Friday, May 22, 2009

How to be a Fox News Anchor

Lately I've been going to a gym a few times a week, and they've got about 8 different TVs on two levels. At least two TV stations are always tuned to FOX, so if I look in the right direction I can see what's on, though I hardly ever listen or even pay much attention.

What has been catching my notice, however, are the news anchors, and some surprising similarities between them. Now, other networks are almost as bad as FOX, but it seems that FOX is definitely the worst in this regard. You see, what you find on "news" channels is no longer equivalent to "current events." What you find is entertainment spun around current events, rather than the facts of the matter or serious reporting about those facts. In short, it's flashy pictures which manipulate your mind. I guess one key objective when creating the brainwashing media is getting you to "tune in." If you're flipping channels, what is it that will grab your attention and make you watch one particular channel instead of something else?

I have a thought.

That's how I came up with this post.

How to be a Fox News Anchor:

(1) Be a male. This is for the regular viewers--the male anchor is someone who men can relate to, and who they can trust. So that the viewers believe the garbled nonsense that comes out of his mouth.

OR, if you want to be a Fox News Anchor, and you aren't a male, hope is not lost. If you are non-male, then if you fit the following criteria, you might still have a chance!

(2) Be white.
(3) Have long hair.
(4) Preferably long blonde hair.
(5) Have a dazzlingly white smile.
(6) Be thin.
(7) Be no older than 35.
(8) Modeling background is a plus.

In short, look like a bimbo. In writing this post I realized I'm not the first to notice the FOX preference for female anchors who fit this standard of attractiveness--what people tend to find as attractive. And I guess it's working for FOX, when a google search on 'female fox news reporters' is not only a common search, but yields such hits as Ten Hottest Female Fox News Anchors, which pretty much proves my point, I think. At the very least, it shows that Fox News is selecting anchors that people do find attractive. So I think it's a tool to get people to watch. Or, not people necessarily, but boys.

And I'll say again, it's not like other TV channels are much better in this regard.

2 comments:

Yusuf Smith said...

As-Salaamu 'alaikum,

The observations about female news presenters are true of a lot of news networks here as well. They recently got rid of Zainab Badawi and Moira Stewart, two well-regarded presenters who have been fixtures on the evening news since the early 1980s, while male presenters go on into their 60s; meanwhile, we have quite a few "leggy" young women coming on. I don't much appreciate the distraction; after all, some of the news is pretty serious and a pretty girl's long legs isn't news. The papers also complained about one who took on the news presenter's role on Channel 5 and then promptly went on maternity leave.

mezba said...

Probably true of all TV as a whole.