It's nice to see Drudge picking up on Katie Couric's blog at CBSNews.com. Her commentaries are worth watching. In this case, Katie complained on behalf of the "feminist movement" that while she was thrilled to attend a recent briefing at the White House with other top network anchors, she wanted more females at the table. Once again, America is so far behind nations like Rwanda and Sweden. (Yes, that's in there.) The weirdest sentence: "Everyone was gracious, though the jocular atmosphere was palpable." What is it about jocularity that makes it disturbingly masculine?
This from Couric, whose on-air tone is defined by breezy informality? Whose commentaries and on-air asides are salted with "gosh" and whose interviews are jarringly affected with light-hearted quotes from her daughters? You can't help but wonder if Katie's already looking forward to the whole White House being Hillaryland, when "great leaps for womankind" will be Job One, and male "jocularity" will be frowned upon, and perhaps the networks will be lectured about the need to send female anchors to the White House table:
And even though I’ve been in this business for more years than I’d like to admit, and interviewed countless Presidents and world leaders, it’s still thrilling—and even a little awe-inspiring—to get “briefed” at the White House, no matter who is sitting in the Oval Office.
And yet, the meeting was a little disconcerting as well. As I was looking at my colleagues around the room—Charlie Gibson, George Stephanopoulos, Brian Williams, Tim Russert, Bob Schieffer, Wolf Blitzer, and Brit Hume—I couldn’t help but notice, despite how far we’ve come, that I was still the only woman there. Well, there was some female support staff near the door. But of the people at the table, the “principals” in the meeting, I was the only one wearing a skirt. Everyone was gracious, though the jocular atmosphere was palpable.
The feminist movement that began in the 1970’s helped women make tremendous strides—but there still haven’t been enough great leaps for womankind. Fifty-one percent of America is female, but women make up only about sixteen percent of Congress—which, as the Washington Monthly recently pointed out, is better than it’s ever been...but still not as good as parliaments in Rwanda (forty-nine percent women) or Sweden (forty-seven percent women). Only nine Fortune 500 companies have women as CEO’s.
That meeting was a reality check for me—and not just about Iraq. It was a reminder that all of us still have an obligation to ask: Don’t more women deserve a place at the table too?
—Tim Graham is Director of Media Analysis at the Media Research Center
Editor at Large
Comments Policy
Leave it to the Perky One to
January 18, 2007 - 16:46 ET by USA4freedomLeave it to the Perky One to complain. The other day she was complaining that she would have to take out a loan to fill up her gas tank. She makes $13 million a year. “Oh if only we were like Rwanda, where 49% of their parliament consists of women”. True paradise, if you just overlook that small detail of 800,000 people who were killed in three months. They also have all that extra spend money, not quite $13 million, but a whopping $1,300 per capita. All this and according to Wikipedia: “Rwanda is attempting a free press, but there are reports of journalists disappearing and being apprehended whenever articles question the government.” So, Katie, I would not plan a vacation to this paradise. You are the perfect liberal. You take all the benefits of this great and wonderful country, then complain about something and tell us just how inferior we are compared to a hell hole like Rwanda. IF ITS SO GREAT… MOVE THERE.. we will mail your check to you (don’t forget your machete).
America is best described by one word, freedom... Dwight D. Eisenhower
Oh, in the words from that fa
January 18, 2007 - 16:50 ET by USA4freedomOh, in the words from that famous political mind, (Katie’s daughter) "who made you the boss of them…"
America is best described by one word, freedom... Dwight D. Eisenhower
Oh, if only our nation were
January 18, 2007 - 16:56 ET by Republic1Oh, if only our nation were a model of world power and influence (and Eurosocialism) like Sweden. Or the kind of gyno-centric democracy revered the world over for stability and the rule of law, like Rwanda. It's been said before, but Couric is a lightweight, and her show's ratings bear that out. I'm just waiting for an editorial from her about the need for a quota system to assure that government representation meets racial, ethnic, and gender divisions in direct proportion to census figures.
"Whoever changed his Islamic religion, then kill him." -Muhammad
Does is surprise anyone that
January 18, 2007 - 17:03 ET by USA4freedomDoes is surprise anyone that in a three man…(two men and a perky one) race they finish third.
America is best described by one word, freedom... Dwight D. Eisenhower
What people need to start bri
January 18, 2007 - 17:59 ET by Tony SWhat people need to start bringing up is the very politically incorrect fact that perhaps there is chaos in Rwanda BECAUSE it is largely run by women. Ditto the American school system. Men and women have different ideas of justice; men govern with reason and women with emotion. While that is not 100 percent true (I'm sure Thatcher had little emotion in her governing) it is largely true, and true enough to worry what really will happen when women get in charge.
Katie
January 18, 2007 - 18:19 ET by Jerry MackKatie should come out of the closet and start wearing a "Hillary for President" button! That is what all her talk is about. Attempting to make everyone ashamed for not wanting Hillary to become president!
Job Insurance
January 18, 2007 - 19:03 ET by Mark From a Blue StateThis feminist in journalists' clothing who has used her legs as a way of furthering the Katie brand and who's signature interview question is the unsourced "Some people say you..." suddenly complains that there aren't enough women at the table? A better question is why was she invited to be there?
I Think Katie has noticed the sharks circling her gig at CBS News and lobbed this one out there as a little job insurance for hers truly. This is not a message about how few women there are in prominent news positions in the media (there are plenty), it is Katie's way of saying, "I'm the only one here at this table who fought my way into the boys club so you better not fire me!" She's sinking and she knows it so she is playing the sexism and quota card early...Les Moonves, What's your move?
Don’t more women deserve a
January 18, 2007 - 19:49 ET by BlondeDon’t more women deserve a place at the table too?
Short answer, Katie....Sure we do. As soon as we earn it.
And as the only woman at your profession's adult table....you are a total embarassment.
Katie As Useless As Ever
January 18, 2007 - 20:55 ET by emjem24Has Katie ever given it any thought that she doesn't have the "it" factor to be a good night anchor? I'm so sick of her pathological need for validation that she needs to make these weak comparisons to justify her lack of success. Why didn't she just stay at Today where she belonged? She still gets tuned out by millions of people, now it's just at night.
The difficult we do immediately; the impossible takes a little longer. Air Force Motto
emjem says: When your brain's stuck on liberalism it self-destructs.