Tuesday, January 19

Do You Fit The Profile...

I have thought of many  posts over the past few days.

Some, I have mentally filed away,  for future thought, and consideration.

Some, I have discarded as boring beyond belief or endurance. ( Of course, I realise this post may indeed fall into this category to many readers!)

In my lonely hours as a nurse, I have resorted to mindless mindless being the foremost description,Televisual distractions.

This is where the title of this post originates.

I have noticed there is a distinct "Profile" one has to fill, if one wishes to be a FEMALE Television Presenter, News Reader or Weather Girl.

Flicking about the various channels, I have had the opportunity to observe the fact that MALES can be almost any shape, age, fit, unfit, dishevelled, grey, pasty, wrinkled, wart-or-mole-laden, and they will not be denied employment. They may also have facial hair, though most do not.

Hair, of lack of it does not seem to matter. Nor does colour, of the hair,  or lack of it, style, and even some atrocious dye jobs, and wigs are quite acceptable... for MALES.

However...
Woe betide the hapless female who does not fit the "Profile".

It seems the preferred image this season is the Afghan Hound look. Blond is preferrable- never mind about the black or dark roots, they are optional.

Also,  never mind if the 'Personality' has crossed eyes or one slightly off-centre-eye-cast. the hair is the THING!!  Houndlike features are optional also, but wrinkles or sagging, or visible signs of age, are all OUT!
For the Female Presenters, that is. (Some oldish, prune-like Males seem to be immune from any type of discrimmination, regardless of how unpleasant their visage may be, to the televisual viewer.

It is most important that the hair be tamed to within an inch of it's life, with a strict adherence to the 'Afghan' look.











Of course a little backcombing is occasionally permissable.

Dark hair will even be accepted, as long as the overall effect is still Afghan.

Try any Channel, I am sure you notice what I mean. Of course, I am talking Oz TV here.

What ever happened to "Variety is the Spice of Life"?

ARRRGH!

More ARRRGH with my ISP. My service keeps dropping out, with no apparent reason?? WTH!

15 comments:

Marigold Jam said...

Love your post! Not quite true of UK TV though as the afghan hairdo is not obligatory although youth and good looks do seem to be!

Hope you are both coping OK and that GOM is making progress?

Jane

Pauline said...

Calling it the Afghan look made me laugh. Here, too, the anchor women all have that longer in front, shorter in back lacquered, droop-around-the-face do! Maybe it's called the "bob" for some of the reasons you listed above ;)

persiflage said...

Oh Meggie, you made me laugh, even as I growled in sympathy and agreement. a futuous and blah blah voice also appear to be compulsory attributes. They probably resort to fake tans, botox and plastic surgery too.

persiflage said...

That should have been fatuous, but maybe I have created a new word.

Thimbleanna said...

You're so funny Meggie! I haven't really noticed the hairstyles around here, but wrinkles on females only are definitely out. But then, I've always wondered why it is that as men age they become "distinguished". We just become old. {Sigh}

Anonymous said...

I think you have hit the nail on the head. Here in the USA I notice the females' attire has changed over the years.

Selina Kingston said...

I can think of one afghan over here on local tv but what get me most is that all the female presenters are young, VERY YOUNG !!!!

Warty Mammal said...

Remember Don Henley's song "Dirty Laundry"? I think he would have agreed with your description of "The Profile":

We got the bubble-headed-bleach-blonde who
Comes on at five
She can tell you 'bout the plane crash with a gleam
in her eye
It's interesting when people die -
Give us dirty laundry

Mike said...

There was a case here in the states a few years ago where an older female newscaster was fired to make room for a younger, "perkier" one. I don't recall the outcome, but somehow I am fairly certain that superficial won out over fairness.

Cathi said...

Oh, how your post made me laugh! I often wonder if some of those "talking heads" are just stamped out at some factory! Very little real personality or proper reporting capabilities, but the look is obviously oh, so important!

Ali Honey said...

You are so right! A step forward has been made here. If the female presenter/ Afghan becomes pregnant that is still acceptable so a little progeress has been made.

Jeanette said...

Gday Meggie, I laughed at your discriptions but how true.. We have a young attractive blonde that does our newsbreaks .. Oh Dear!!! I dont know who dresses her and puts her thick pancake like makeup with rosey red cheeks Oboy im sure she doesnt have a mirror. I thought that sort of makeup went out with button up boots.

riseoutofme said...

Hi Meggie! Happy 2010 to you. Here in this little corner of the world, we haven't quite succumbed to the "afghan" look ... but the profile does demand good looks and a pleasant personality as well as brains (they all have to have third level education) ... and there are no blondes! Which makes me wonder are they guilty of discrimination?

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Tanya said...

I wonder how many of those female presenter people own afghan hounds. You know, dog and owner sometime look alike... I hope I don't look like Choco.