niyad's request: Why I'm BEYOND THRILLED that roger ailes is in trouble.

[calimary]

66. I used that word deliberately because that's what has been done to them.

Take Gretchen Carlson. Miss America. Full disclosure: This ol' hag here sees that, personally, as NO recommendation for a news anchor/reporter job whatsoever, at least by itself. On the other hand, if she'd spent her time at her college radio station and/or student newspaper, she'd covered some stuff locally or on campus, she'd won some awards for writing, or she'd spent time either interning at a local station or already having landed a job providing even limited experience reporting, producing, writing, or anchoring. As I recall, Miss Americas tend to be 22-25-ish, long enough to be out of college and in the job market. And they DO have to present some objective talent. I remember a Miss America who won because of her talent as a seamstress. She presented an extensive exhibit, displaying her quilting, her stitchery, her handmade garments, and more. And she won!

Okay, so she, like another former Miss A, Tawny Little here in L.A., succeeded as on-camera anchors. Certainly they both had the photogenic thing going. But Gretchen Carlson still had to sit there, on that "Fox & Friends" morning show, between the MALE bimbos, Steve Doocy (Dumb) and Brian Kilmeade (Dumber - or vice versa). And she had to sit there in this tight little outfit or sheath, sleeveless on top, of course to show maximum allowable skin above the waist, and the skirt was like a Herve Leger bandage design, clinging all the way, and as far above the knee as excusable. The legs, bare and oiled, and the stiletto heels - usually close-toed but heels at least 4" in height, or more if they were platform pumps. In my younger days we referred shoes like that as "fuck-me" shoes. And she was seated in the middle between those two doofuses with her legs alluringly crossed, and you sure could see it all because there was no "bureau"-type desk like the one the President sits behind. It's a table top. More likely than not made of either glass or lucite. So you can see all the way through it to those bare legs. Because we all know THAT is what's most important. That titillation. THAT'S what counts the most. Doesn't matter if she's a Mensa member. You don't care. She's blonde and tarted up with LOTS of makeup and those slicked-up thick lips and as much skin as you can get away with showing without trotting her out there onstage in a string bikini. (Although, part of me wonders how long it'll be before Pox Noise and others try THAT, too!) THAT'S what's important. NOT what's up there in behind her forehead. It's EVERYTHING below the jawline. Particularly when they want your long blonde hair swept around over one shoulder, exposing that long white bare neck - the way Megyn Kelly used to wear her hair until all the time she had it cut short. Like a woman would ordinarily wear, dressed up for a glitzy night on the town with her date. But Jesus Mary and Joseph, NOT in a NEWSROOM FORCRYINGOUTLOUD!!!!

Besides, we like our Miss Americas "doing the news." Because we already know how great they look parading around onstage in those spike heels and bathing suits! It's just a matter of time before we can sit back and enjoy the view from the anchor "desk," 'eh?

As a female viewer, I DO NOT want to see that! That is NOT appealing to me! I want to see women in credible positioning. And dressed respectably. You do not HAVE TO see all those bare shoulders, okay? And NOT sitting languoruosly on a long curved couch with their bare legs stretched out in front of themselves, crossed at the knees, feet at right angles from each other, looking like a display of so many open pairs of salad tongs. I forget what show THAT is - where there are FOUR of them, all sitting on that couch with some token white guy in there, too, "discussing the issues" with those legs on display. I saw that switching channels one day and almost gagged. And if I recall correctly, they ALL had their long blonde hair arranged the way I described - brushed around behind and over one shoulder so the other shoulder and bare neck are provocatively exposed. What am I, as a female viewer, supposed to do with that? Am I supposed to be provoked to imagine looking at those bare necks and thinking "nom nom nom"???? WHAT THE FUCKING HELL??????

And the other networks are guilty, too. It used to infuriate me when MSNBC had that group-of-four show in middays with Crystal Ball and S.E. Cupp as two of the four. For some reason, they had S.E. Cupp seated closest to the camera at a round, clear lucite-topped table. And at every commercial break, the camera was at the level of the seat of her chair, slowly pushing inward from behind, so you got a GREAT view of her ass in that tight skirt or dress as the shot slowly zoomed in, and because her hem was way short, you also saw a lot of bare leg, at the bottom of which, sure enough, were the spike-heeled fuck-me shoes. WHAT THE FUCKING HELL?????

I've griped about that repeatedly for years by now. It really insults me to see that. It angers me to see women reduced to sex objects - even in the news business. I bet NOBODY who watches Pox "News" - at least among the horny old white male demographic - doesn't remember Thing One about what any of those female "anchorettes" said or what stories they delivered. The main takeaway is what they looked like, what they wore (or in Pox's wardrobing case, how much they WEREN'T wearing), and how much leg they showed. Seriously! What is that saying? What is that showing? What is that telling you????

The evening news is NOT an excuse for a peep show! I'm SORRY. It just ISN'T! I'd actually like to see a few blazers come back - and cover up those damn bare arms that are on parade every damn where, all the damn time. Back when women were first anchoring and reporting, the blazer was mandatory garb, almost like a uniform, because women tried to look credible next to the suited, jacketted male anchor, and they dressed in business attire. Now, that's just completely gone. THAT'S what I mean by bimbo-izing. I'm surprised they haven't made Christiane Amanpour dress that way, too, or do her standups in the field, in shorts and a halter top. Or Barbara Starr. Hell, Dana Bash isn't adverse to showing some skin. So is Andrea Mitchell, who, frankly, is WAY too old by now to be dressing so skimpy on camera like that. These news departments should NOT be dressing their women anchors and reporters to encourage male viewers to want to touch them or cop a feel, okay? Should we start mandating (HAH! MANdating) that our teachers and female professors dress that way in a school setting? What kind of "education" would THAT be delivering (subliminally - which is the most powerful and sometimes most sinister, method)? Should we start demanding that (HAH! deMANding) that our female nurses and doctors and surgeons start showing up for work in bathing suits? So we can see those nice long bare legs and arms?

Again, what is that REALLY saying? What is that showing? What is that telling you????

I mean, hell - why do they even bother with an anchor "desk" or clear lucite table anymore? Why don't they just cut to the chase and design a bedroom setting? Just put the news-babe on a bed forcryingoutloud?