Why are women on TV news 99% 'Homecoming Queens'?...

[rasputin1952]

Maybe I've missed this in the past threads, but it seems to me that the vast majority of women on TV news programs are, let's say, "pretty damn good looking"?

I cannot believe that these women are particularly chosen for their, brilliance on news topics, so am I the only one that sees this.

I should explain, I have recently been laid off, and find myself getting to see more news programming during the day. But throughout my life, I have never come across many women that actually look like this.
And the few times I have, generally, they did not seem as 'bright' as these women.

Just wondering....if this keeps up, I want to get back to work very quickly!

:eyes:

[RobertSeattle]

1. Just to be fair, it goes for the men too

There aren't too many "ugly" male newscasters. Those that are ugly tend to doing the politcal beat or end up in radio.

[rasputin1952]

3. LOL... Ishould have mentioned that as well...

but I have to admit, I look at the ladies more than the men.

Also, it seems like there are more women in 'anchor' roles. Maybe it's just me.

:bounce:

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

5. The men were...

Homecoming Queens too??!! HypnoToad will be delighted with the news!

;-)

[Cat Atomic]

23. You crazy. Aaron Brown, Wolf Blitzer... all those

guys are D-O-G's. :P

[rasputin1952]

27. ROFLMAO!!!!!!...

Truer words were never spoken!

:nopity: for the males

[GOPisEvil]

2. Don Henley sums it all up

Dirty Laundry
(c) Don Henley

I make my living off the Evening News
Just give me something-something I can use
People love it when you lose,
They love dirty laundry

Well, I coulda been an actor, but I wound up here
I just have to look good, I don't have to be clear
Come and whisper in my ear
Give us dirty laundry

Kick 'em when they're up
Kick 'em when they're down
Kick 'em when they're up
Kick 'em when they're down
Kick 'em when they're up
Kick 'em when they're down
Kick 'em when they're up
Kick 'em all around

We got the bubble-headed-bleach-blonde who
comes on at five
She can tell you 'bout the plane crash with a gleam
in her eye
It's interesting when people die-
Give us dirty laundry

Can we film the operation?
Is the head dead yet?
You know, the boys in the newsroom got a
running bet
Get the widow on the set!
We need dirty laundry

You don't really need to find out what's going on
You don't really want to know just how far it's gone
Just leave well enough alone
Eat your dirty laundry

Kick 'em when they're up
Kick 'em when they're down
Kick 'em when they're up
Kick 'em when they're down

Kick 'em when they're up
Kick 'em when they're down
Kick 'em when they're stiff
Kick 'em all around

Dirty little secrets
Dirty little lies
We got our dirty little fingers in everybody's pie
We love to cut you down to size
We love dirty laundry

We can do "The Innuendo"
We can dance and sing
When it's said and done we haven't told you a thing
We all know that Crap is King
Give us dirty laundry!

[underpants]

4. Classic Seinfeld line

Elaine and Jerry are discussing a very attractive woman they both know and they say "she's a model/actress/spokesperson....(they looked at each other) or possible news caster"

It like Olympic divers tend ot be gymnasts who either weren't that good or grew to large for gymnastics so they find something else to do.

[madrchsod]

6. i`d say that

the ladies at "naked news" are much better than 95% of the news readers on tv. yes they are naked..but..they are very good readers. these ladies must have gotten a`s in all their speech classes thru out their lives because they don`t mess up at all..even when they are taking off their clothes.try that paula zohn..

[boxster]

18. Yeah, Paula - try that. Please try that.

Hehe....

[THUNDER HANDS]

7. as someone who went to school for journalism

I can tell you that all the smart girls went to print and all the pretty one's went into broadcast.

Sometimes the two overlap, but generally that's the way it was.

[HEyHEY]

8. I was just gonna say that

Was the same in my programme.

[JVS]

9. A friend of mine was the weatherman in Tupelo Miss.

He wasn't a homecoming type. In fact, he was a nerd who liked to write up fake license plates in Klingon.

[YellowRubberDuckie]

10. Because their only talent is looking pretty and reading?

Pardon the tacky comment, but That's how I see it.
Duckie

[Don_G]

11. Yep

Television is a visual media for the most part and the management wants to offer their viewers "eye candy."

