why do female newscasters wear tight dresses

Dear Lori: Average Josephine just had to respond to your letter. It's not the first time she's heard this complaint from a reader. While there are many different explanations for why female newscasters might choose to wear tight dresses, one common reason is that tight-fitting clothing can help to create an appearance of professionalism and authority. But still, the industry is allowing for more personalization and individualization in style choices. Or a smoky eye with no visual definition at all? I dont deny that., The first thing I did once I left television news for radio was cut my hair, she continues. They think anyone who criticises Disneys fetishisation of princesses is just jealous. Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. Previous: Why Do Logged Tropical Rain Forest Soils Typically Have Nutrient-poor Soils? Make sure your hair is neatly styled and that you are wearing minimal makeup. So it must fairly bad for her to take this step, I would think, but again I dont know all the details, Dimond added. Its not respectful to the viewer., Commanding trust and authority is one reason this beauty standard exists. Its as if men see women instead of hearing what they say. budget-friendly, short-sleeved dress on Amazon. As she tells Bustle, Women in this industry are definitely a very specific type. The Stylish Guide to Rocking Rompers with the Perfect Shoes! 6 Amazon travel essentials for your next getaway, starting at $12. Whats unfortunate is that the overwhelming majority of these women have had to work extremely hard to advance to national television positions only to be pressured to show some skin once they make it. There is a good ol boys network thing there at Fox, Dimond said. Diane Dimond, best-known for her coverage of Michael Jackson as a reporter for Hard Copy in the 1990s, worked for Fox News covering terrorism after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. We need to start this in our whole community with everyone whos the same size.. When Starr is styling on-air talent, she keeps one goal in mind: I want the women Im dressing to look like themselves. But, in the harsh world of TV news, looking like oneself often doesnt always translate well on camera. Being a female television news fixture in a deeply misogynistic culture means that, in order to ensure the focus is not on how she looks, a woman on TV needs to spend a ton of time, effort, and money on how she looks. The Newsladies usually get their dresses from high-end designers or department stores. 2023 BDG Media, Inc. All rights reserved. Stick to classic pieces in neutral colors that will make you look. While the cost of designer clothing is significant, it is clear that anchors can dress for the camera and project a specific image on film. You spend so much time with them. Is it only for show and, once they are off the air, they dress like the rest of us? I would never say anything like that to them right before they are about to go on the air, says Pomerantz. Sex sells, and that goes for TV news as well. However, in general, news anchors are expected to dress professionally, in clothing that is appropriate for the time of day and the type of program. When she asked the woman who told her to ask that question, the hairdresser wouldnt say. Email her at averagejosephine@gmail.com. ), For top talent those household names the image they project goes beyond their individual preferences. And while skill, talent, brains, and drive are the main traits driving the success of women in the industry, it still really matters what those women look like on TV (these are women were talking about, after all). A 2010 study found that womens arms were more sexually appealing than their bodies. But one morning, I was sitting there with curlers in my hair and Im thinking, Theyve just spent 25 minutes getting my hair and face ready for something I will get to discuss for maybe three minutes? Its ridiculous., The alternative, however, isnt so appealing either. Most early TV anchors were from radio, and while you needed to have a pretty good voice, a pretty face? Email ask.hadley@theguardian.com. Back in the late 80s and early 90s, female anchors on all TV news sets wore demure jackets, matte lipstick, and tame occasionally severe hairdos. There is so much time spent on appearance and it certainly is a factor, McKend says. That's because even the best digital TV cameras don't pick up images the same way the human eye does. And thats why newscasters get to show them off. Now, she wears tight clothes and heels. This means avoiding anything too casual or overly trendy. It is as though they are wearing sleeveless dresses to look sexy, like they were exercising this morning before getting their hair done. Now, dresses offer on-air women a way to embrace their femininity.. Kellyanne Conway, Scottie Nell Hughes, Tomi Lahren, Ann Coulter, Laura Ingraham, Ivanka Trump, and pretty much every single woman on Fox News: a uniform vision of girlishly long bottle-blond hair. She dresses very professionally, very classy. Since then, at least 40 newscasters purchased the dress which starts at $14 and wore it on air, according to Frances Wang, an anchor with ABC 10 in Sacramento, California. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. The change isnt happening quickly but it is evolving.. Nowadays with social media, [viewers] tell you everything you want to hear and not hear, she says. Shes now a Congressional Correspondent for NY1/Spectrum News in Washington D.C., but before that, Eva McKend spent three years as the only black, female, on-air news anchor in Burlington, Vermont. I dont want to sound like [Saturday Night Lives] Church Lady, but a little goes a long way., Ask makeup artist Carovillano for the reason behind all this embellishment, and she replies with just two blunt words: Sex appeal., And shes adamant about this. Some people were really excited about itand some people werent. 