after seeing the newsreaders dancing on CIN, am wondering if you need to be a size 10 to read the news

[ssd]

they all looked great, but jesus talk about skinny

dont they eat?

and they all have a bunch of kids too

jesus

As does Jo Brand, LineRunner

What a bizarre thing to say seeker. I didn't say there were inherently mysoginsitic reasons behind their self disipline, simply that they have it.

I also don't understand why you can't be thin and feminist. Do you have to be overweight to be a real, free woman then, what bullshit.

What's our point, again, Worra? I have become distracted by PlentyOf's critique of my inclusion of Pippin in the special list.

We were at our local Children in Need show last night and the weather girls from East Mids today did a song. They looked A LOT thinner in real life. Proof enough for me that the tv does add a lot of weight.

Completely with Northern, we are our own worst enemy.
You get someone on the TV who is a healthy, toned size 12 and they are called fat.

And there are oodles of successful people who are not thin, Michelle "Ultimo" Mone built up quite the business empire from scratch before slimming down for one.

I am a large framed 5ft 9" woman who would look horrific on TV, my shoulders would eclipse all others on that Breakfast sofa. Not my fault, I was born that way. I still don't think that Sian is too thin. I thought they all looked great in all honesty.

Of course there are successful people who aren't thin. Who said there wasn't?

Another one who agrees that our perception of normal has become completely screwed because so many people are over weight nowadays.

And anyway, when we watch the news, we are basically watching someone talking, the focus is on what they are actually saying. So why shouldn't the person we are watching look nice? I know I would rather watch someone that looks nice rather than someone that doesn't.

I can't remember now LineRunner I've got a very noisy game of Connect 4 Launchers going on next to me and I can't hear myself think

of course you can be thin and feminist. Of course ti's healthier to be thinner rather than fatter. Of course people can be thin if they want to. Even- if you twist my arm- of course thinner people look better than fatter ones.

BUT. Being thin and beautiful appears to be a job requirement for women in the media. And it isn't for men. Which is unfair. And means that society continues to send a seriously dodgy message to children about what's important. And the misogyny continues.

I think you are taking it to the extreme by calling it misogyny Seeker. It is not about woman hating for the sake of it, it's about putting people on the telly that others will want to watch instead of turning off.

None of the male presenters are fat or especially unattractive either.

The women look good, but they are not that stunningly beautiful.

The difference is that woman can improve their looks considerably with teh right hair, make up and clothes, so thay have a bigger range of how they can look compared to men. And men are generally bigger than women, and a wearing a suit makes it easier to disguise a persons true size. That's not misogyny, it's just the way it is.

You know what they say, the pressure on a woman to be thin is the same of that on a man to be rich.

But you don't have to be rich to get a job! And even if you are rich, you don't have to stay rich to keep the job!

DH and i were watching old TOTP that they show on BBC4 (1976) - Joan Armatrading was on - she was fab - but she'd get nowhere near a pop video these days....women are not portrayed better off in the media - okay so the 70s were worse for working conditions for women etc. but someone a gorgeous and forthright as Joan - well, they'd have no place shaking their booty or being mostly undressed....

"The difference is that woman can improve their looks considerably with teh right hair, make up and clothes, so thay have a bigger range of how they can look compared to men. And men are generally bigger than women, and a wearing a suit makes it easier to disguise a persons true size. That's not misogyny, it's just the way it is."

Brilliant!

WTF are you being so ridiculous? What's with all the hildish sighing and head banging? Can't you cope with people disagreeing with you? There is no "right"

"That's not misogyny, it's just the way it is."

Oh go on Serenity - let me bang my head one more time ...

seeker is talking lots of sense here, especially this: Anything rather than accept that we still live in a misogynist society.

Knock yourself out. Literally.

Or, Women are thinner and more groomed on TV because other women pick their appearance to pieces on, I dunno, forums etc maybe??

So do you think it's right that regardless of her talent, education and expertise q woman won't get on in the media if she is not also slim and conventionally attractive, but the same rules apply to men? And that regardless of her aforementioned talent, education and expertise, the chances are that once a woman hits, say, 40, she will be surplus to requirements, while a man can continue to retirement age?

So this is the answer

The women who present the news are successful women. Successful women are ambitious and disciplined in all areas of their life. This is why these women are thin. It is true that in roles away from television women who are successful are not always thin. However that is beside the point....

I would call it a sexist society personally as I'm not keen on the M word but certainly think seeker's POV is kind of obviously correct.

Seeker women's brains fall out when they hit 40 rendering them unable to work. That is why there are so few on TV.

Fortunately there are lots of men to fill the gaps, who have grown distinguished with age and have plenty of gravitas.

Phew!

But if the way it is is misogyny, then of course that's just the way it is.

Maybe the word misogyny means something different in my head than it does in other people's.

I thought it meant hatred of women. Perhaps we could get MN to ask the female BBC newsreaders to ask if they feel like they are hated?

Wanting attractive people on a tv screen to make watching that tv screen more enjoyable, is not hatred of women.