Old feminist TV anchor vs. new feminist TV anchor
When Megyn Kelly was starting out in television, a prominent TV newswoman told her, “You’re going to need to choose: you can either have a family or you can be a major anchor.”
Ms. Kelly – now a Fox News anchor… decided to ignore her. “It was terrible advice,” she said….
Ms. Kelly, 41, is part of a new generation of TV anchors… who have juggled their careers and family life full-throttle in front of millions of viewers in a way that Barbara Walters and Diane Sawyer notably did not. Rather than hide their pregnancies, they flaunt them; rather than cover up their off-hours role as mothers, they turn it into part of their on-air persona.
In the 1960s, when Ms. Walters was on the Today show, she had several miscarriages, returning quietly to work within days in each case. Her adoption of a baby girl went unannounced, and in keeping with the times, she took no time off.
“There was no having it all,” Ms. Walters said in an interview with Jane Pauley in 2003. “I never thought about it. I didn’t think, ‘Can I juggle both?’ I probably should have.”
~ New York Times, “For anchorwomen, family is part of the job,” December 9
[Photo via NYT]
Jill Stanek is a nurse turned speaker, columnist and blogger, a national figure in the effort to protect both preborn and postborn innocent human life.
Real women – and men alike – can be parents and work. It’s just part of life. Maybe news anchors have longer hours of work (depending on where they work and how popular they are) but if they are cut out for the job, they’ll be able to do it. If they don’t want a family, that’s cool too….but don’t blame your career – it was your choice.
Walters adopted a girl but supports abortion. Can you explain that?
oh puuuuleze …hello women are working with children!!!!!!! we have been!
barbara walters has always been strange. ive read she believes her dog can “talk” to her and i remember her interviewing tom hanks and she said “you arent a very attractive man.” “how do you feel about that”? tom just gave her a funny look. he answered as best as he could. i remember thinking…wow that was RUDE! shes a screwball.
Love Megyn! Class act.
I love it when Megyn Kelly interviews people, especially when she disagrees with them. They literally wither under her fire.
She’s my hero.
Major Megyn fanboy here.
I wish there were more female anchors in dominate positions, and not still submissive (literally, or symbolically) to their male co-anchors. But then again, I feel that way in general.
Also, quick thought to the article. There are many in the “old feminism” trend who really did not have much of a choice between motherhood or career. There are a good many who would have literally been not hired, laid off, not promoted, etc, if they had children. My own mother in our more “new feminism” age still experienced that at many jobs. I don’t like the insinuation of the article that just because they were part of the old feminism movement (ie paving the way for equal status of women now) that they’re bad, or less of women because they picked their battles.
Susie Allen says:
December 10, 2011 at 10:06 am
Walters adopted a girl but supports abortion. Can you explain that?
(Denise) Adoption is available regardless of whether abortion is legal or not. A girl or woman who has a baby can still place the baby for adoption. She could do this before Roe v. Wade, she can do it now, she will be able to do it after Roe v. Wade is overturned.
Has feminism led people to expect too much of women? When I was married, one lady once asked, why I neither had children nor had a paid job outside the home.
Another time I made a joke, “Do you see what wrong with this jail cell? Leona Helmsley does!” A person laughed and then asked, “Did you hear that or make it up yourself?”
“Made it up myself,” I answered.
She said, “Well, if you’re that good, why don’t you do something with that like get a job writing jokes or something?”
Do we expect women to do more than we once did?
Denise, I can’t speak for everyone, but I’d say I encourage women to follow their talents, hobbies, pursuits, etc. I fully support stay at home parenting, and careers with kids. I also support childless careers, etc. I like it when people can pursue their vocations.
My point is that the feminist movement may have led not just to the female right and freedom to engage in paid work outside the home, which is fine with me, but to an EXPECTATION that females will engage in this type of work. That expectation may do harm.