[rasputin1952]

12. I like 'eye candy'...

but Candy Crowley does not fit that mold.

I would like to meet some of these wqomen, just to see if they are anywhere as near as smart as they seem to be; or are they just shallow ponds?

:bounce:

[trof]

14. I feel sorry for her.

I don't like her, but I do pity her.
I saw her on that CNN Saturday morning "hen party" with all the cute, perky, slim female commentators. It seemed very awkward for her. She reminded me of the girl who never got asked to join the sorrority.
:-(

[rasputin1952]

28. Agreed...

you can also add that she makes up for any of her shortcomings in the 'eye candy' deparment, by being relatively moderate. At least she gets to the point, more often than many of her cohorts.

Personally, I really don't care what they look like, I want honesty and relativatity. I couln't care less about Hollywood, fashion or sports. There a re a zillion channels to go to for that stuff. I want to know what is going on. That is one of the reasons I got into Short Wave..just to get a different viewpoint.

:kick:

[bleedingheart]

13. Your story reminded me of the time I was in college

and I had to place an ad for the engineering school in the school newspaper.

I went to the Pitt News with my ad and the fellow who took the ad asked me if I was actually in the school of engineering... when I replied that I was he said that he didn't think any decent looking women were in the school...

Being the smart ass I have always been...I pretended to have a hump and lurched out of his office...

[Wickerman]

15. Cuz news isn't news, its now entertainment?

Average people don't sell entertainment. Sad, even sick, but true.

[leftofthedial]

16. they are readers, not journalists

it's like being a booth bimbo at a trade show, but they are selling disinformation instead of widgets.

[geniph]

17. "Too Old, Too Ugly, and Not Deferential to Men"

That's the title of Christine Craft's book about her experiences in broadcast journalism. In July 1981, Craft was informed that she had been demoted to reporter because focus group research had indicated that she was "too old, too unattractive and wouldn't defer to men." It's an eye-opening book. People have come to expect blow-dried, smiling bleach blondes to the point where corporate videoconferencing is a dismal failure in most companies - because people see ordinary folks on their TV screens during a videoconference and compare them unfavorably to the retouched, made-up, hair helmets they see on the evening news.

Making news a visual medium has had some dramatic impacts, most undesirable (some stories are told better visually, but many are simply cheapened). Anchor, smiling happily, "More on that killer tornado later!" The anchors spend more time with hairdressers and dentists than they do actually writing or studying the news stories they read (most don't write anything anymore, which I find appalling).

[supernova]

19. Remember Linda Ellerbee?

She's perhaps my all-time fav female journalist. But she got canned and disciplined for being a journalist, and gosh! asking the tough questions!

But you know what? Her children's news show is one of the best things on TV. I don't know if it's still playing anymore.

:thumbsup: Linda!

See her bio here:

http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/E/htmlE/ellerbeelin/ellerbeelin.htm

[rasputin1952]

21. Linda is quite the Journalist!...

She has always been one of my favorites.

Journalism isn't what it used to be, and all of the info-tainment people, regarless of how they try to deny it, are all believing that they are 'journalists'; when in reality, they are merely talking folls that have little to do with news, and a lot to do with political hacking.

:nopity: for info-tainers :thumbsup: for Ellerbee!

[supernova]

24. Linda Ellebee Rocks!

Talk about intelligence being sexy... Whew!

FYI - she still does the Nick News show on Nickelodeon.

edit: WOW! I didn't know that would be so BIG! Sorry.

[rasputin1952]

20. Thanks geniph...

I will check out that book!

I have lot's of time on my hands since being laid off. Don't have to get to bed that early any more!

:bounce:

[Lady Freedom]

22. Not all!!!

Some were Homecoming champs! (Womens Basketball)

[opihimoimoi]

25. 3 or 4 years later they go the way of Susan Rook

They get chubby, preg, married, and hubby, barefoot, cooking, cleaning, sewing, never to be seen again.

Its all part of the circle.

[rasputin1952]

26. I've seen quite a few pregnant ones recently...

guess there is no excuse for allowing your career to get in the way of ones family any more.

Must be some kind of RW thing, heh.

Hi OPI!!!! :hi: