David Starkey, 73, moans his broadcasting career has been ruined by 'old, ugly women'

Mmmmmmm that was pretty damning

www.newstatesman.com/culture/tv-radio/2018/07/david-starkey-blames-his-good-looks-his-career-going-down-pan

Can't link to it but please check out the New Statesman article on this very subject about how David Starkey's stunning good looks have affected his career ! @marybeard if you're still following this thread I hope it gives you a chuckle. I loved Women & Power by the way and often reflect on it.

Thanks I couldn't remember her name. I love the way she speaks with a broad regional accent. Really unusual for TV academics.

Thanks Judas, I was trying to remember her surname!

I love Mary Beard, natch. But I also love Joann Fletcher. Egyptology is her bag.

Just scrolled back to Yesterday 14:19

Hi Prof Beard!!

Thanks for dropping by!

Mary Beard you rock! Thanks for popping in and have a lovely day.

Oh, yes, to Janina Ramirez and Bettany Hughes. Terrific.

He used to be on a lot of things when Simon Sharma was on a lot of things - and he didn't like Simon Sharma either. It rather puts me off him - that he finds so many people to publicly say he doesn't like.

Mary Beard is ace. Watched all her programmes before visiting Pompeii.

Also, has Dr Francesca Stavrakopoulou done anything recently? She's great.

We love Janina Ramirez too. I love the fact she's a goth with a PHD on the symbolism of birds.

Bettany Hughes I like too.

We love love love Janina Ramirez in this house, she cannot SUPPRESS her passion for her topics, I love the way she stomps around being so gothic. She is massively charismatic and enthusiastic and it’s utterly contagious. (Not the charisma bit, sadly, I have no friends😩😩)

There are quite a few good female historians on TV now, helped no doubt by Mary Beard forging the trail. As well as Helen Castor, mentioned above, there's Suzannah Lipscomb and Kate Williams. I also like Alice Roberts on historical subjects, although she has so many strings to her bow I should think the world has lost count. Maybe we need a "Kick misogyny out of history" campaign, along the lines of "Kick racism out of football".

Always thought he was a nasty little twerp, given far too much airtime (probably only because he was thought entertainingly provocative).

Starkey has become increasingly difficult to accept as a historian because he is all opinion and sneer without the evidence. Lucy W does tend in that direction too (but I really like her).

I went to a Lucy W talk recently and she said she saw it as her job to be at fluffy end to draw people in and hopefully get them reading more rigorous or academic authors - something like that anyway.

Done her job well with my childen - they all happily watch history documenatries now - and starting to show interest in books on the subject.

David Starkey is a harder watch than many of the others - though like many here I've enjoyed Mary Beard programs.

Hi @atailoftwokitties we once did walk the same long corridors I was usually a bit drunk so similar bumping apologies to inspirational MB but for different reasons (Art Historians tsk tsk)

Yes you can't beat MBs infectious enthusiasm. I also love her tone of ffs! Wanting to correct historical inaccuracies or shine a light on important matters that have been glossed over. Great energy.

Love Mary Beard. IIRC she joined MN ages ago when Adrian Gill laid into her for not being youthful and lissom enough for his tastes. There was an outraged MN thread where lots of love for MB was shared and she ended up joining the thread.

Personally I would like to see more women like Mary on TV. Older, confident, educated, passionate, engaging, fascinating. A welcome antidote to the mind-numbing fashions which seem to demand that women need to pump themselves full of plastic and then obligingly disappear from the screen as soon as they hit 40.

Oh!!

Hi Mary - I used to bump into you in the Very Long But Not Quite Record Breaking Corridors.

Must admit that at the time I muddled you up with the maths tutor at least once, but I was (a) shortsighted and (b) a NatSci. Sorry.

Love love love Mary Beard
Poor David, those matinee idol good looks of his really are a curse

Starkey has suffered because for once, the public appears to want something more complex and nuanced than his rather simplistic, personality driven approach to history.
That’s what happened, you poor old thing. She was better than you. Suck it up.

In my former life I had professional dealings with him. A thoroughly unpleasant, impatient and rude man.

I see he's not changed!

I also find DS awful to watch. His obsession with the Tudors is wearing and his contempt and disdain for every other monarch, particularly the Plantagenets, but also everyone who comes after the Tudors, is all too obvious. I was incensed at his comments about Richard III on the re-interment. There was no need to have someone making those kind of remarks, especially as they were clearly designed to annoy everyone and he obviously thought he was being incredibly witty. (I do have to agree about Phillipa Gregory)