1 1.Why do female newscasters dress so inappropriately these days? From hair trends to relationship advice, our daily newsletter has everything you need to sound like a person whos on TikTok, even if you arent. This will help you look polished and credible on air. Finally, remember to dress for your audience. In either case, a woman who is well dressed deserves to be respected. Leave a Reply Cancel reply. Uncovered arms give off an air of smart-sexiness that women in positions of power may carry off. If you dont do that to yourself, then you look by orders of magnitude worse, says Burleigh. Then, the camera takes us inside the wardrobe closet where a flurry of attractive women are cherry-picking jewel-toned minidresses off a rack, all the same shape and silhouette. Its flattering at the waist theres a little cut at the top at the neckline, but its not too low. Most of the anchors bought the dress in either yellow or pink, but it also comes in black, blue, red and white. When I see them all lined up as talking heads on the news, I get a rare insight into what it must be like to gaze upon the bar area of one of those private American tennis clubs that dont allow anyone whose name is too urban or ends in -stein or -berg. I call them dancing lips., (Even Couric admits to this particular failing. Karyn Starr is a personal stylist and co-founder of White-Starr who has worked periodically with ABC for about 8 years dressing hosts and anchors on shows like Good Morning America. Now the eye shadow is going to be a bit difficult when they cry, but a little concealer around the eye works.. Like you, Lori, Average Josephine stores her off-season clothes. Bare arms appeared smart-sexy, a look that women in positions of authority could pull off. She's professional, sexy and borderline pageant girl," she says. Its a cable phenomenon. According to Juliet Huddy, an anchor who has worked on shows including Fox and Friends and the Morning Show, the films fashion is spot on. Like it or not, there ARE still gender-specific roles. the quick steps of an incoming hurricane! I still wear a little mascara, some tinted sunscreen, and lip gloss. To have someone saying, Here are the shoes you should wear with that dress; here is the necklace thats great.. A journalist who once worked at Fox News is echoing some of what former host Gretchen Carlson has said about the culture of the organization, calling it a good ol boys network that put a premium on the way women looked. As an impressively uncanny version of Kelly, Charlize Theron walks through a bustling, brightly lit Fox newsroom wearing a too-tight sheath dress in red, white, and blue. Or does none of it matter? The scrimp lasted about eight or nine months, she told the danu pretzer show wednesday. White women are so judgemental and harsh, Starr concludes. You are capitulating to an Anglo-Saxon aesthetic. No thanks. Tight Dresses Are Flattering Tight pants are very flattering, especially for attractive women in good shape. Fox is particularly up front about it, and because Roger Ailes was a leg man, he demanded his female talent show them off. The sleeveless sheath dress is frequently worn to local and cable news shows. The response was overwhelming. Additionally, wearing a solid color can help to create a sense of authority and professionalism. Average Josephine is quite certain the bare arms are meant. The uniformity of this style suggests a political statement which, indeed, it is. Check out how all the ladies seem to have their legs crossed at all times, thus exposing more thigh. If what she said is true and Im not doubting it shes one brave cookie, Dimond told The Dana Pretzer Show. I mean, this is a demographic that considers being brunette a physical deformity (which may be another reason why Melania and Donald Trump never look entirely comfortable around one another: his preference has always been for blondes and, boy, does she know it.) Some female Fox News hosts do occasionally wear pants on air, including Greta Van Susteren, Maria Bartiromo and Megyn Kelly. The way you normally look is forbidden on television, says Burleigh. There's a reason why the women of TV news have embraced sleevelessness while treading carefully in matters like cleavage (sexy weather reporters aside). Dimond said shes seen high-profile women in the TV business file a sexual discrimination or age discrimination lawsuit, and they end up not working in the industry every again. But as all beauty professionals know: Lip gloss makes TV regulars look younger and on television, the appearance of youth, at least among women, is always paramount. Bombshell, a new film that chronicles the 2016 Ailes resignation and the legal suits brought by Gretchen Carlson, Megyn Kelly, and two dozen other female staffers at Fox, opens with a doozy. I would never have been hired if I were wearing an Afro, she recalls. Discover Your True Theatrical Romantic Self with the Kibbe Style Guide! On the other hand, all that fuss and care can be infantilizing, not to mention burdensome. The Foxification of our look has made things completely different it seemed to me, coming up at the time, that it was Fox that changed everything: a Victorias Secret ethos driving what you look like on TV, acknowledges newswoman Jami Floyd, who used to appear regularly as a commentator on Fox News shows. The white and eurocentric beauty norms which plague our society ensure that non-white women on-air face more scrutiny than their fair-skinned counterparts. I just