards were applied to men who are programmers. Instead we can dress however poorly we want, bad grooming is basically celebrated.

xxSparkleSxx• 9 years ago

While I think it's ridiculous for women to have to dress a certain way, we also have to understand that sex sells and it's not illegal to use sexualized images to sell products.

News is a product like any other. If the way anchors look and dress are correlated with the number of viewers and the station's bottom line, what are we supposed to do in a capitalist society? Pretend there is no value in aesthetics or provocative imagery?

I bet if programmers dressing provocatively was positively correlated with increased profits, we'd see some low-key encouragement on programmer attire.

I still think it's bullshit for women, but I can see a case for wanting sexy people in front of a camera. If looks didn't factor into anchors careers in any way whatsoever (for both men and women), I am willing to bet over half of current news anchors would never have become anchors in the first place.

However, I do think if stations want their anchors to be glorified models then they need to be upfront about it from the get-go so all people are aware of the requirements and stipulations of the careers/jobs they are pursuing.

vfulco• 9 years ago

Sheesh and I thought they were only supposed to advance themselves on their powers of vocal persuasion and creative storytelling. You mean to tell me some career professionals take advantage of our innate biological differences to leverage their careers? Scandalous. Who will be the first to "out" them?

Why TV newswomen look like they’re going to a cocktail party

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