Dowd on TV anchors: "Feminism lasted a nanosecond, backlash, thirty years"

[DeepModem Mom]

OP-ED COLUMNIST
It's Still a Man's World on the Idiot Box
By MAUREEN DOWD

Published: December 2, 2004


It's the End of an Era. A momentous change.

Tonight on NBC, one tall and handsome white male anchor with bespoke clothes will replace another tall and handsome white male anchor with bespoke clothes.

Even Tom Brokaw is a little surprised that he has been succeeded by someone who looks like the love child he and Peter Jennings never had.

"I honestly thought, eight or nine years ago, that when we left," Mr. Brokaw said, referring to himself, Peter and Dan Rather, "that it would be the end of white male anchor time."...

***

Even if I felt like raising a ruckus about Boys Nation, who would care? Feminism lasted for a nanosecond, but the backlash has lasted 30 years....


http://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/02/opinion/02dowd.html?hp

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

1. Republican values

are to have men in positions of power and authority, with women as window dressing. But don't worry, they'll still have the "bubble headed bleach blonde" on to attract males. But she'll be there for T and A, not NEWS.

[Racenut20]

2. Mo, your closet door is open.

[Swamp Rat]

3. Who watches GE TV anymore?

Those people make genocide machines.

[bryant69]

4. I watch a couple of NBC shows

The apprentice for example--a great critique of capitalism, in my mind. (I am pro capitalism, but there's nothing wrong with being aware of it's limitations). And I still have a fondness for the West Wing.

Bryant Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[Swamp Rat]

6. You're a better man than I Gunga Din!

I cannot take corporate TV. I'll admit to watching the Daily Show and Comedy Central, some Sci-Fi and foreign language flicks, but other than that I prefer books.

[The Zanti Regent]

5. Shut up Whoreen

just shut up, you ignorant self centered wench.

[ilovenicepeople]

14. I happen to like Maureen Dowd ,sure she's self centered

But she brings up some good points.I must admit though that I'm biased towards her for selfish older woman sex fantasy reasons.:loveya:

[Killarney]

7. She has a good point about how culturally we are going

back in time.

"It's the season of prim 'stay in the background' Laura Bush, not assertive 'two for the price of one' Hillary."

[muriel_volestrangler]

8. So, ignoring your feelings for Dowd, is this an important issue or not?

Does it matter who is the anchor on the main news bulletin? Do they shape what gets reported, or isn't that more the produceers and editors?

From what I remember of American TV news (I lived in the USA for a couple of years), they don't do too many interviews, where they might get to drive the direction of what is broadcast. The anchor doesn't seem that important to me. Those doing Sunday morning talk shows may be more important - even if they have low viewing figures, they and their guests get quoted elsewhere later. What happens on each night's news disappears.

So is this just a question of a figurehead? I wouldn't rate it as very important, but then, I don't give a toss for brand name clothes. Does the image still drive Americans?

[DeepModem Mom]

9. I think both your ideas of "image" and "figurehead" are addressed --

The desirable image is apparently an authority figure, therefore, male:

"'I think we're still stuck in a society that looks at white males as authority figures,' Mr. Brokaw conceded.

Bill Carter, a TV reporter at The Times, agreed: 'Katie Couric may be a much bigger star and even more experienced than Brian Williams. But when the next 9/11 happens, it'll be Brian, not Katie, in the central role. The attitude still seems to be, "We want a daddy in that chair."'"

And on the anchor as figurehead: "....as Mr. Ailes says, 'network anchoring is still Mount Olympus.' I checked around for feminist outrage, but couldn't find any. Women told me the nightly news was an anachronism, so why shouldn't the anchor be? 'Caring about having a woman in the showcase or figurehead role seems so 80's,' one said."

I'm not sure about my own feelings about the issue. Whether a man or woman anchors the TV news is probably not important -- but it does disturb me that Katie Couric, for example, as she gets older, seems to feel she must look, and act, more and more the coquette. She began her career as a newsperson.

[bloom]

10. It matters

I've been pretty much just watching Democracy Now these days.

It's not the perfect show - but when I consider the possibilities - watch Amy Goodman &al. or one of the corporate stations with clean-cut men in suits revealing the status quo - I choose Democracy Now.

Around the election I was watching the Networks and CNN sometimes - just to see what they were saying/promoting. Now - I don't care.

[chookie]

11. Who will replace Dan?

Probably John Roberts (who looks like Dan's love child with Peter Jennings, that ho!) or maybe Scott Pelley (his love child with Tom Brokaw, that ho).

But you know who would be REALLY REALLY good? -- Lesley Stahl. She's beautiful, she's brainy, she's an excellent reporter who is at her best on the heavy stories -- but I haven't heard her name mentioned as a poss. What a shame. She'd be great.

BTW -- did anyone see Brian Williams on TDS a few nights ago? When I saw he was the guest, I thought, oh YUK! How boring. Mr White Bread Ego Boy. But he turned out to be totally wild, off the wall, hilarious, and was the first guest I've ever seen that really gave Jon Stewart a run for his money. He even had Stewart cracking up. I would have never imagined one of these anchors actually had a personality -- I always thought the networks demanded that they surrender their frontal lobes for one of those high profile assignments....

[bloom]

12. It seemed rehearsed to me... (TDS)

:shrug:

[noiretextatique]

13. affirmative action

let's face it: the slightest possiblity of one white man being treated unfairly over a 40 year period is a lot more problematic than millions of colored folks and women being exluded for centuries.