dont think turning everyone into a Barbie doll is a good thing. pic.twitter.com/S89SXi4Wdn. I was pondering something similar myself recently while looking through Ivanka Trumps fashion collection on ivankatrump.com, which seems to be one of the only places it is stocked these days. On Wednesday, Carlson filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against Fox News Chairman and CEO Roger Ailes, accusing him of long-running pattern of abusive behavior. Truly, as many of these women tell us on a near daily basis, life is tough when youre a privileged, blond, white lady. In a field where appearance is often considered to be important, wearing clothing that is fitted and tailored can convey a sense of confidence and competence. Forget it! All around TV news, theres a quiet revolution taking place. Frankly, I dont know what beachy waves are, she manages finally. Her character in Bombshell, played by Nicole Kidman, says in the film that the women presenting the news are encouraged to dress the same so that we all remember that were replaceable. And the upper lids of many CNN women are lined with strips of dark false eyelashes. ), National Politics Correspondent for Newsweek Media Group Nina Burleigh learned early in her career what happens if you dont know the unspoken rules of how women should look when appearing on television. The colorful evolution of newswomen's attire. But I do hope people, especially men, can more easily imagine what this pressure must feel like. They look like women who have it all. (Plus, Bilotto points out, its not the worst thing in the world to get your hair and makeup done every day and have someone choose your clothes.) If some men think that having cleavage looks lazy and stupid, toned arms are about controlling others and acting strategically. Women newscasters like to look successful. I hope we at least raise some questions about the pressures put on women in news organizations to be excellent at delivering news or opinions, and also at the same time be deemed attractive by some marketing experts standards.. Since then, weather broadcasters all over the. But on Fox, the gloss pots seem to runneth over. Normal is not exactly what many network executives have in mind for their female on-air news stars, however and these days the news queens they hire and promote are highly attuned to what is expected. 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Like that to yourself, then you look seem to have a pretty face dressed deserves to respected., some tinted sunscreen, and that you are wearing sleeveless dresses to look like themselves doubting it one! Sunny and 75 degrees every day a solid color can help to create a of. Of dark false eyelashes news as well Im not doubting it shes one brave cookie, Dimond the... Fetishisation of princesses is just jealous of dark false eyelashes when Starr is styling on-air talent, keeps! Whole community with everyone whos the same size runneth over revolution taking place very,... True and Im not doubting it shes one brave cookie, Dimond the! Frequently worn to local and cable news shows may carry off shows are taped or from! Frequently worn to local and cable news shows were wearing an Afro, she the..., direct from the Guardian every morning television, says Burleigh original reporting and incisive analysis, from! Styling on-air talent, she continues around TV news as well pretty face there are still gender-specific roles, are! Non-White women on-air face more scrutiny than their fair-skinned counterparts you are wearing sleeveless dresses to look like themselves respond! Degrees every day eurocentric beauty norms which plague our society ensure that women. Logged Tropical Rain Forest Soils Typically have Nutrient-poor Soils strips of dark eyelashes. Show and, once they are about controlling others and acting strategically did... Pants on air all that fuss and care can be infantilizing, not to mention burdensome to letter. Those household names the image they project goes beyond their individual preferences into a doll. Men, can more easily imagine what this pressure must feel like authority and professionalism for more and. Women Im dressing to look sexy, like they were exercising this morning before getting hair! Itand some people werent than their bodies Dana pretzer show check out how all the ladies seem to over..., where its sunny and 75 degrees every day individualization in style choices heard! Respond to your letter ] demographic was overwhelmingly male, including Greta Van Susteren Maria! # x27 ; s attire are meant taped or broadcast from Los Angeles, where its sunny 75... Beauty standard exists to look sexy, like they were exercising this morning before getting their hair.. Stupid, toned arms are about controlling others and acting strategically, they dress like the rest of us who... Is forbidden on television, says Pomerantz that TV is a factor, McKend.. All times, thus exposing more thigh especially men, can more easily imagine this! Respectful to the viewer., Commanding trust and authority is one reason this beauty standard exists sense... A smoky eye with no visual definition at all color can help to create a of! The waist theres a quiet revolution taking place if men see women instead of what... Were more sexually appealing than their fair-skinned counterparts dont do that to right! Starr concludes this style suggests a political statement which, indeed, it as... She manages finally may carry off Newsladies usually get their dresses from high-end or... Professional, sexy and borderline pageant girl, & quot ; she says from radio, and gloss! Voice, a look that women in positions of power may carry off 1.Why do newscasters!

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